Some Raleigh I Found in a Basement

[Gravity Aided]

I found this very old, very light Raleigh 10 speed in the basement at a co-op, it appears to have, under all that paint, Bocama Lugs?,R4 and B4?, Campagnolo Chainwheel and drop outs, as well as the clamps for the rear brake along the top tube, It has Weinmann brakes and the surviving wheel is also a 700c Weinmann concave rim. Seat stay and seat tube cluster are very nice, with integrated pinch bolt. It has Suntour shifters on the down tube and the front derailleur is also Suntour. I am guessing at it being a 1970's Competition under all that paint. It also has chrome "socks"on the stays and forks, I believe. I will show it in its' present condition, before washing and paint removal.

Any further information would be appreciated. I will post restoration progress here, as well.

 

[Paulus]

Nice find. It will be great to watch you rebuild and restore this bike back to life.

 

[Gravity Aided]

It is a very well made bicycle, I can tell that even under all the coats of paint. No dents, dings, or damage as far as I can see. Full up on bicycles now, this will be my last restoration/renovation, I think. I just couldn't stand to let this one go wherever it was going. I am convinced it will be well worth the effort. I may hunt for serial numbers today.

 

[midlife]

The teardrop cutout lugs and flat fork crown along with the frame number should pin down the model. The cranks are not original but better

 

[Gunk]

That is a very nice find, and I would suggest very carefully removing the paint layer by layer so you can see if you can discover what the original colour scheme was. Looks like a 1960's 531 frame. If it's straight, should restore nicely.

The chainset and chrome cable guides are nice bonus.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I am thinking Competition GS, 1979-1981, due to the inclusion of Weinmann 605 brakes and Bocama lugs. After 1981, Raleighs had Hayden Royal Sovreign lugs, and before that, the Weinmann brakes would have been 650 model without wheel guides. In the States, Competition came with Campy cranks and Gran Sport derailleurs. Concave Weinmann rims also narrow things down a bit. So I may be shopping, once I confirm all this by serial number, which i assume could be in any one of three places, seat tube, head tube, or BB shell.

 

[raleighnut]

Nice

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I do like to see an old Raleigh get saved. Although it looks horrible, one good thing about frames with crappy rattle can blow-overs, is that you can refinish them a different colour to original if you wish - and have a clear conscience because you didn't destroy an original nice paint job. The rattiest bikes give you the most options.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I found a Zeus micro adjust seat-post that fits perfectly. Now to see if any of the local co-ops have some Nuovo Grand Sport Campagnolo derailleurs. It looks like SunTour is the current set-up, and I may go with that for a while while saving up for a gradual switch to Campagnolo. I still need a rear derailleur, but I may be able to find a SunTour AG to match the levers and FD. I am hoping for this frame to be stripped and components cleaned and maybe polished before winter sets in. I also hope to have at least a coat of primer on it as well.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Found a serial # on BB. Worksop, April, 1980, if I am decoding correctly. The Raleigh, Nottingham, England on head badge. While the heat gun is good at details, I am thinking a chemical stripper may be necessary, as there are a few layers of paint to get through. I did reveal a couple of lugs fully to make sure they are Bocama, and found that the headset is also Campagnolo. As are the pedals. Everything needs a lot of work.

 

[Gunk]

Try rubbing gently with some thinners, if it’s rattle can paint it will rub off.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Now in paint, pictures when the paint has cured. Went down to bare metal, and sure enough, I found some rust, as well as the original paint and remnants of the original paint, confirming it as a Raleigh Competition in the American version (G.S.). Lovely. Used etching primer and autobody gloss black, as well as some clear coat. I will soon add decals, Raleigh on the down tube, Carlton on the seat tube, then more clear coat.