My 21 lbs Raleigh USA Frame set Build
10-23-16, 10:04 AM
#26
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My 1987 "531C Race" (that's what the frameset was called in the catalog). According to oral history from the seller, my frame was a batch of special orders to UK from a USA LBS who wanted them painted in SBDU TI-Raleigh team frame colors.
I love the ride and handling of mine.
Typical oversized seatstay caps:
I love the ride and handling of mine.
Typical oversized seatstay caps:
10-23-16, 10:36 AM
#27
~>~
The production runs of British framesets in "555SL", 531C and 753 in the '80's were contracted by the Huffy owned "Raleigh USA" and available in limited quantities to authorized dealers.
Individual shops took what came through the production/distribution pipeline via Huffy/Raleigh USA not direct from Blighty.
There was a definite preference by Raleigh USA for high volume dealerships who ran Raleigh associated racing teams, as we did, to provide the frame sizes needed to fit our riders and a selection for sale early each season.
-Bandera
10-23-16, 10:39 AM
#28
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Nice "story" from the seller.
The production runs of British framesets in "555SL", 531C and 753 in the '80's were contracted by the Huffy owned "Raleigh USA" and available in limited quantities to authorized dealers.
Individual shops took what came through the production/distribution pipeline via Huffy/Raleigh USA not direct from Blighty.
There was a definite preference by Raleigh USA for high volume dealerships who ran Raleigh associated racing teams, as we did, to provide the frame sizes needed to fit our riders and a selection for sale early each season.
-Bandera
The production runs of British framesets in "555SL", 531C and 753 in the '80's were contracted by the Huffy owned "Raleigh USA" and available in limited quantities to authorized dealers.
Individual shops took what came through the production/distribution pipeline via Huffy/Raleigh USA not direct from Blighty.
There was a definite preference by Raleigh USA for high volume dealerships who ran Raleigh associated racing teams, as we did, to provide the frame sizes needed to fit our riders and a selection for sale early each season.
-Bandera
Meanwhile, I just enjoy it, and the "actual" history of it is just that, old history.
10-23-16, 12:01 PM
#29
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Steve,
Nice bike. In that frame size Reynolds 531c (531 Competition) is a good choice of tubing for a smooth ride that's not too flexy.
The lighter weight Reynolds 531p (531 Professional) and 753 tubing could be a little whippy in a larger frame!
See attached tubing chart for wall thickness comparisons.
I have a 1985 SBDU built Reynolds 753 Raleigh USA Team Pro. I did a ton of research on it. The frame was one of the last ones made at Raleigh's SBDU in Ilkeston, UK.
It was raced by several sponsored teams and kicked around the northwest for several years - listed on eBay and Craigslist.
In it's final iteration, back in the early 90's the frame was painted pearl white with purple pink and gold 1992? Raleigh USA Technium Team decals.
The fork is still the original black color. I suspect that it had a carbon fiber fork at one point and that's why the original fork wasn't painted white.
The Technium decals were a red herring that threw my research off until a shop in Portland, OR filled me in with some info on the bike. It may have been a spare local team bike.
A friend snagged it in 2010. He told me that BB was filled full of dirt when he got it. I guess someone p**sed somebody off!
We were out riding one day and switched bikes for a few miles. I didn't want to get off of the Raleigh! It had the Goldilocks Holy Grail ride I'd been looking for since 1975! Super smooth!
I offered him a fair market price for it but he wasn't interested. Six months later he gave me a call at tax time!
The bike came with a well used mix of Suntour Superbe Pro and Cyclone components. I have some almost new Superbe Pro replacement parts but the old stuff is still working fine.
One problem, the bike had hard old narrow 700 x 20c tires with a 1/4" rib down the middle. It handled squirrely at slower speeds and didn't corner well. That and the front was a little harsh riding which I wrote off to the short rake Reynolds 753 forks.
There's not much tire clearance. I mounted a pair of Pasela 700 x23c TG tires and they cured all of the ride and handling issues. It's one of my top 5 favorite riding bikes.
First picture is how it looked when my friend got it. I replaced BB with a Campy Veloce cartridge when I got it. The original red paint is still visible.
verktyg
Chas.
Nice bike. In that frame size Reynolds 531c (531 Competition) is a good choice of tubing for a smooth ride that's not too flexy.
The lighter weight Reynolds 531p (531 Professional) and 753 tubing could be a little whippy in a larger frame!
See attached tubing chart for wall thickness comparisons.
I have a 1985 SBDU built Reynolds 753 Raleigh USA Team Pro. I did a ton of research on it. The frame was one of the last ones made at Raleigh's SBDU in Ilkeston, UK.
It was raced by several sponsored teams and kicked around the northwest for several years - listed on eBay and Craigslist.
In it's final iteration, back in the early 90's the frame was painted pearl white with purple pink and gold 1992? Raleigh USA Technium Team decals.
The fork is still the original black color. I suspect that it had a carbon fiber fork at one point and that's why the original fork wasn't painted white.
The Technium decals were a red herring that threw my research off until a shop in Portland, OR filled me in with some info on the bike. It may have been a spare local team bike.
