It has been a long couple of days but I’ve finally completed this small and difficult project to bring SB4059 up to spec in terms of a 1980 period SBDU TI-Raleigh transfer scheme. Deciding to go for it and wreck the paint on a perfectly good frame meant that there was no going back. Thankfully my patience and care have paid off and SB4059 is done!
This is how SB4059 looked yesterday morning… painted, clear coated and still masked.
The new task was to use some fine grade wet and dry 1200 to 2500 paper and gently rub over the surface. I then polished the finished tubes before removing the masking tape. Everything was looking good but in my head I was still thinking that I could have a problem with the masked edges around the lugs and the top seat tube band.
However, once the tape was removed and I had given the top tube and lugs another polish to remove any residual gum from the tape, the lug lines and masked edges were ok!
The colour of the top tube was also a really good match to the rest of the frame. And when the fork and Super Record head set were refitted I couldn’t see any difference in colour.
And for the first time since December 2011, when it came through the door in a box, I’m finally looking at SB4059 with the correct 1980 TI-Raleigh scheme.
With the frame sorted, I really wanted to get on and build the bike. With a quality frame and quality parts and quality tools, that task doesn’t take long. The head tube and BB were already faced and all the threads were clean and good.
After a busy day, the low evening sunlight was coming through the window and hitting the work bench, and the paint, chrome spokes and gleaming Super Record parts lit up.
Finally done. A 1980 SBDU TI-Raleigh Team Pro 753 in the correct livery with a full ‘Team 80’ specification described by Gerald O’Donovan.
She is looking beautiful – as do all the bikes you’ve restored. As a fan of the Raleigh squad in the 70’s and early 80’s it’s nice to see their bikes again.
Thank you. I took a few of them including SB4059 to Eroica at the weekend and they received lots of attention and comments
Dear Neil,
I’ve enjoyed reading your various blogs/posts over the last few months – I see your site as the definitive information about these bikes. When I was a kid I owned a Raleigh Europa and I can remember the excitement of getting the glorious red/black and yellow bike. I had no idea that this was a reference to the TI team bikes of the time, it was just the coolest bike I had ever seen.
40-odd years later, after competing in various triathlons and bike tours on my trusty Look 695 carbon bike and Cervelo P5/6 time-trial bike, it is time to go back to an old-school bike (to give my cycling colleagues a chance to keep up). I looked at buying a 753 frame, possibly restoring it, but the prices are getting high and I decided to go for a 531 frame and lightly modify it.
I’ve found an old (1978) Raleigh Rapide that is a 531 frame in excellent condition. To manage the climbs (at my age) I want to convert it to a more generous gearing and I will probably have it resprayed to imitate something along the lines of the team bikes (for this bike, as it has no history, I don’t mind creating something that can be loosely described not as a replica but more of a tribute).
Having purchase this bike, I’ve now stumbled across SB4039 on the Dutch version of E-bay. It looks in very original (albeit very dusty) condition – I might try bidding on it to tidy up a genuine team bike (but not one I can easily use for competitions, more just for the pure joy of riding it). It doesn’t look like it requires what could be called a restoration, the paint and chrome all look very good, it probably just needs dismantling, polishing/cleaning and re-assembling.
So I think this is a slightly older brother of your SB4059. I’m interested to see if I will be sucessful in bidding/winning it.
I’ll continue to enjoy your blogs/posts as they are so full of fantastically detailed information – very many thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
Hi Steve thanks for getting in touch and thanks for the comments about my blog and the background to yourself.
I have to say that the seller of SB4039 got in touch with me on Sunday prior to listing his bike on Marktplaats and I made him an offer. It’s a lovely genuine bike. I’ve spoken to him over the last couple of days but I’m not 100% sure if he has fully accepted.
If neither of us are successful, then your Rapide is a good frame to start with. I can’t recall if they were 531 throughout or 531 main frame tubes – Raleigh made so many models, I can’t remember off the top of my head the spec of the Rapide, I think it was main tubes only.
Hopefully we’ll find out soon about SB4039
Cheers
Neil
Hi Niel,
I’m delighted to see that you ended up acquiring SB4039.
I contacted the seller and offered a good price, but he very honourably indicated that he had already accepted an offer which was (I assume) yours. Although I missed out on this very original model, I know that you will make a far better job of bringing it back to its former glory. I would have probably gone down the route of restoration (including re-spray) rather than thorough clean-up, so you have saved it from that fate.
I have now acquired another 753 frame (SB1030) which I believe (from your timeline) makes it an early 1977 frame. It has already been resprayed and it has a full set of decals, but I can’t vouch for its attention to detail as it hasn’t arrived yet, but it looks really good. The seller very kindly also offered much of the group-set (Campagnolo super record) which all looks to be from the right era.
I fully intend to build it up to use (I don’t know any of the history of the frame, but as it has already been re-sprayed, I feel it should be built up and riden – this was also the previous owners intention). I’ll try to stick to original specification as far as possible, but that will restrict its use to sunny rides in the Netherlands (the flattest parts !) because I’ll never get up any climbs with the original crank/cassette (I blame age and my knees !).
I’m also going to build up a 1978/79 531 frame into something looking like a TI-Raleigh team bike (it is currently a Raleigh Rapide – so it will be more of a replica/tribute build) – this won’t quite follow the original specs as I need to find a way to fit a lighter set of gearing as I intend to use it for the Stelvio tour and the Ultra Marmotte event this summer.
Thanks for being an unbelievable source of information and inspiration. I can’t wait to get my 2 Raleigh bikes on the road and I can’t wait to see the results of your work on SB4039.
Met vriendelijk groet (cheers !), Steve.
Hi Steve
Thanks for the comment. SB4039 is now tucked away waiting for some time when I can give it some TLC. Definitely not a repaint but a strip down and clean – that’s all it really needs. Stick some new tubs on it and its ready to go.
I’m glad you picked one up, I watched the auction. Send me through some images when you get it built.
Keep an eye on the blog as SB4039 will no doubt feature a few more times.
Cheers
Neil