1989 Raleigh Banana Team Bike - Dave Rayner

[citrixccea]

And for those wondering how long it would be until I succumbed to buying expensive NOS items in battered boxes - not long, a shade over 7 days ...

If ten days ago you'd have told me I'd have paid good money for a pair of heavy, (IMO) dangerous, and knee breaking Campag SGR's for "that old bike in the garage" I'd have told you you were mad. They're not to be used - I had a pair of these BITD, and we really didn't get on, Kick ankle out AND PULL BACK. I will continue to use the 'Look' Compatible Chorus pedals I installed for riding.

I'm currently looking at having the saddle professionally restored, I've found a local company who have done some good work (nothing cycling based), who appreciate the history and are keen to have a go, and subject to confirming an appropriate estimate they'll be working on the saddle.

 

[citrixccea]

As I say on a wet dark day, taking these pics with a flash, the iphone is very kind, the saddle doesn't look as good in the flesh!

I have been in touch with the fund, and got a very prompt response back from Chris Walker, who in a very modest way told me he was one of Dave's old team mates. He sent me this image, which aside from being a stunning picture in it's own right also will be very helpful with getting some of the details right.

Well, judging from this pic the clothing is a big part of the look. Have you considered searching out some original Team Kit? I cant remember if you ever had a banana top?

Pete

Cheers Pete,

I do indeed have an old school Banana top, it's in the same bag at the bottom of the wardrobe with the Z top and my old Hull University Cycling club top Fortunately unlike your's my father never tried to iron them (was that a PDM one he 'customised'). The top itself is available new today though, but I would be interested in PMs for some shorts/gloves. Really not sure about ditching my Giro Ionos for a Hairnet. Some Big Yellow Bolle's would look the part though.

 

[citrixccea]

Decisions, Decisions....

I don't take this lightly you know I realise that the forum have high expectations of my bike - it's funny because even though I've had it for more than 20 years, all of a sudden it doesn't seem like 'my' bike any more, I'm more 'custodian' than 'owner'.

So I've had a go with the saddle, and very quickly reached the opinion that whilst it was improving slightly with my gentle efforts, the only way forward was to consult the experts. The leather itself is very robust - its that top level of the hide that's been coloured that's so precious. So thanks to cloonaghpat for his inspiration - he showed on previous posts what he had managed with a black saddle and a repair kit.

Well having looked at the prices of the repair kits Pat had used, and critically critiqued my own abilities, and I thought I'd give be better off giving the pro's a crack. I can do mechanical, I can do logical, but I'm not sure I'm an artist.

So having agreed a fair but not insignificant quotation for the work (more than better looking saddles might be on offer for on popular sites) , next week the saddle is off to a professional leather restorer, to see what she can do with it.

And of course if what I receive looks nice and yellow, I'll gladly promote her services to the rest of you and if not Matt_wood55 will have the chance for his old saddle to sit atop Dave's old bike

I have also been applying some vigorous elbow grease to the front wheel - and in comparison, it has benefited ! I'll post some pics on the weekend, when I'm home.

Some suggestion on how to to clean the tan side walls of old tubulars would be appreciated!

 

[mattr]

Some suggestion on how to to clean the tan side walls of old tubulars would be appreciated!

If its just grime and mank, hot soapy water and elbow grease. If its brake pad muck from taking wheels on and off, and the elbow grease doesn't touch it, either a mild bathroom cleaner (only a tiny tiny bit) or a light degreaser (only a tiny tiny bit!).

I've got skin walls on one of my bikes, that's how i've cleaned them in the past.

 

[invisiblemaz]

I have a 23" Reynolds 653 Raleigh Banana frameset which I built up with Campagnolo Corsa Record except the headset which is chorus. It has the campagnolo record delta brakes and all the trimmings the orig.team bikes were finished with....Yellow selle italia turbo saddle, itm bars & stem, campagnolo sgr pedals.... It's been in storage for ten years and am thinking of off-loading it...I know this isn't eBay but is anyone interested in the whole lot or component parts....

Cheers

 

[citrixccea]

So you guys said you wanted lots of pics - here's some more pics of 'before'.

