Is This a Super Course?
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
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?
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?
Last edited by dweenk; 01-27-18 at 11:37 AM.
#4
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
#9
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
#11
in this image the "points" of the seat binder ears look to be almost touching
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.
-----
Last edited by juvela; 01-27-18 at 01:42 PM. Reason: addition
#12
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
-----

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

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.
-----
in this image the "points" of the seat binder ears look to be almost touching
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.
-----
#14
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
I read this forum regularly; I think you have been correct at least 3 times.
#15
Extraordinary Magnitude


Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 14,080
Likes: 2,134
From: Waukesha WI
Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT
Since I'm dense here-
Is this a Zeus and not a Raleigh?
Is this a Zeus and not a Raleigh?
__________________
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
#16
Senior Member


Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 742
Likes: 463
From: Earlville, IL
Bikes: 50s mystery English bike, some Schwinns, Raleighs, Crescent, 66 Sears Sport Racer, 41 Wards Hawthorn
#17
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
#18
Senior Member



Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 18,759
Likes: 11,483
^ +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?
#19
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,830
Likes: 365
From: Maryland
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
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.
#20
#21
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
#22
Senior Member



Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 18,759
Likes: 11,483


Last edited by nlerner; 01-27-18 at 06:00 PM.
#23
Extraordinary Magnitude


Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 14,080
Likes: 2,134
From: Waukesha WI
Bikes: 1978 Trek TX700; 1978/79 Trek 736; 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport; 1984 Schwinn Voyageur SP; 1985 Trek 620; 1985 Trek 720; 1986 Trek 400 Elance; 1987 Schwinn High Sierra; 1990 Miyata 1000LT
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.
__________________
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Person Of The Year" Award*
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
#24
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!
-----
#25
Bike Butcher of Portland


Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 12,434
Likes: 7,933
From: Portland, OR
Bikes: It's complicated.





