https://pichostonline.com/view/080513/b3b66e4085.jpg

The pic isn't too good, but do any of you knowldgeable lot know if what bike it is? A Record or Professional perhaps?

Tilton

Looks like a fancy U.K.-market Team Record. The team-painted Records here in the States were never graced with a built-in derailer hanger or remotely snazzy lugs.

-Kurt

That would really be something if it is Joop's bike. He was member of the 81 TDF team.
sm1981 Team 4.jpg

Correction
He won the 1980 Tour de France.

Joop Zoetemelk - stood on the TDF podium six times. Now a bicycle with his name is sporting fenders.

Except for the fact that the machine up there has NR. This thing has Huret mechs, Weinmann brakes, and not a trace of a 531 decal on frame or forks (forks sport the rather obvious crown as used on Raleigh's models below the International) Lower lug also looks thicker at the bottom then Joop's actual machine.

-Kurt

And World Champion at the age of 39. The old guy's hero, everywhere. It doesn't look like a record, though. Where is this bike?

Ummm, sorry to burst your bubble and all that, but it looks like a lo-fi Nottingham replica of a team bike. I have something very similar - mine's called a Raleigh Team Rapide (531db tubes, same scalloped rear stays). Nice enough, but definitely not team issue.
Jeff

Interesting. Different headlugs though.

Is that the oddball "halfway" Team replica that was on the forum here about 6/7 months ago? Looking sharp. Did you ever figure out whether it was a U.S. spec machine or UK?

-Kurt

well, not very many were actually team issue, even the 753's. Team Replica is a fair moniker. It was, in fact, the nicely finished, scalloped stays that got my attention. Most lower end Raleighs have bullet ends, or full wrap, or fastback. Not scallops. My Team (really belonged to the English Team) and my Pro both have flat caps. I'm not sure I've ever seen the scallops (not an expert, either). Where is your bike located?

It's down here in Aotearoa (also known as New Zealand!). Would've been made for the UK market, and possibly imported privately back in the early 80s.

I couldn't resist the team colours - Team Raleighs were an unattainable dream in my teenage years. I posted it here a few months ago - got gently chided by someone for daring to suggest Raleigh branding was all over the place in the 80s (Team Rapide??? I ask you!).

Luker, you'd be surprised at the number of 70s/80s English gems that pop up for sale down here.

I'm half tempted to set up a finding service for stock-starved North American anglophiles like your self - you guys sure seem to appreciate them

Cheers - Jeff

Thanks everyone. Jeff I like yours, what's it like to ride? I had a trawl on the net last night looking at Raleigh catalogues, but couldn't work out what it was. The bikes in Finland, so might explain things not adding up. I could get this for 120 dollars. Is it worth it?

Here's another rubbish pic
https://pichostonline.com/u/080514/b9ed90c00c.jpg

Cudak - This could be the one your talking about from about 6 months ago.

the conclusion was that it was sold as just a frameset mostly in the European marketplace. The original owner had it built up from a Frameset his local shop had somehow aquired.

Here is the link to the thread about the bike above.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/352111-raleigh-team-record.html

Don't confuse the Rapide with yours.
The Team Rapide is what Cudak calls the 'oddball "halfway" Team replica', R531 main frame with forged dropouts and reasonable parts (tradtimbo's Team Record is more "up there", just not R753). [Jeff's is heavily upgraded partswise, BTW.]
Yours is lower on the food chain.


As you can read on the TT it's a "Joop Zoetemelk" model, about the same lavel as a "Europa" or a "Flyer".
Gas pipe, cheap wheels. Mostly very simple parts.


No.
I'd say 50 would definitely be too much, maybe it's worth 20. I wouldn't touch it at all (but that's just me).

In which market, what year? Here in the U.S., the non-team Rapide model was the lowest-end roadbike in Raleigh's lineup back in '80, made in Japan for Raleigh, no less. Wouldn't make any sense to market a 531 machine in the U.S. under any name associated with the Rapide.

-Kurt

I grew up riding Raleighs. I raced 'em when I was starting out. I don't think I need any more, though.

1982 Raleigh GB Catalog

If my 5 bikes could talke they would say hey it's my turn to roll, come on ride me; and my usual response is road, cross, fs mtb, hardtail, or touring.

Based on the catalog picture, this was a fairly nice bike...the frame description would make one think that the entire frame is 531. Is that true? Was this a Japanese bike?

Just the three main tubes are 531 db, the rest ist 'high tensile' (whatever they might have understood as 'high').
The Team Rapides were made in England for sure, they have the flag sticker at the bottom of the seat tube which makes that clear; the one pictured has this writing in the middle of the top tube that should say "Handbuilt in England". I think I remember Rapide serial numbers beginning with the "Worksop"-W, but I could be wrong with that.