RichSPK

Can anyone tell me what year this Record is from? I'm trying to set it up for commuting (9 miles each way, with some good hills).

It's got 27 x 1 1/4 'Raleigh Racing' gumwall tires, GB stem, Altenburger center-pulls in front, Synchron in back, Shimano Dura Ace brake levers, downtube shifters, and Huret Allvit derailleurs.

I've ordered some Schwalbe Marathon tires for it (along with tubes, rim tape, and stem savers). I plan to put new brake pads, bar tape, a rear rack, and a new seat on it. It's the heaviest bike I own, and I'm sure I'll be wanting some easier gears on it for the hill climbs. I'll probably tow a ~100lb trailer behind it occasionally. I don't want to invest a lot of money into it, but I still want to upgrade it. Does anyone have recommendations?

rickrob 

The Shimano brake levers are not original, AFAIK. That Allvit RD is early 70's. Is there a serial number on the bottom bracket, or the inside of the left dropout?

What's the lettering on the top and down tubes look like?

T-Mar

It has the 'R' as opposed to the heron on the fork, so it should be no earlier than a 1972 model, while the presence of Huret Allvit derailleurs indicate it should be no newer than a 1974 model. The Altenburger brakes were only spec'd in 1973 but 1972-1974 were the three peak years of the the bicycle boom and there was quite a bit of substituion going on. It's best to chevk the serial number against the info on Raleigh Serial Numbers & Charts

mparker326

I would take my new tires and put them on a better bike. Records were bottom of the Raleigh barrel. They are ok for messing around on, but I wouldn't commute 18 miles on one. I would look for a mid to higher end 70's/80's bike to be my platform for upgrades. If you are planning on towing a 100 pound trailer, I would get a rigid mid 80's MTB.

noglider 

Can we please have a picture of the entire bike, taken from the drive side?

Bikerider007

Exactly what I was thinking :-)

3speedslow

Welcome to BF!

You're not going anywhere on those tires. Fix it up with little money invested then find for yourself if it's the commuter you want. Good way to learn bike maintanence.

80's MTB is a good suggestion.

Vintage Raleigh

But those tyre are original equipment!
I nearly bought one of these new - love the paint scheme, but ended up with a blue Grand Prix. The only difference really was the wheels.

John E

I have commuted on a Schwinn Varsity and on a Peugeot UO-8. Is a Raleigh "Ripoff," as we called them at the Peugeot/Nishiki dealership, really that much worse than a UO-8?

bikemig 

+ 1. The bike needs new wheels though as you don't really want to commute on steel rims. The parts the OP has bought (tires, tubes, brake pads, etc.) are a good start. Wheels will make a huge difference. This is your best bet on a set of 27 inch alloy wheels,

Sun CR18 27 5,6,7 Speed Freewheel hubs Road Bike Wheelset [72274726665] - $115.00 Velomine.com : Worldwide Bicycle Shop, fixed gear track bike wheelsets campagnolo super record vintage bike

I'd probably want to lose that RD; look for an old suntour RD. With some elbow grease, this will make a fine commuter.

RichSPK

Thanks! I'll check for a serial number tomorrow (probably). I read somewhere that even when Altenburger's weren't spec'd, they used them when the supply of the spec'd brakes couldn't keep up with demand. I guess that's what you meant about substitution.

RichSPK

Right! It is a nice paint scheme. I was amazed that the tires and tubes actually hold air! It shifts well, too. I've already taken it on a couple very short trips, but I don't trust those tires for my commute. My main ride is a 1985 or 86 Alyeska that I've had since new, but it's temporarily out of commission because I broke a weld at the top of the seat stay (for the second time).

I'll try to remember to post more pictures of the Record (and the Alyeska, but in it's own thread). I prefer to fix up what I've got than to buy another bike, but getting an 80s MTB does make some sense. I really can't throw money around... And the Record is SO HEAVY!

RichSPK

Just a quick post before I run out the door. It looks like the serial number is 1321110.

Can I not post pictures when I post from my phone? Well, I'll post them later.

noglider 

That is an unbeatable deal on those wheels. Anyone who needs wheels like that should get them right now. I'm impressed with the quality and prices coming from Velomine.

I agree about the derailleur, too. If you like, I can look through my stash for you, as I have a ton of spare derailleurs.

RichSPK

I'll have to check them out. To date, I only have experience with my LBS, Performance Bike, and Nashbar.

That would be great!

And now I can post a bad picture of the whole Record.

rickrob 

Looks like a 1973 to me.

Vintage Raleigh

Once you get used to riding an all steel bike it's fine for commuting. Land speed records were broken on heavier bikes with 3 speeds or fixed gearing*.
The Grand Prix is my everyday bike and used for cross town commuting especially if it's raining as I fitted some Weinmann alloy mudguards.



*This is a lie.

noglider 

I'll look for you. Please send me an email at the address in my signature.

RichSPK

I'll do that now.

By the way, someone (no names) sent me a private message related to this thread. I can't reply to private messages right now because I don't have enough posts under my belt.

RichSPK

The 'R' decal does suggest 1973, but the serial number suggests 1970. Of course, the serial number is buried deep under paint, and I may have mis-read it, or the serial numbers may not have progressed the way I assume they did.

RichSPK

I added some contact info to my 'bio' because I can't currently reply to private messages.

noglider 

Those serial number guides are not accurate, only because Raleigh didn't follow their own plan, if they had one.

RichSPK

I rode the Record to work yesterday - about 19 miles round-trip. I picked up tires, tubes, rim strips, and toe clips for it, but didn't have time to install any of them before the ride. The hill climb wasn't as bad as I expected. The steering is kind of nervous and twitchy compared to my other bikes, which I think have more touring-oriented geometry. Pedaling away from stops with my hands up on the flats, the bike didn't want to go straight. A wider bar would give me more leverage for that, but this bar feels comfortable enough. I had adjusted the stem higher, but my LBS thought I didn't have enough engagement in the head tube. It looks funny to me, but I didn't notice any problems from the low stem height.

The brakes squeal horribly. The left pedal needs lubrication. The bottom bracket, by the end of the ride, sounded like it harbored warbling doves when I pushed hard in the highest gear. It seemed fine in lower gears, though.

1973 Raleigh Record by Richard Klein, on Flickr

USAZorro

That serial number guide for 1970 - 1973 was only for the Super Course and Gran Sport. This certainly looks like the 1973 catalog.

noglider 

The noise from the bottom bracket might really be the chain instead. If your bottom bracket really is making noise, don't ride it any further until you overhaul it, because you might be damaging it badly.

Old Raleighs do have floppy steering. You'll probably get used to it, or you might find it's not to your taste. It's not really a touring thing, it's more of a Raleigh thing.

You can get rid of the brake squeal by toeing in the brake pads. If the brake pads are old, definitely replace them. I recommend Kool Stop brake pads, and they're inexpensive.