Bernard

I just traded for a mid-80's Raleigh Marathon, but I can't seem to find anything about it online. The guy didn't know the year exactly, but thought it was '85. It's got most the original components, but the I replaced the rear derailer with a newer suntour I picked up cheap. Also, it's super tall, 63cm or 64cm, which is awesome since I'm a tall drink as well. Anyway, my question is basically what can anyone tell me about this model or do you have a website that can help me? And the guy valued the bike at $130 and only needed a slight truing of the wheels. Did I get a decent deal?

I'd put pix up, but I can't right now. But I'll add them later this week.

nlerner

Try

https://retroraleighs.com/catalogs/1985/pages/3.html

and

https://retroraleighs.com/catalogs/19...-marathon.html

Neal

Tom Fritts

Raleigh Marathons seem to cover a broad spectrum. I bought one at the Denver Velo Swap which had all the features of a basic touring bike (triple crank, bar end shifters and decent if date components. I had a friend buy one in Central Illinois which had much more basic components even though it had the same basic paint scheme and decals suggesting a similar age. I paid $80 for my touring version and felt I got a great deal. My friend paid $40 for his more basic version (also a large size) and of course he didn't get hurt either. A bike that is in good shape and which gets you on the road is worth a lot. The lugged frame is a bit on the heavy side but certainly a strong one big enough for a big guy if it has not been damaged. Tom

roccobike

I had a Marathon, and I think it was an 85. I'll post pics later tonight. If you have pics please post them. The Marathon I had was a basic 502 Chromoly frame, similiar to a Record. It was a very nice rider. I think when you are looking for large bikes, the price goes up because they are hard to find. I sold that 52 cm Marathon for $80 but I never price bikes at the top end of the range so it easily could have gone for over $100. So if you add a premium for a large frame, it seems to me the value you quoted is about right. If its in good shape and you're happy with it, ride it.

SingeDebile

I have a green marathon 67cm that I basically built up completely (shimano 600 arabesque, random alloy wheels etc..) .. its 502 as well... and I have been using it as my commuter while I build up my dream bike part deux. Its served me very well.

roccobike

Here's the pic of the Raleigh Marathon I had. Its an 84, not 85. I rode this around for a brief period. It's a little small for me but it had a nice ride. The new tires made a huge difference in the performance. As I recall, one of my freinds picked up another Marathon, the same color but it had brazed on downtube shifters, nice. The 84 had an alloy sleeve on the downtube bars, alloy cranks, brakes, rims etc. The rims had a buldge in the bead, not quite hooked bead, but not smooth side either. I know I ran new tires, and I believe they were 1 1/8 run at 100 PSI. I remember the bike felt very fast. Its new owner said the same thing, for an old 12 speed, it seemed very fast.
I hope this helps.