re [CR]Raleigh Team Pro 753

From: "Feeken, Dirk" <dirk.feeken@sap.com>

"I couldn't resist and bought a Raleigh Team Pro yesterday on eBay, regardless of the bad picture and description. http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2761937088 In the meantime I got better pics, the bike looks like the 1976 Team Pro at the bulgier.net catalog pages but is made of 753 tubes instead of 531. It has pre 1979 NR components ("PATENT" chainrings, no lip front der, flat brake QR levers) and grey Mavic SSC rims. I've read somewhere (here?) that the Team Pros sold to the public were all made of 531 while the "real" bikes used by Raleigh teams were made of 753. Is this correct? But given the number of mails in the CR archive of Raleigh 753 owners that seems unlikely. Does anybody know why the Team Pros in the catalog are 531 while everybody else -including me now- has a 753?"

Hi Dirk,

Congrats on getting the Raleigh Team! And quite a good deal too!

Like yourself, I'm still trying to figure out the history of the Team Pro model. The mid 70's catalogs from the USA show the Team Pro model for a few years, and then it goes away. Apparently it was a special order item in the later years? The UK catalogs in the early 80's show a Team replica model, but built with 531.

The pic on the German ebay site indicate that there are few if any braze-ons, so it would seem to be mid 70's vintage. The chrome fork is unique, and matches the pic in the '75 catalog, so that might be a way to date it. The Nuovo Record parts may not be original, since that catalog, as well as the '74, show it with Super Record parts.

I'd be interested in knowing what the serial number is, and what it says about the date of manufacture. My Team Pro is an early 80's 753 version, with the "T.I. Raleigh" decals, drilled drop-outs, etc., and has one of the "SBxxxx" serial numbers indicating "Special Build" at Ilkston.

Now that you have a Team Pro, it might be time to get one of those red/yellow/black wool team jerseys that pop up on ebay so often!

regards,
Steve Kurt
Peoria, IL