What Raleigh road bike did my older brother have?

[I like Skol]

This isn't helping! I think an N+1 might occur if I found one in the right size and condition

Developments..........

She's not happy with me!

 

[fossyant]

Pics....

 

[I like Skol]

Pics....

Picked this up this morning from Swadlincote.Won on ebay last night for £48.
Had a quick fiddle this afternoon and I'm really pleased with the condition of the bike. Apart from the tyres and pedals it seems to be completely original. Oh, it also had a carbon fibre seatpost with no set back but luckily I had a plain alloy one more like the one it was sold with when new.
The only mechanical issue was a snapped spoke in the rear wheel but I also had one the right size in stock so quickly fixed that too.
Its a 54.5cm frame which bizarely measure the same as my 58cm modern GT road bike so I can see me getting on with it just fine but at the moment the saddle has been slammed as my 10 year old son seems set on claiming it for himself (which I don't really have any objections to and I reckon in six months he will be spot on for size, just a tad stretched in the legs at the moment).

Anyway, chuffed to bits with my ebay bargain. A couple of cosmetic marks but nothing detrimental considering it is over 20 years old.

EDIT: Pleased with how the hoods cleaned up, just a rub over with a clean cloth and some white spirit.

 

[wisdom]

What a bargain.I never find anything like tha locally

 

[I like Skol]

What a bargain.I never find anything like tha locally

Not really local, I had to drive a round trip of almost 140 miles to collect it.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111052235879

Plans for the future involve a full stripdown/polish to clean every nook and cranny. I would like to rebuild the wheels with DT stainless spokes to replace the tarnished ones that have done well to last 20 odd years, the rims are as good as new. I also want to junk that awful Selle Italia gel/carbon saddle and will try a junior saddle to see if this helps my son.

 

[fossyant]

Looks a cracker !!

 

[I like Skol]

Looks a cracker !!

I reckon with some effort and a little expenditure (some fresh cable outers etc) it could scrub up to look like a 1-2yr old bike. The rims should respond well to a bit of Duraglit or Brasso if I do rebuild with new spokes and the frame will get a good rub down with some car polish while all the bits are off it.

Maybe I am more like you than I care to admit?

 

[sdr gb]

That's going to look fantastic once you've tarted it up . Are you going to use pedals with toe straps to keep the retro look going or use SPDs?

 

[I like Skol]

Online shopping, the work of the devil!

I have just ordered:
A madison Y04 junior saddle
Clear vinyl chainstay protector to replace the gunky mess that was there before (but had done its job )
new rear drop out adjuster screws as the thumb cap was missing from one!

Also nearly pulled the trigger on a pair of THESE as with the white sidewalls they are more in keeping with the bikes original boots than the, slightly perished, all black ones fitted at the moment but decided to wait and see how the resto goes first. Probably will swap the tyres when/if I get time to rebuild the wheels with stainless steel spokes and polish the rims.

Oldest son rode the Raleigh to school today, it's a fraction big for him but I think it has definitely become his bike

 

[I like Skol]

WOW, first proper ride on this today. Superb, perfect, mind blowing, brilliant, inspiring, satisfying, effortless! A sensory overloading rush of nostalgia. The bike works perfectly despite having the original parts from 22 years ago. I'd bet good money that there's a good chance even the chain and cassette are the OEM items.

It all came rushing back. The narrow bars, good for weaving through traffic. The downtube gear shifters, effortlessly tapped through the gears with the heel of the palm as the traffic lights disappear in to the distance. The confidence inspiring solidity of the quality steel frame that felt stiff but plush masking the imperfections of the road surface with just a dull thud that would normally be a jaw rattling crash on my aluminium bikes.

It really is as good as I had hoped it would be

 

[fossyant]

Welcome to steel. Both my steel road bike ride way better than the alloy and carbon fixed over poor surfaces. The steel forks are way better at shock absorbtion than my carbon ones. Great mile eaters. Hey just zuzz out road shocks.

Love mine.

 

[popeye6476]

Hi there, guys.
Sorry to bomb an old post. But I thought this is a funny coincidence. Last July I bought myself a Raleigh Vitesse on eBay. Wasn't really aiming for it caught my eye. And when something caughts my eye, my heart usually fallows
I was doing some research about it today and I came across this thread. When you mentioned that beat up YUK overpriced one, well i recognized it as the one I have in my hallway.
I thought I guys would like to know that "Reighley" is all sound and well and back on the road where he belongs
Seller told me that apparently he spend the last 4 years in the garden under a plastic cover. Now it looks like he bought it and resold it. When I saw him I just couldn't leave him there to rot any more. I did ride him home for 5 miles after pick up. It wasn't a smooth ride but we made it. The fix up wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. All it needed was a little clean..... aaaaaaaand some new tires, tubes, rim tapes, all cables and housings, bar tape, brake lever hoods, saddle. Had to tighten all the spokes and last but not least clean and grease every single bearing ball. I will also reupholster the old saddle soon and put it back where it belongs. The frame is all scratched and there are a two dents on the top tube. but all that is just surface and structurally it's all solid. I has no stickers apart from the "reynolds 531" and the "14 speed" sticker. Which is pretty handy for a London commuter it's actually practical as you can lock the bike anywhere and nobody even thinks about steeling it

I have to say the person who owned and rode it took very good care of it. Every screw was greased so was the seat tube and the stem. Taking it apart was no problem. Full Shimano 105, it had 19mm or 20mm race tires on, don't remember the make as I chucked them away. The big chainring up front is a 52 Elliptical and the cassette is 7 speed 13-20. The original saddle was a Selle Italia Turbo. I still have it and I'm going to reupholster it and put it back on. It has Mavic wheels with Miche hubs. In your original post where you are describing it sounded pretty close to what I have, specially the fact that you mentioned that you build him Mavics
Anyways I hope you are still enjoying your ride as much I as I do mine.

 

[I like Skol]

Another example has come up on EBAY. Looks like a beauty and even has the original pedals, V. nice.

 

[User32269]

Please STOP this...I'm gonna end up divorced again when I come home with one!!!! Still in bad books for driving miles (when I was supposed to be visiting my parents) to get an old Sun Solo that was obviously essential.
You are bad people...stop it now!

 

[mickle]

I was going to say Vitesse. Really I was. Honest..