A friend snagged it in 2010. He told me that BB was filled full of dirt when he got it. I guess someone p**sed somebody off!
We were out riding one day and switched bikes for a few miles. I didn't want to get off of the Raleigh! It had the Goldilocks Holy Grail ride I'd been looking for since 1975! Super smooth!
I offered him a fair market price for it but he wasn't interested. Six months later he gave me a call at tax time!
The bike came with a well used mix of Suntour Superbe Pro and Cyclone components. I have some almost new Superbe Pro replacement parts but the old stuff is still working fine.
One problem, the bike had hard old narrow 700 x 20c tires with a 1/4" rib down the middle. It handled squirrely at slower speeds and didn't corner well. That and the front was a little harsh riding which I wrote off to the short rake Reynolds 753 forks.
There's not much tire clearance. I mounted a pair of Pasela 700 x23c TG tires and they cured all of the ride and handling issues. It's one of my top 5 favorite riding bikes.
First picture is how it looked when my friend got it. I replaced BB with a Campy Veloce cartridge when I got it. The original red paint is still visible.
verktyg
Chas.
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10-23-16, 12:03 PM
#30
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Thread Starter
WOW! That looks sharp. Nice build.
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
10-23-16, 12:08 PM
#32
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Technium line wasn't just aluminum...I've seen glued 753 techniums and I've even seen ti techniums. I agree that the technium label generally won't help value, but for one made in SBDU, where it's just a decal, I doubt it matters much.
10-23-16, 12:19 PM
#33
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Thread Starter
So many beautiful examples of these frame set posted here. Thank you all for posting.
I just took my "rider grade" bike out for a fast 17 mile shakedown. Even though I need to make some adjustments and get used to the gearing I managed a 16 MPH avg on a windy day with leaves all over the trail.
The bike quickly gained my confidence as I slowly started to push her. The build was solid, nothing fell off, and the frame seems to be straight with no issues. It was easy to ride with no hands pretty quick so after a few miles I pushed hard.
The wheels and tires on this bike are really nice so that went a long way for ride quality. The bike is very comfortable, fast handling and really handles fast turns well. I do not notice a lot of flex when climbing out of the saddle. Seems to be a really well made frame, a definite keeper even though she is not as pretty she once was. Half way through the ride I forgot I was on a new bike and just enjoyed myself with no worries. Sorry, I forgot my camera.
I just took my "rider grade" bike out for a fast 17 mile shakedown. Even though I need to make some adjustments and get used to the gearing I managed a 16 MPH avg on a windy day with leaves all over the trail.
The bike quickly gained my confidence as I slowly started to push her. The build was solid, nothing fell off, and the frame seems to be straight with no issues. It was easy to ride with no hands pretty quick so after a few miles I pushed hard.
The wheels and tires on this bike are really nice so that went a long way for ride quality. The bike is very comfortable, fast handling and really handles fast turns well. I do not notice a lot of flex when climbing out of the saddle. Seems to be a really well made frame, a definite keeper even though she is not as pretty she once was. Half way through the ride I forgot I was on a new bike and just enjoyed myself with no worries. Sorry, I forgot my camera.
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
10-23-16, 12:25 PM
#34
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10-23-16, 12:49 PM
#35
~>~
"W=Worksop (1967-1980), Nottingham after 1981"
"SBDU serials are sequential, and do not indicate year or date of manufacture. All SBDU frames were built in Raleigh's Ilkeston factory.
Serial convention: "SB" followed by four numbers, sequential to production order. "
-https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html
Note your frame has a transfer: "A product of Raleigh Ltd. Made in England" w/ a W serial # for Worksop/Nottingham production.
The black fork & stays w/ dark red was a Raleigh USA livery, not TI-Raleigh pro team as shown in the pics.
-Bandera
"SBDU serials are sequential, and do not indicate year or date of manufacture. All SBDU frames were built in Raleigh's Ilkeston factory.
Serial convention: "SB" followed by four numbers, sequential to production order. "
-https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html
Note your frame has a transfer: "A product of Raleigh Ltd. Made in England" w/ a W serial # for Worksop/Nottingham production.
The black fork & stays w/ dark red was a Raleigh USA livery, not TI-Raleigh pro team as shown in the pics.
-Bandera
Last edited by Bandera; 10-23-16 at 01:10 PM.
10-23-16, 01:06 PM
#36
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Basically what Bandera said...what you have is a Worksop made frame painted to look like a team frame. It wasn't at all unusual for Raleigh to do this...they had several models they sold with team livery...some were lowend nottingham, some mid-level competitions from worksop and a few worksop Raleigh Professionals done up in the livery. That tradition was honored at Raleigh USA...who put the team livery on frames of varying quality/model lines.
10-23-16, 01:15 PM
#37
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Basically what Bandera said...what you have is a Worksop made frame painted to look like a team frame. It wasn't at all unusual for Raleigh to do this...they had several models they sold with team livery...some were lowend nottingham, some mid-level competitions from worksop and a few worksop Raleigh Professionals done up in the livery. That tradition was honored at Raleigh USA...who put the team livery on frames of varying quality/model lines.
