Raleigh Super Course upgraded
By rodentfield on 01/09/2011.
Bike tags: Road bike | 1970s | 27 | 27x1 1/4 | 531 |
Reynolds 531 straight gauge / 23.5" c-t / 1968-72
Vintage Benotto tape. ~95 mm GB stock (replaced by 85 mm). 25.4 grip.
36 stainless steel spokes / Normandy Hub / Weinmann 27 x 1 1/4 no hook bead / Continental
36 plain steel spokes / Maillard 'Sealed Mechanism' hub / Rigida 27 x 1 1/4, hook bead / Continental Gatorskin
SR "Raleigh" branded 165 mm, cotterless, off a newer Raleigh Grand Prix parted out). Upgraded from cottered cranks. Had a lower-end cotterless set before too.
Brooks leather was broken from sitting in rain. Currently Avocet R20 Gelflex
Originally had Christophe Special / Brevete (France) toe clips on steel "501" pedals. Replaced chain with a cheap KMC.
Suntour V-GT rear, all aluminum. Orig. steel Suntour Honor / Simplex plastic clamp-on (had to insert a little piece of inner tube to keep bolt from slipping; works perfectly now)
Weimann 750 - Vainquer 999 center pull / Carlton brake hoods
52-42 / 14-28 6 speed, upgrade over stock 5 speed TDC freewheel I had to remove destructively
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Reynolds 531 straight gauge / 23.5" c-t / 1968-72
Vintage Benotto tape. ~95 mm GB stock (replaced by 85 mm). 25.4 grip.
36 stainless steel spokes / Normandy Hub / Weinmann 27 x 1 1/4 no hook bead / Continental
36 plain steel spokes / Maillard 'Sealed Mechanism' hub / Rigida 27 x 1 1/4, hook bead / Continental Gatorskin
SR "Raleigh" branded 165 mm, cotterless, off a newer Raleigh Grand Prix parted out). Upgraded from cottered cranks. Had a lower-end cotterless set before too.
Brooks leather was broken from sitting in rain. Currently Avocet R20 Gelflex
Originally had Christophe Special / Brevete (France) toe clips on steel "501" pedals. Replaced chain with a cheap KMC.
Suntour V-GT rear, all aluminum. Orig. steel Suntour Honor / Simplex plastic clamp-on (had to insert a little piece of inner tube to keep bolt from slipping; works perfectly now)
Weimann 750 - Vainquer 999 center pull / Carlton brake hoods
52-42 / 14-28 6 speed, upgrade over stock 5 speed TDC freewheel I had to remove destructively
My Raleigh Super Course, with many upgrades. I restored and upgraded it for my dad, and as a backup. I bought it for $ 10 at a yard sale. I bought a ladies' bike there too with a better crankset. I went to enormous lengths to get the nasty cottered cranks off this one and then swapped the cranksets and bottom brackets as an upgrade to this more worthy bike. (The ladies' bike I turned into a single speed; see my other bikes). Later I bought a newer Raleigh Grand Prix from a friend and used its even better crankset. Bottom bracket threads are standard English.
Installed a nicer rear derailleur after the stock Suntour Honor somehow broke on a ride.
Overhauled hubs, headset, bottom bracket, trued wheels, replaced tires, adjusted cables, whole deal.
It's a very flexible frame; soft ride, quiet drivetrain with new rear derailleur. Smooth ride; nice enough.
Not one of the lighter bikes I've owned. It weighs 26.4 lb and was a little lighter with different tires, tubes, and saddle.
Bare frame weighed 6 lb, and fork was almost 2.