All: As George and I have discussed off-list previously, I have SB3339, a midnight blue 753 road frameset, which I bought new in 1979 (November 2nd) when I worked at TI-Raleigh USA in Elk Grove, Illinois. Team Pros generally didn't sit around in our warehouse for long, so I would peg mine as a 1979 build. Mine has no cutouts in any lugs, and requires a 26.8 mm seat post. Peter, your SB4074 sounds more like 1980 vintage to me..... I also have SB4288, a red/black/yellow one that has it's original paint and decals, including a foil decal on the down tube near the shifters that says "1980 Team TI-Raleigh." Regards, Greg Parker Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:30:23 -0400 From: George Allen <jgallen@lexairinc.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: RE: [CR]Special Build Raleigh dating
I have a Team Pro with serial number SB 262 that has a black head tube so I assume it is a 1975. I also have a 753 Team Pro with serial number SB 2215 which I would guess is a 1976/1977 although I truly have no idea. Any ideas on the date on that one Peter? It has cut-outs on the lugs unlike my two other Team Pros. I'd be happy to send you some images off-list if you'd like. Dave Marsh at CarltonCycles worked there during this period. He might be able to provide general dating based upon serial numbers. I have e-mailed him out of the blue with Raleigh questions in the past. He provided some valuable insights and was nothing but incredibly friendly and helpful to a total stranger.
George Allen Lexington, Ky
At 01:48 PM 4/21/2005, you wrote:
>Original Message:
>-----------------
>From: Tom Dalton tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com
>Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 10:09:10 -0700 (PDT)
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]Special Build Raleigh dating
>
>
>Is there a way I can determine the year that a Raleigh was built using the
>
>special build (SB) serial number?
>
>Tom Dalton
>Bethlehem, PA
>
>No, not that I've been able to figure out, it's just SB and a sequential
>serial no. None of that arcane code breaking stuff the British seem to l
>ove!
>
>You can get a good feel for the date by going to the DATABASE section of m
>y
>Yahoo Club "TI Raleigh Team Pros"... most of the machines there are
>dated.
>My first Pro is a low enough number (SB 128) to be fairly easy to date
>(late '74/early '75). My second one is SB 4074 which I know for a fact i
>s
>1978 as I bought her from the original owner. I am confident about these
>
>dates. I am guessing the SB Unit was making 1000-1200 frames a year by
>1975. Others in the Database are suspect in their dating if only because
>
>most of the output of the SB Unit were framesets only and most of the
>machines in the list remain just that.
>
>Here's the url to the group:
>
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TI_RALEIGH_TEAM_PROS/
>
>Peter Kohler
>Washington DC USA