Is This a Super Course?
 

I got this bike as a frame/fork/headset/bottom bracket a few years ago. It was obviously a repaint and had no head badge, but the seller gave me a Raleigh badge that he had removed for painting.

I built it and gave it a test ride. It pulled to the left so strongly that I could not think about taking both hands off the bar for even a second.

Finally I took the fork to my LBS and had it checked. Their conclusion was that one blade was ahead of the other, and both blades were bent slightly to the side. After a couple of tries they pronounced that it was good and that I should try it, and bring it back if I wasn't satisfied.

This morning I got the front brake installed and gave it a run - the pull is gone. So now back to my question. Is this a Super Course?

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Gran Sport


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Looks nice. What is the name on the left rear drop out?

Competition

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Thanks Juvela.

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both shell & steerer are 24TPI

headset is Brampton Alatet and takes 26 5/32" balls per race

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What size seatpost does it take?

26.8

The clamping area looks a bit close - if I had a 27.0 I would try it.

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bottom bracket assembly appears to be the original NERVAR Star, whose fittings interchange perfectly with Sugino Mighty

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:thumb:

in this image the "points" of the seat binder ears look to be almost touching

http://m.bikeforums.net/attachment.p...1&d=1517073910

would have expected 27.2

you could withdraw pillar and lightly file/sand interior of opening to get it clear of possible rust/paint/dirt

also, opening may be slightly out of round from overtightening on a too small pillar...

with pillar removed, try gently prising open binder ears with blade of a large screwdriver or similar about 3mm. present pillar may then drop loosely into tube.

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Here is a better photo. You are right, a 27.2 should fit.

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thank you for the additional image

my one correct post for the month of January :rolleyes:

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I read this forum regularly; I think you have been correct at least 3 times.;)

Since I'm dense here-

Is this a Zeus and not a Raleigh?

Do Zeus dropouts always have their name on them? My Grand Sports dropouts look exactly like the picture and like the op's bike but they don't say anything at all.

Great looking bike BTW!

The dropouts are Zeus and AFAIK a few Raleighs had them. Everything else says Raleigh to me.

^ +1. I've had a few Gran(d) Sport(s) bikes come my way, and none had Zeus-labeled dropouts. Still, you never know with Raleigh. Or maybe this was one of those early Competitions with Gran Sport-style lugs and paint scheme?

It is most definitely a repaint. I wish there was an original decal remaining. The 531 decal is obviously not original, it is near the bottom bracket and over the (re)paint. I am thinking that the factory would grab whatever components that were available and close to spec in order to get a frame out to assembly.

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thank you for the kind vote of confidence, but that is only three times since the five years i have been a member :o

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our subject frame exhibits the Vagner Nr. 12 fork crown

the early Competition of 1969-70 came with a BOCAMA semi-sloping model seen in the upper right of the first illustration below

I'm sure you're right, but the Competition in laguna blue and white with Zeus dropouts that I had featured a Vagner no. 12 fork crown! I think it was more likely a 1971 than the earlier models though that's really just a guess.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4698/...550a0a44_z.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/...4686d840_z.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4748/...fc882dae_z.jpg

OK!

I know next to nothing about these- I know of Zeus as a bicycle maker that made and branded their own components. I didn't know other companies used Zeus components. I would just have not considered that Raleigh would use a "competitor"'s parts.

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The forum had another thread within the past year or so which got into a discussion about Zeus frame ends being employed on some Raleigh (& Carlton) models of the later 1960's and early 1970's. One member posted that the Zeus Gran Sport road ends set was actually contract manufactured in Britain by Reynolds. If this is correct then the parts would have been right handy...and done under the TI umbrella!


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ding!

Zeus rear dropout with integrated derailleur hanger is the giveaway.