russ.will
Slimboy Fat
- Location
- The Fen Edge
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Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Brilliant story, thanks for posting. You're a braver man than I spending all that cash but then you can't take it with you so why not. We might be dead from this wretched virus next week 
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rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Interesting write-up, and it's certainly a looker. A couple of random observations:
-the 531 decal suggests it's 531 main frame only, and not butted. That would give you a frame weight of just over 5lb (no fork). Of course, it could easily be the wrong decal. Full 531DB or 531C is about 4 1/2 lb. Did you get a chance to weigh it?
-it's a JIS fork, very common as many manufacturers bought them in bulk from Tange et al rather than making their own, and with JIS headsets being readily available they didn't bother to cut them down to ISO/BSC. Even my 70s Harry Quinn had one, and HQ produced a fraction of Raleigh's output. The Cyclus crown race cutter is about £100. I have one and I've cut down a few from JIS to ISO. However, chrome can blunt the tool so it's wise to let someone else do it!
-rear spacing for a bike of this age would generally be 126mm. If a 10-speed wheel goes in easily, it's been reset to 130mm at some point.
-Raleigh Special Products frames always had ISO/BSC threading on the BB and fork. If you buy any other Raleigh frame, especially an old or low-end model, you run the risk that it has Raleigh 26tpi threading and Raleigh headset dimensions (which are more or less the same as JIS, but with a different thread on the fork steerer).
-Bob Jackson are very good for paint. I've used them a few times. Less good for framebuilding-type jobs.
-the Swallow is the narrow saddle in the range. I can tolerate one but I'm happiest with the old 60s/70s Professional (the modern Team Professional is similar but not quite the same). Those are the medium width ones. If it helps, a 143mm in the Specialized range is exactly right for me. I suspect you'll end up trading the Swallow for a nice Team Pro or B17 if you have wide sit-bones.
-the 531 decal suggests it's 531 main frame only, and not butted. That would give you a frame weight of just over 5lb (no fork). Of course, it could easily be the wrong decal. Full 531DB or 531C is about 4 1/2 lb. Did you get a chance to weigh it?
-it's a JIS fork, very common as many manufacturers bought them in bulk from Tange et al rather than making their own, and with JIS headsets being readily available they didn't bother to cut them down to ISO/BSC. Even my 70s Harry Quinn had one, and HQ produced a fraction of Raleigh's output. The Cyclus crown race cutter is about £100. I have one and I've cut down a few from JIS to ISO. However, chrome can blunt the tool so it's wise to let someone else do it!
-rear spacing for a bike of this age would generally be 126mm. If a 10-speed wheel goes in easily, it's been reset to 130mm at some point.
-Raleigh Special Products frames always had ISO/BSC threading on the BB and fork. If you buy any other Raleigh frame, especially an old or low-end model, you run the risk that it has Raleigh 26tpi threading and Raleigh headset dimensions (which are more or less the same as JIS, but with a different thread on the fork steerer).
-Bob Jackson are very good for paint. I've used them a few times. Less good for framebuilding-type jobs.
-the Swallow is the narrow saddle in the range. I can tolerate one but I'm happiest with the old 60s/70s Professional (the modern Team Professional is similar but not quite the same). Those are the medium width ones. If it helps, a 143mm in the Specialized range is exactly right for me. I suspect you'll end up trading the Swallow for a nice Team Pro or B17 if you have wide sit-bones.
OP
OP
russ.will
Slimboy Fat
- Location
- The Fen Edge
@rogerzilla
You know what? I did think about weighing it because it felt so light stripped down, but lacked anything that could reliably do that range. The kitchen scale was too low and the bathroom scales... In the end, the frame number nailed it down to the Raleigh SPD and consensus amongst more knowledgeable than I suggested it to be 531c because that's what they did. I initially suspected the frame was nothing of the sort (possibly not even 531) because the sticker was clearly on top of the dodgy paint job. That's why I bought what I thought was a cheapo - Just to rattle around on.
I'll take your word on the fork. The headset that came out was Shimano IIRC. That's the first time anybody has mention JIS to me and had they, it would have resulted in some very different Googling and possibly outcome! Mind you, by then I'd paid for the chrome, so there was no going back.
The frame is 1994 - I thought 130mm spacing was reasonably common by then? I know not one way or the other, because the wheel just drops in and really does require the skewer to nip it up. Everything runs absolutely straight, so if it has been done, it's seems to have been done well!
We'll see on the seat. It does measure up exactly 155mm wide as per my Romin Evo and shares a similarly flat profile (no cut out though) but of course it lacks the 2-3mm of padding of the Spesh. Too early to say at this stage.
