You ever see a bike pop up on CL that you used to own, or that you looked at and considered buying in the past?

I'm tempted to go look at a 1986 Raleigh Olympian that popped up on CL today. I looked at the same bike two years ago and almost bought it... and probably should have. It's the same seller, too; I recognize the location and the house in the background.

I wonder if an 86 Olympian is better than my 83 Super Course? It's definitely lower in the pecking order of the Raleigh lineup, but things were advancing pretty quickly in the 80s, so maybe a 1986 lower-mid-level bike is better than a 1983 upper-mid-level. Unfortunately they didn't show weights in the 1983 catalog; that's a pretty decent way to gage it.

Just based on the catalog pages I'd say the Olympian looks better on paper. The way I read it you've got a Hi-Ten fork and straight gauge tubes on the Super Course.

This bike has been traded between about 6 C&V forum members since April 2011.
'77 Centurion Pro-Tour.

He always haggle is you want it cheaper. If I was your size I would grab that Miyata.

Funny thing is, I think he was only asking $80 for the Olympian last time; now he wants $95. I really don't have the money right now; I've spent my immediate bike allowance. But if it's there in a few weeks, maybe I'll take a look.

Yeah, the Miyata is pretty nice, but wow, what a bizzaro writeup. And I tend to be a bottom feeder..... $100 or so.

Double Butted Main Tubes



Looking at the description of the Olympian, I bet the 86 model has the same frame as my 83 SC.

What a s|ut.

I had a '72 Raleigh Grand Sports that I fixed up and sold, which later popped up on eBay. I felt good that I sold it for more than the eBay auction ended for.

Same forks too?
generally unless they specifically say "Frame and Forks" are made of whatever tubing, its just the Frame.
Also that sticker implies that while the Main Tubes are 555, the chainstays and seat stays are not "Main Tubes" so may be Hi-Ten

Doohickie, is the Super Course still running friction?

Very funny you should mention that. I bought this frame 2.5 years ago from a student at NC State. His dad was a pro racer, and I bought this frameset, a Dougas Precision Ti frameset, and a Marin Portofino frameset from him for $800.

I built the Portofino with new Mirage triple stuff and sold it right away. The Euro was down and I made about $100, which I thought was good at the time. I built the Ti frame into my Ti No Name build (8-sp DA group) and it eventually went as a frameset to BF member KtotheF.

I put the Motive aside, then picked up the low-spoke Shimano wheels, put them aside, too. I built an Ironman for a tri chick and she won two straight races, came to me with a Fuji Team Carbon she thought she could win with. As I was RobbieTuning it, her dad came by, and saw the Motive and wheels sitting there, and said "I have to have that when you're done." No problem. I cobbled together a group and sold it, mix of RSX, Bontrager Race Lite, Tiagra, 105, etc.

He came back by and traded me the Ironman and a nice GT mountain bike, I gave him the Motive. She and I took him to his first metric half-century, and he gave up road riding that afternoon. I wanted to buy the bike from him, but he wanted to trade it. He traded it to a dealer at the beach in NC towards two townies. I went to the beach later that year, the bike shop was using it as a rental. I rented it and rode it, but he wanted $600 for it, no deal here. He eventually sold it to a guy from the beach area, and he ended up at NC State, back where it was sort of "born." When the ad came up, I emailed him and listed the components, and he called. I got a kick out of seeing it, and he thought it was hilarious that it went to the beach and back and ended up at NC State again.

Great frame, really an example of how aluminum can ride a lot like Ti. No harshness, great response, probably due to a great CF fork. You don't see a lot of Douglas frames around here; I think they were sold by Colorado Cyclery?


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Douglas Motive...great road bike! - $575 (Raleigh, NcState)

Date: 2011-10-10, 8:46PM EDT
Reply to: sale-dunmz-2643192806@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]


https://onslow.craigslist.org/bik/2583057164.html

Check her out! Great bike, will make someone a happy rider.

Douglas is a small but really great company out of Colorado, well know for their light aluminum frames.

Frame sizes is 58cm I would say it will fit someone 5'10" to 6'2" I'm 6'1" and it fits me pretty well.
Carbon fork
Shimano Tiagra flight deck shifters
Ritchey comp bars
Shimano wheels
Sella Italia saddle
Shimano rsx braking system
Bontrager crank
Shimano Tiagra dirailers
Michelin Lithion rubber
Shimano peddles

This is a great very light weight bike. I;ve had it for about 8months but I have the opportunity to upgrade on a great deal.
Please call if you're interested and cash ready


717.383.9413

This bike is WELL worth what I'm asking and more, so please don't call trying to lowball.
The bike is in great condition and will serve even the most avid cyclist well.

• Location: Raleigh, NcState
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2643192806

Yes, actually. I'm getting some parts in to change the cockpit. These just came in yesterday,





And these are on the way.



I may pop one of these on, too, to make the shifting crisper.



Truth be told, I haven't enjoyed the Super Course as much as the Prelude. I got the Prelude dialed in pretty well for my fit (even though it was one size too small), and I got the SIS shifters working pretty well before we traded. I've been trying to decide what to do with the SC, and seeing those parts for sale in C&V inspired me. Maybe I need to make some changes to make the Super Course mine.

Here's the "before" picture, from a couple nights ago.

Just for the heck of it, here is the bike that started this thread, an 86 Raleigh Olympian. This is a pic I saved when it came around the first time in 2008.



And this is from the current CL ad.



I'm almost positive it's the same bike.

That bike currently resides in my basement.

See what I mean?

I had a 1986 Olympian and I was not impressed.

Yes, I occasionally see bikes I sold being sold again, usually at higher prices. One I sold for $50 (that was all it was worth, it was a donor bike that I picked up and realized there was not a single part worth reusing on it). A couple of weeks later I saw it back on C/L for $500, then on ebay for $500, then on C/L for $400, etc. Reseller was misrepresenting it as something it was not. He kept repopping it, slowly dropping the price. It disappeared at the $150 mark, I guess he hooked a fish.

I sold a fixie Nishiki Olympic 12 to a girl once. I told her the bike was too big for her (at the risk of losing a sale), but her boyfriend was pretty adamant about her buying it so, I gave up and sold it to her. 1 year later, it was on CL for an extra $100. I was tempted to email them and ask to meet up just for kicks!

I used to have an Olympic 12 myself....

I sold a Super grand prix for 150 after tuning it up and stealing parts, to a kid who was way too short to ride it. It was an amazing ride and fit me like a glove, but I had too many bikes (really?) and decided to dump it to finance a new purchase. I moved, but still monitor the CL from there to see if it ever pops up.

With those new parts coming in this may not be of any help, but let me know if you'd be interested in any of the parts from the Prelude. I just put DA 8 speed on it with bar end shifters and have the other shifters, derailleurs, etc. in a box.

I think I'm good... thanks for the offer though. I think I've decided I'm getting too old for DT shifting.

Yup, same bike. Look at the front QR; front wheel wasn't taken off the bike once during the intervening years.

They call it an "Olympian" because of the size? That's like a 66 cm frame or something?

sonofab*tch! I want my Kool Stop Pads back!!

There's a lot of cool details on that bike not the least of which are those awesome Gipiemme Pedals.

The tires are different- new tires blackwalls, old tires gumwalls. It's a 63 cm.

Oh, wow. Amazing what bad lighting can hide! Also amazing how different frame geometries can distort one's perception of frame size. Well, mine, anyway.