Raleigh Frame?
- Thread starter sjmac531
- Start date
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http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html.
I can't make out the letter at the start of you serial number though.
I can't make out the letter at the start of you serial number though.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
The number stamped on the BB would suggest a 1977 or 1987 Raleigh (I would go for '87), but the lack of a Wx prefix suggests the frame is a cooking-grade Nottingham build and not one of their lightweight products.
Anyone can put a set of moody Reynolds stickers on a frame, just as they can apply a different maker's decals, So I would weigh the bare frame and measure the seatpost diameter before making any assumption that it is actually 531.
Anyone can put a set of moody Reynolds stickers on a frame, just as they can apply a different maker's decals, So I would weigh the bare frame and measure the seatpost diameter before making any assumption that it is actually 531.
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
Raleighs from that era normally had 'inverted thimble' forks. Yours dosen't. It still might have been produced at the Raleigh factory and sold under another name, BSA, Hercules, etc.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
The Raleigh tubular fork was a hallmark feature of their roadster and flat bar town bikes, but were not generally used on anything sold for touring/training/racing. I have several Raleighs, but only the rod-braked Dawn Tourist roadster has those forks. The rest are either unicrown, in the case of my MTB's, or conventional brazed crowns in the case of my road frames. A good rule of thumb is a hub geared Raleigh will usually have the tubular forks, a derailleur geared bike usually won't.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Interesting. These fork crowns would mark it as something from the 80's or later, and of probably moderate quality, a bit higher up the range than their 18-23 gas pipe frames. It's possible, of course, that the forks aren't original to the frame.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I would still not jump to any conclusions as to the frame quality just based on the fork. Those type of crowns tended to feature on the more sporty and higher end models, but plenty of sporty Raleighs were built over the years with either Reynolds main tubes only and 18-23 forks & stays, or the whole frame was 18-23 even if it featured relatively tight clearances and racier geometry.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Indeed, and I suspect they may not be original. Just a feeling in my Y fronts.
southcoast
Über Member
The bike looks to be from about 1987, so seems strange that it should be resprayed so early in its life?
The bike has been painted in what looks like Falcon Shane Sutton colours. See link
View: https://youtu.be/Ub6Q0KScF-w
The bike has been painted in what looks like Falcon Shane Sutton colours. See link
View: https://youtu.be/Ub6Q0KScF-w
It does look that way doesn't it, that would certainly explain the Falcon stickers
The cable guides under the BB make me think it’s 1985 onwards, before that Raleigh used short lengths of outer cable.
It could be a Raleigh Classic 531c, the frame looks similar to one I’ve recently restored. Although the dropouts on the Classic are chromed Suntour, so it might be a lower spec Raleigh Royal frame.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I don't think it's a Royal frame even just looking at the fork crown alone. Here's a picture of the fork on my 1985 Royal, which as you can see is not the same as the one the OP has posted.