I know it's not a SBDU frame, and I accidentally called it a TI-Raleigh team frame in this thread.
After I purchased the bike in the early 2000s, I did a ton of research and also found then that it's a Worksop frame painted to look like a SBDU Racing USA frame. But, then I couldn't find any more information than that. Over the years, I also found that this particular frame is very similar in details to off-the-peg frame offerings in the 1987 Raleigh catalog ("531C Race", with Gipiemme dropouts, and identical lugs and and other details). My serial number prefix of "WD7" seems to indicate a 1987 year build.
Nevertheless, I still enjoy it today, after having updated it to 10 speed Campy a couple of years ago.
11-13-16, 08:07 PM
#40
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Thread Starter
Just had to say I am really loving this bike a lot!! This bike just feels so professional. The way it picks up speed so fast. The way it feels beneath me. All the little things it does so effortlessly. So hard to put into words. I am very happy.
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
11-14-16, 05:53 AM
#41
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mid 80's SBDU Team Professional
11-14-16, 07:51 AM
#42
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I'll just assume that the bike is so lively that this photo was taken after the bike cruised down the path all by itself, leaving you just standing there with your phone camera.
Glad that the bike is on the road and providing lots of fun! Any thoughts on why the bike feels faster? Perhaps the geometry? Maybe the way the bike fits you? I know that I feel faster on my bikes with a more aggressive position (this is usually where the bars are a bit lower).
Steve in Peoria
(I'm not ruling out the possibility that the fast feeling is just because the bike is a red Raleigh either... although as an owner of a red Raleigh Team, I may be biased
)
11-14-16, 08:31 AM
#43
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I think the red is probably the most important thing, but after that, wheels and geometry. I have been riding early 70,s bikes all season.
This bike just feels right. No ghost shifting, not as much flex as my othe bikes, light wheels and tires. Cornering is tighter.
I am no faster on this bike than the others according to strava.
This bike just feels right. No ghost shifting, not as much flex as my othe bikes, light wheels and tires. Cornering is tighter.
I am no faster on this bike than the others according to strava.
11-14-16, 09:54 AM
#44
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Confidence in the bike I guess. The px 10 is very comfortable but has a lot of flex. I feel the need to baby the bike just a bit. The witcomb does not flex as much in the frame, but the fork flexes in turns and when I am hammering out of the saddle. This bike makes me feel like I can do anything and not push it to a limit.
05-02-18, 03:41 PM
#46
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So I purchased this frame for parts last year, not really interested in it as I already had a nice Red Guerciotti at the time. The frame went to a friend that wanted to build a beater but lost interest, and the frame returned to me. Since I am without a red bike I decided it will be built up. Here she is. She sports Shimano 600 Tri Color 7 speed hubs laced to Wolber Aspin Tubular rims with Challenge Criterium tubular tires. Tri Color Cranks, Derailleurs Brakes and Levers and Shimano 7 speed light action shifters. Raleigh USA bars and Custom stem with a Tange Levin headset.
I got the tires glued on today and could not resist taking a slow ride to see how she feels. I will put her through a good workout tomorrow. I can`t wait! LOL
The frame was sold as a frame set only in 1986. Made in England for Raleigh USA, a Worksop made, built of full Reynolds 531C steel, Campagnolo dropouts and fork ends, she weighs in at 21 lbs 2 oz on my not so scientific digital bathroom scale. I am not sure if I should call it a team frame or not, but this frame has no name and is not identical to anything sold as a bike by Raleigh that year?
I got the tires glued on today and could not resist taking a slow ride to see how she feels. I will put her through a good workout tomorrow. I can`t wait! LOL
The frame was sold as a frame set only in 1986. Made in England for Raleigh USA, a Worksop made, built of full Reynolds 531C steel, Campagnolo dropouts and fork ends, she weighs in at 21 lbs 2 oz on my not so scientific digital bathroom scale. I am not sure if I should call it a team frame or not, but this frame has no name and is not identical to anything sold as a bike by Raleigh that year?
Quoting the post will call it to his attention.
05-02-18, 08:38 PM
#48
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Yes I did. Switched out the wheels before the sale.
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
05-02-18, 09:56 PM
#49
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i own it now !! Finally got to really take it out last weekend!! It does feel a lot faster than my other bikes. I can’t put my finger on it but it just feels “right”. Thank you so much for the awesome bike!!! Couldn’t find a speck of dirt on it
!! Finally got to really take it out last weekend!! It does feel a lot faster than my other bikes. I can’t put my finger on it but it just feels “right”. Thank you so much for the awesome bike!!! Couldn’t find a speck of dirt on it
05-02-18, 10:01 PM
#50
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Thread Starter
Since Photobucket ruined my original pictures I will post another.
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My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
My bikes: 1970`s Roberts - 1981 Miyata 912 - 1980`s Ocshner (Chrome) - 1987 Schwinn Circuit - 1987 Schwinn Prologue - 1992 Schwinn Crosspoint - 1999 Schwinn Circuit - 2014 Cannondale Super Six EVO
Last edited by Steve Whitlatch; 05-02-18 at 10:07 PM.
