Ever notice something?
 

So tonight, I was going by the local bike-picker (if you live in Fort Wayne and have ever been to the "bike shop" on State, you know what I mean) and spotted a Raleigh Super Course that had to belong to me. Drove home, pulled out the too-small-for-me Cannondale Black Lightning (that I got for free) as well as my Univega that has been plaguing me like the devil and offered them to him in trade. Long story short, that and $25, and I have a completely original 1977-1978 Raleigh Super Course. Complete Suntour groupset, all the way down to the suede seat (though it's not black, so I'm doubting it's original...

Anyway, a cursory look, and it seems that everyone and their brother has a 1973 with cottered cranks, but it's almost impossible to find a later model, bar-con and cotterless crank bike...

Just thought that was kinda weird.

Oh, also, the paint is very faded. Is there a way to restore it a bit, or am I going to just deal with a pumpkin colored bike? Either way is fine by me...

Very cool! Oh and I moded my 72-73ish to have later raleigh square taper cranks and suntour barcons.. it's quite fun. People do amazing things with original paint around here, I'm sure one will chime in.

what color is it?

I cant post the after pic yet but the before is really faded PUG.

mine was clear coated,it is solid black. they even clearcoated the chrome.

I took advise to whetsand and re coat it- very good results.

but Im going further- as it is black it will always match.

black is black (not black mettalic)

as the top tube is really bad Im going to tape and respray some of it black, carefully masking the decals, more of a dusting and then re clearing it.

I dont know your color but if you are serious I would strip all the parts off touch it up, and reclear it.

Well, this thing was originally red...but is now a very faded orangey yellow. I'll post pics tonight. The top of the top tube is not very recognizable as a reddish (or even orangish) color.

My plans are to leave it mostly stock, unstick the seat post, and put some stronger wheels on it, then use it as my randonneur.

DO not Wet sand it. Wash the frame down with soap and water, then use Maguires Scratch-X. The results will be amazing. Don't forget to give it a good wax job.

The original saddle would have been a Brooks.

'73 was bike-boom years. By '77-'78 it had cooled off quite a bit. That's the reason you don't see as many.

This is a 1977 (I believe) Raleigh Super Course I had a couple of years ago. The bike had seen practically no use and appeared to be absolutely original...

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=278038 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=278039 http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=278040

I'm not understanding the title of this thread. Raleigh was not importing as many bikes in the later 70s?

I was asking if anyone ever noticed that there is a plethora of Super Courses from '73, and a few from '72, but after doing some basic research, I've yet to find even half as many from the latter half of the '70's as opposed to just those two years.

Here are some photos of my crusty, faded out find

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/IMAG0133.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/IMAG0134.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/IMAG0135.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/IMAG0136.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/IMAG0137.jpg

It's got all the original Raleigh branded Suntour stuff with the Weinmann concave rims and Panaracer Touring 700X28 tires that are degraded to the fraying threads. Pumped to 20 PSI just as roll-arounds, the 700X28 looks suspiciously the same size as my 25c Paselas on another bike.
Serial number is WN8001474, meaning (from what I can gather) that it's built in Worksop in October, 1978, and was the 1474th one built that month. Happy birthday! It's 34.