I would tend to agree but apparently there are exceptions as I just received a newly purchased 1981 Raleigh Team Reynolds 753 bike, serial number SB4964 and she has large flange hubs too (the ebay bike Angel refers to is SB4901). On my bike the hub locknuts are dated "80", the rear Campag SR derailleur is Patent 81 and the cranks are stamped with a 1 inside a circle (i.e. 1981). When bidding on the bike I just assumed they had to be wrong but..... seems pretty likely that in some odd cases, they were still being used at that point. Just as odd, mine are 36h when 32h was the norm on the Team bikes and racing wheels in general at that time.
FWIW, I believe that eBay bike Angel is speaking of to be more like 1980 or 81, and not 1979 as the seller mentions. Also, to me, the frame's claim to originality is suspect as I've never seen a team bike with the "Campagnolo" decal on the left chainstay and the "yellow and black "TI" bullseye decals on top of the fork crown. Obviously this is only based on my personal observations over the years (as a pretty fanatical Raleigh Team nut) and I could be wrong but I wonder if the bike was possibly repainted at one time? The gloss and depth of that paint is beyond any factory bike I ever saw and even with the seller's mention of top quality car wax being used, I personally can't see how that could account for such a glossy and flawless finish. Please, no flames as I am not saying the frame has actually been repainted. I am saying that I would not have bid on it without knowing more and having some form of confirmation that she was not repainted. My 2 cents.
Eric Elman
Somers, CT USA
> Looks nice (to me). Bidding ended at $3,361 and the reserve was still not
> met.
> http://ebay.com/
>
> Angel Garcia
> Verona, IT