cehowardGS

What was the top of the line 1985 Raleigh? I know back in the 70s, the Professional was the top of the line. I am talking about the specific year of 1985.

I have the 1985 Raleigh Prestige, and the 1985 Raleigh Competition..Are these two the top of the lineup in 1985? Not talking about custom jobs, I mean out of the store bikes..

thanks

lostarchitect 

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...985/index.html

Road bikes:
Prestige
Competition
Supercourse
Grand Prix

cehowardGS

Then the Prestige is the top of the line for 1985... I like that year, IMO, the looks of the 1985s are awesome. I am trying to find a 85 Grand Prix and a 85 SuperCourse. They all have the chrome head tube..

Thanks..

nlerner

There were also some high-end frames sold as frame sets only in 1984/85. Seems the US importer was Michael's Cyclery in Aimes, IA. See post #7 by Charles Wahl in this thread.

norskagent

Actually in the catalog it says the $40K technium was the one. Also, the 753 custom frame set shown would outrank the prestige.

lostarchitect 

The OP specifically said he's asking about bikes sold in stores, not customs.

The custom 753 frameset is (A) custom, and (B), a frameset, not a bike.

And the catalog states "...you couldn't buy our $40,000 Technium racing bike even if you wanted to."

norskagent

hey I was just trying to be helpful in case a 753 bike came along!

cehowardGS

If you read my opening post, I stated, that I am NOT talking about custom bikes/frames!! I am talking about off the shelf bikes in the 1985 Catalog..From what I saw, the Prestige was the top of the line, followed by the Competition.. I could be wrong, but that is what I saw..

cudak888 

Racing lineup, Raleigh USA 1985 - from top to entry level:

Raleigh 753 - UK, Ilkston SBDU; a.k.a. Raleigh Team Professional. Frameset only.
Raleigh 555 - UK, Worksop - Reynolds 531SL (badged 555RSL). Frameset only.
Raleigh USA Prestige - Japan/Taiwan
Raleigh USA Competition - Japan/Taiwan
Raleigh USA Super Course - Japan/Taiwan
Raleigh USA Grand Prix - Japan/Taiwan

-Kurt

Michael Angelo 

Mid 80's Raleigh Team Pro 753r frame set 60cm, Full Campagnolo Super Record Group. Brooks Team Pro, MA40 rims.....

Savagewolf

What Michael is trying to say is, "Hey, this is a 63cm and I'd love to send this bike for free to Oregon for Savagewolf."

norskagent

Would the '85 Prestige be comparable in quality and concept to the early 90s Schwinn Paramount PDGs, both being farmed-out asian versions of the top model?

cudak888 

More or less, with the added benefit that you get a proper (not unicrown) fork with it.

I'm not sure I'd say that the PDG Series bikes or the Prestige are patterned after the models above them. The Prestige frameset - save for the paint job - is identical to the Competition below it in the lineup. Though the Worksop-made 555 is very similar to the Japanese frames - save for Cinelli lugs - the 555 frames don't quite resemble the 753 frames.

On that note, the Super Course and Grand Prix do take their cues from the Prestige/Competition frame.

-Kurt

cehowardGS

No way would I think my 85 Prestige is on the level with any Paramount.

However, from reading the feedback, the 85 Raleigh Prestige was top of the line out of the store Raleigh, with the Competition second!

And I do want a 85 Super Course and Grand Prix, if I can find one in good shape, and don't go in the poorhouse..60 to 64cm..

cehowardGS

Pure Sweetness..

cudak888 

Why shouldn't you? It's as good if not better than some of the PDG Series bikes (particularly if you're partial to Suntour over Shimano), which is the comparison I was referring to.

The top-end PDG was the Series 7, with full 600 (STI); the Prestige a mix of Superbe Pro and Aero Grand Compe. The Series 7 has a 6 year lead (introduction = 1990) over the Prestige (introduction of "standard" Prestige not including 1983 model = 1984) in terms of component technology, so - all things considered - the frames are almost equally matched, and the components are in the same tier range for each bikes' respective era.

As built bikes, yes, but I see no reason why certain shops wouldn't have stocked the 555 and 753 (especially the 555, seeing that they were simply UK-built mass-production frames).

P.S.: The 1984's carry the same schemes, save for the Super Course (metallic blue in 1984, "Blueberry" in 1985).

-Kurt

cudak888 

The only thing that makes the English bikes more appealing than the Japanese is relative snob appeal and paint jobs. The respective lineups were matched in terms of relative quality vs. price range.

-Kurt

cehowardGS

I am slobbering at the mouth over the one in the rear with the chrome headtube. Been looking hard to catch one of those in my size, and at low price...

BTW, where is the English 85 Raleigh Catalog and models?

cudak888 

1984 U.K. is the best that's up online right now:

https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh84/

-Kurt