I picked up a Raleigh Supercourse the other day in my dad's size, thinking I'll clean it up and give it to him to ride. I think it's a 72 based on the catalogs on retroraleigh.com but further reading there left me wondering something. In one place I read that the Supercourse was the least expensive model to use a normal threaded bottom bracket rather than the Raleigh specific one. In another place, I read that if a Raleigh has a cottered crank, it uses the Raleigh bottom bracket threading. I have a Supercourse with a cottered crank. Which of those previous statements applies in this case?

Incorrect.

Also incorrect. (That is, if you're specific to the Super Course. This statement is too vauge to be considered factual though).

The early '70s Super Courses were odd beasts when it came down to bottom brackets - I've seen some running 26tpi threads, and some 24tpi, and both were equipped with a cottered, steel Stronglight crankset.

As for the mid '70s Super Course MkIIs, I have no idea as to what type of threading they used (or if they used both, as with the earlier models).

The later 1977 (the un-official MkIII) Super Courses (the ones running cheap SR cotterless cranks), were equipped with 24tpi BBs, and are probably the only Nottingham SC variant you can rely on for BB uniformity.

The Panasonic-made ('83-'86) Raleigh USA Supercourse BBs were always threaded 24tpi.

Take care,

-Kurt

Thanks for the really fast reply. Guess its a look and see for myself situation.

Based on past memories, I can, for the most part back up Kurt's statement. I definitely remember Super Course's having different bottom brackets from the Gran Prix and Record - which means that you're talking English standard, rather than Raleigh standard. Just the same, I do have vivid memories of almost screwing up a customer's Super Course because we got ONE bike in the shop that was Raleigh standard, and I attempt to use the usual Super Course bearing cups. And I was such a fervent believer in Nottingham, that I was going to force that cup to work, not willing to believe that they might have fudged that day.

This is a wonderful indication of what the bicycle business was like back in 1970-73. I swear the factories were grabbing any parts they could get hold of, just to put bikes out to slake the needs of those bloody, trendy Americans.

This is one of the reasons I have such a warm memory for Schwinn back in those days. They'd happily not deliver the bikes rather than deviate from the specs. When you're a mechanic, you learn to love this attitude. I think this was the beginning of my anti-French attitude . . . . . . .

Syke
Deranged Few M/C

Having worked on three different Super Courses in the past few months, I can add that my '71 is 26 tpi, a '73 I sold was 24 tpi, and my '77 is 24 tpi. The first two had cottered-steel cranksets.

Neal