Russ
You know what? I did think about weighing it because it felt so light stripped down, but lacked anything that could reliably do that range. The kitchen scale was too low and the bathroom scales... In the end, the frame number nailed it down to the Raleigh SPD and consensus amongst more knowledgeable than I suggested it to be 531c because that's what they did. I initially suspected the frame was nothing of the sort (possibly not even 531) because the sticker was clearly on top of the dodgy paint job. That's why I bought what I thought was a cheapo - Just to rattle around on.
I'll take your word on the fork. The headset that came out was Shimano IIRC. That's the first time anybody has mention JIS to me and had they, it would have resulted in some very different Googling and possibly outcome! Mind you, by then I'd paid for the chrome, so there was no going back.
The frame is 1994 - I thought 130mm spacing was reasonably common by then? I know not one way or the other, because the wheel just drops in and really does require the skewer to nip it up. Everything runs absolutely straight, so if it has been done, it's seems to have been done well!
We'll see on the seat. It does measure up exactly 155mm wide as per my Romin Evo and shares a similarly flat profile (no cut out though) but of course it lacks the 2-3mm of padding of the Spesh. Too early to say at this stage.
Russ
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Oh, 1994 is (just) 130mm. 105 (the racing groupset for normal individuals) went 8-speed in 1993.
There's nothing inherently wrong with JIS forks, it just indicates they were probably not made by Raleigh. JIS has an association with cheap bikes these days but that's rather unfair. It's just what Japanese factories turned out at the time.
There's nothing inherently wrong with JIS forks, it just indicates they were probably not made by Raleigh. JIS has an association with cheap bikes these days but that's rather unfair. It's just what Japanese factories turned out at the time.
OP
OP
russ.will
Slimboy Fat
- Location
- The Fen Edge
It was a mix of Suntour GPX 7spd and Shimano 600 EX when I got it, so give o take, it's about right.
I may look at more appropriate forks in the future, but not yet!
Cheers,
Russ
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Very nice 
The Swift is slightly wider that the Swallow saddle,@rogerzilla
You know what? I did think about weighing it because it felt so light stripped down, but lacked anything that could reliably do that range. The kitchen scale was too low and the bathroom scales... In the end, the frame number nailed it down to the Raleigh SPD and consensus amongst more knowledgeable than I suggested it to be 531c because that's what they did. I initially suspected the frame was nothing of the sort (possibly not even 531) because the sticker was clearly on top of the dodgy paint job. That's why I bought what I thought was a cheapo - Just to rattle around on.
I'll take your word on the fork. The headset that came out was Shimano IIRC. That's the first time anybody has mention JIS to me and had they, it would have resulted in some very different Googling and possibly outcome! Mind you, by then I'd paid for the chrome, so there was no going back.
The frame is 1994 - I thought 130mm spacing was reasonably common by then? I know not one way or the other, because the wheel just drops in and really does require the skewer to nip it up. Everything runs absolutely straight, so if it has been done, it's seems to have been done well!
We'll see on the seat. It does measure up exactly 155mm wide as per my Romin Evo and shares a similarly flat profile (no cut out though) but of course it lacks the 2-3mm of padding of the Spesh. Too early to say at this stage.
Russ
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
There's nothing wrong with them - they suit the frame. Probably made from a decent chromoly. There's nothing magic about 531 (a mang-moly) and chromoly can make just as light and strong a fork.
OP
OP
russ.will
Slimboy Fat
- Location
- The Fen Edge
3mm! But also a bit more kicked up at the rear. Neither will remain either shape for long under my capacious butt!
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Really inspiring write-up on this project. Absolutely top class job. Nice to see another quality steel Raleigh being appreciated. A standard production Royal tourer and Gemini hybrid are as exotic as my 531 framed Raleighs get, but even they demonstrate that Raleigh could design and build some very nice-riding frames, even if many club cyclists tended to turn their noses up at the products of mainstream manufacturers.
OP
OP
russ.will
Slimboy Fat
- Location
- The Fen Edge
Aye but how much is wide sit bones and how much islardmuscle.
From the waist down, I'm rock! That said, even in the days when the top half was ripped, I was built for running through things rather than round them.Russ
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Maz once cracked up her mates in the pub by describing me as "Fit from the waist down", I'm not that tall (just under 6') but have very long legs (34" jeans) but even when I was over 16 stone It was all (beer) gut. My B17 is too wide for me but the B17n, B5n, Swift and Swallow fit me nicely.
Russ
