Raoul,
Many thanks for the tips. From the catalogues it seems to almost certainly be the 74 model, though a 76 in emerald green would be pretty close too. It has both the Huret derailleur and the steel Nervar cotterless cranks. The parts I removed are still in my possession, so it seems it would have been basically as stock when I got it. I'll hang on to these should I get the chance to do a full restoration some day. Unfortunately at present the bike is on the other side of the world - I'll have to get the old man to see whether he can undertake the preservation steps you described.
Thanks again,
Sam Alison Prague, CZ
-----Original Message----- From: Raoul Delmare [mailto:Raoul.L.Delmare@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 5:56 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]Raleigh Super Course Mk II
Hello Sam ,
Two absolutely excellent sources leap to mind . Both are the work of C. R. List-members :
http://retroraleighs.com/
Thanks Sheldon !!
http://bulgier.net/
Thanks Mark !!
So , just check the catalogs , and see what looks right !
The emerald green paint ( correct Raleigh paint color name , "Emerald Green" ! :^) , is a strong clue for 1974 - 1975 .
Look for Huret Challenger derailleurs . Gosh I really liked those derailleurs . I wish that they'd sold bunches of them , so those derailleurs would be common and inexpensive today . I still think they looked good , worked well , and were fairly light and strong too ! Just nice !
Another big help in establishing a date would be a Nervar steel cotterless crankset . They didn't make those for very long at all .
Were Nervar and Campagnolo the only two companies to make steel cotterless cranks ? Am I forgetting somebody obvious ?
For protection for the steel frame and fork , while keeping the original paint , never forget the strong protective powers of layer of good , high-quality , WAX !!
Go to a good store , with a good selection of autoparts , and buy a nice tub of wax . If you're going to strip off the parts for an overhaul , or re-build , perfect . If not , just work around them . Use plenty of warm water and detergent . Give the frame a good gentle bath . No high-pressure sprays . Dry it off very thoroughly . Use good wax . Do NOT allow it to dry HARD before buffing it off with a very clean very soft cloth . If you allow the wax to dry rock-hard , it's tough to get the excess off , especially out of the tight corners . Give it another coat of wax , the next day .
Is it a machine for transportation ? Don't forget about basic things like oil and grease . If you can live with the look , simply wiping things down with a clean ( not gritty ) cloth with some fresh grease on it will work wonders !
Oh ! And buy some of that Weigle Frame-Saver spray , for the inside of the frame !
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas
> Hi all,
>
> A few years ago while still working at a shop, I managed to get my
> hands
on
> a Raleigh Super Course Mk II. It was in pretty bad shape at the time,
> and while it would have been nice to try and keep it original, the
> main motivation was to get it up and running for my dad to ride. This
> involved rebuilding the wheels with new rims and spokes and a new
> front hub, brake levers and pads, cables, crankset, front derailleur,
> stem, bars, tyres and saddle. Where possible, I tried to keep to
> things that at least looked the part - and of course I've not thrown
> away any bits that came with the bike as I got it.
>
> The frame is still in fairly nice shape, despite a few rust spots here
> and there showing through the paint. I believe the three main tubes
> are 531,
and
> it's painted in a fairly bright emerald green with cream panels and
> gold lettering.
>
> My dad has now got more into cycling and is buying himself a bit more
modern
> and user friendly steed - having not ridden a bike regularly for over
> 35 years, and never having been a 'cyclist' that's fine by me. My
> question
then
> is to try and get a bit more background on this bike, when it would
> have been built, what the original components might have been, and
> whether it
is
> something 'worth' trying to restore to original condition. Otherwise,
> I'm thinking it would make a very nice winter/fixed gear bike. Also,
> short of
a
> complete re-spray (which I don't want to do because I really like the
paint
> job) what is the best way to prevent the rust from spreading and to
maintain
> or enhance the existing paintwork.
>
> Many thanks for any info, links, pics of similar bikes, or anything
> else
of
> interest.
>
> Sam Alison
> Prague, CZ