I've now taken half the handlebar tape off, and the front brake lever, and the Bars/Stem off. So far so good - The Headset bearing is a little sticky, but not bad at all, there's some corrosion on the hex bolt that sits in the front fork crown for the brakes. Brake outers for the rear took a little persuasion to come out of their mounts. Zip tying the delta arms together to take the tension out of the spring helped enormously, giving the slack to release them without having to cut the cable.

Probably worth letting the pictures speak for themselves. My highlights being how filthy the underside of the deltas are, and how clean they are inside comparatively.

There are holes in the fork legs - both towards the top end, and as they fit into the drop outs. I think I may have said the drop outs were Cinelli, they're Campagnolo. I've Photographed these, they need some paint but are sound.

I see that I'm generating an audience for people to sell (and buy) Raleigh Banana associated kit - I appreciate that there are other areas on the forums to do this, but what do 'we' think about these, should we suggest a voluntary contribution to the fund for all sales, or suggest it's not appropriate?

 

[citrixccea]

and two more pics....

 

[citrixccea]

So here's a comparison of a clean delta, and a dirty one...

Very pleased with how they've come up - and having researched the prices of them god alone know's what they're worth in this context. They still have all the original parts, and the bellows came up nice and clean too. (do people REALLY pay £70 for a pair of these???) I'm debating replacing the toothed washer with a modern one, as it doesn't seem to be possible to clean them up, and even the most ardent rivet counter is unlikely to spot this. (unless they've read my Build Thread - DOH)

I've also had my first delivery of discretely packaged Campag NOS. The SGR's from France are perfect, and there's not a mark on them - they even seem a little lighter than I remember them. As I said before, I've learned the hard way they're not to be trusted, with either my knees or their own perfect finish.

Tomorrow the saddle's off to the leather restorer, fingers crossed for a similar result.

 

[Doubledee]

Thankyou so much for this thread. This really takes me back. Im so glad that people are taking the time and effort to restore these bikes, it brings back some great memories that I'd like to share to add some depth to the story, at my expense! Dave Rayner was a top bloke and very friendly. I was on the 1989 Milk Race with the Rayleigh Banana Team. At the time I was racing as much as possible and also had a part time job in a High School as a science technician. I got a call from Paul Sherwen to ask if I would help out on the Milk Race for 2 weeks as a driver/mechanics helper/ general dogs body! I could only do the 1st week as I had to go back to the school job. I worked with the Mechanic Alistair Hamilton who was an excellent mechanic and would have fettled this bike. I remember Adrian Timmis refused to use the SGR pedals and used regular clips and straps instead! The banter at the dinner table was great though most of it aimed at me due to my poor driving of the team van up the Tumble and allowing it to run out of fuel on the stage to Stoke. I remember the whole team had me convinced that on the stage over the Peak District that I was going to be handing the bottles out to the riders at the side of the road. We had Paul Sherwen riding at high speed round the car park of the hotel and me trying to pass him bottles! There never was a feed that stage! I also got into trouble when Joey Mcloughlin (riding for Peugot) told me to tell one of the riders on the phone that there was a team meeting upstairs immediately, there wasnt, he just want to use the phone! I came back from the Milk Race exhausted, blisters on my hands from pumping tyres up (the Peugeot mechanic had a compressor) and about 5lbs heavier having eaten like a rider! Great memories... Please keep up the great work and attention to detail its much appreciated. I've put a link below to Alistair Hamilton based on a quick google search (Im not in contact with him now) to show what he was and who he is now. Maybe if you try and contact him he might like to help with details?
Kind regards DD


http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6456

 

[citrixccea]

Thanks DoubleDee,

What an interesting tale, it sounds like you had a lot of fun!

The link you included has a couple of images I thought I'd like to share with the rest of the audience - and how appropriate that one of them is of cleaning/fettling the deltas on what could potentially be the same bike. Right length of black stem, alloy bars SGRs and a seatpost with just over an inch showing below the Aero section.

The second shows a mechanic working on a team bike if anyone knows who rider '50' was in the Kelloggs tour that year
I'd be interested. I have found the Kelloggs tour of 89 on YouTube, and it makes interesting viewing... Haven't watched them on anything bigger than my iPhone yet - I've got some time off over Easter to watch them properly.

This all still brings me back to the handlebars - plenty of images with alloy bars, with a black stem - and the current bars are black.....

The lady at the leather restorer was unfazed by the condition of the saddle, and I'm expecting great things from her.