cranky old dude

I need some information from you experienced folks. I just bought a used Road Bike from from a local shop. It's a Raleigh Marathon (Serial # 6CK0015). It's a beautiful dark green with a silver head tube, 12 speed friction shift with 27 inch wheels. I can't find any info on the web as to the vintage and/or quality of this bike. It has quick release front hub, bolt on rear, and a bolted seatpost with a raleigh drop style hanldebar, Sakae crank, Schimano front and rear deraileurs. The frame is Raleigh 575 chro-moly.

The important thing, of course, is that the bike fits me quite comfortably and I like it a lot. It appears to be in excellent condition. I purchased two Specialized armadillo tires to help carry my 220lbs without flatting a tire on every little pebble I run over.

Any info as to the vintage and quality of this machine would be greatly appreciated. I've tried Sheldon Brown's web site with no luck, and the youngster at the shop who sold it to me says the bike is from before his time.

Thank you

austinspinner

Try moving your post to the vintage forum, those cats there can help you.

slvoid

Raleigh 575, is that some kind of carbon?

silversmith

Its cro-moly. Does the sticker say double or tripple butted?

JunkYardBike

Googled "Raleigh 575" and came up with these two relevant links (first is from this very forum):

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/237740-raleigh-575sl-chro-mo-tubing.html
https://www.discountbikes.net/road/ra...on2/index.html

Probably a mid-range bike when new. Sounds like 575 tubing is decent. If it fits and you like the ride, it's an excellent bike!

joe v

Let's have some pics then, Cranky old dude; them racing green Raleighs are sweet looking bikes, whatever the model.

cranky old dude

The sticker says 575sl ChroMoly Triple butted
Engineered in USA, Manufactured in Taiwan.

Thanks for the input so far.

Here are a couple of pics (if I did it right).

Thank You

joe v

mhhh, not racing green after all, I guess, pity. Still, nice bike.

Stacey

Looks like a decent ride. It's probably early eighty's from the look of the top tube decal. Identical to my lower level Capri with the checkerboard pattern in front of the name. I'm seeing alloy rims, a bolt on rear derailer, upgrade, but not top of the line componentry. Most important it fits and you enjoy it.

Is there an Olimpic Team Sponsor decal on the top of the down tube, just behind the head tube? If so, then it's either a 1980 or 84 era bike, I can't remember which year it was that raleigh was involved.


Best place to start would be by checking date codes on ther components, if any are available. Using your earilest result, you can be safe in assuming it probably wasn't built prior as the bike looks to be un modified from stock.

Enjoy it.

T-Mar

My guess is circa 1986, based on the serial number and derailleurs. The 1984 and 1985 Marathons used Raleigh 502 tubing, so it would not appear to be those years. The 1984 and 1984 Marathons were sport/touring models, third from the bottom of the line and costing $215 US (1985). I'd say your sample is not too far removed from this.

cranky old dude

It's got a US cycling team Official Supplier sticker on it....I'll start researching from that angle.
I was leaning towards 1986, like T-Mar mentioned (though I don't know squat about component
age etc.).

Thank You

Stacey

That's it! U.S. Cycling Team, Yeah. Oh how details get foggy I'd go with T-Mar's lead too. Thinking back on it, his sounds like a more correct assessment than mine. Of all the things I've lost in life I miss my mind the most.

JunkYardBike

Look for a two letter code on the back of your front derailleur cage or rear derailleur body (not VIA, but some other stamped two letter code). Then look here and compare. I'm guessing your components are original to the frame. This will give you a better idea of age.

christiank

What does VIA stand for? I have been trying to figure that out.

JunkYardBike

Courtesy of Sheldon Brown:

"V.I.A.

Japan Vehicle Inspection Association, a quasi-official agency that promotes standardization and minimum quality standards for Japanese vehicles.

In the post WW2 era, most Japanese industries acquired similar governing bodies under the J.I.S.C. (Japanese Industrial Standards Committee). These agencies helped to turn around the international reputation of Japanese products from the former stereotype of cheap copies of western designs to their present high reputation for quality and reliability."

cranky old dude

"JL" (December 1985)
Supports 1986 as a reasonable vintage for this bike.
Thank you all for your quick responses and interest. I'm now satisfied in the
belief that I own a 1986(-ish) Raleigh Marathon sport touring bike, the true value of
which will be realised as I start racking up mileage on it.

Thank You

Stacey

Many happy miles!

sykerocker 

Enjoy the ride - although I wasn't riding when the Raleigh America bikes were new, in retrospect I'm discovering that they're very good rides for someone interested in a real value bike. Somebody in that company was smart enough not to try and get by on the cheap, getting a few good years out of the name before they trashed it completely.

Landgolier

3 week bump, but I just saw this thread. I have one of these bikes, a 58. Indeed a very nice frame, with great details like the caps on the seat stays and the heron logo stamped into the fork crown and done out in red as well. They are something of a racing green, it comes out rather blue in photos. You found the past threads about the tubing, I find it to be pretty good stuff. I've switched mine over to fixed gear, which worked out well. The stock brakes have plenty of reach for 700c rims, and I can run any tires I want with plenty of room for fenders. The only issue I've ever had with this bike is that the rivet holding in the cable guide under the bottom bracket was too long to get a cartridge BB in there, but I'm not using the cable guide so now the hole serves as my condensation drain. I'm sure you could just grind it down a bit or take out the rivet and replace it with a small bolt with the nut on the outside or something.