early raleigh super course, help!!!
 

Raleigh Super Course no idea of the year, green, with cottered crankset, want to change to cotterless crankset, is there any issue to change it.

according to sheldon brown it will be an issue.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh26.html

Raleigh owners, pls help.

thanks.

lei lin

it is an issue if you have an old enough bike to be fitted with Raleigh-specific parts (not Raleigh branded parts, that's another kettle of fish entirely). If you have a Raleigh that has Raleigh threading, you don't want to go messing it up anyway, probably. Chances are good that you have a later model - can you post a picture or a detailed description (um, like, color, serial number, number of rear cogs, etc.)? A Raleigh from the 70's or newer won't require anything special - just the right size bottom bracket, and of course, a cotterless crankset.

If yours is one of the Gazelle built bikes you may be in luck, the GB made frames have the "special threading" not impossible to change but you will have to use the original cups, of common quality, common for a 3speed. If memory serves, an Italian BB spindle can assist as the bearing races are farther apart, this is a situation where you need a relationship with a LBS, so be a good patron for a while first prior to teasing their brain. Keep tabs on the chainline too...

It is not going to be older than 1970's. Super Course is one of the model names that Carlton used until Raleigh bought them out. I suspect that his is green with half-chromed forks and stays - which would make it somewhere between 1971-1976 (posting the serial number would tell us for sure).

As a rule, the Super Course was made in the Carlton factory. As a result, it did not have the Raleigh 26 TPI BB. Rather it had the ENglish 24 TPI BB. So, it should be rather straight forward to replace the cottered cranks with a nice set of cotterless. Later cotterless Super Course cups and spindles show up occaisonally on eBay. They usually are japanese made Sakae. Quite nice. The Shimano UN72 is also a nice alternative. Raleigh branded SR alloy cranks are cheap and plentiful. Pay attention to the chainline and you will be OK. I put a Super Course cup and spindle BB with SR cranks on a Carlton made Gran Prix. Worked perfectly.

thanks every one for the help, it is much appreciated.

Lei Lin