Help Raleigh Team Panasonic

[Scoobydaz]

Hi all
I have recently found this Raleigh road bike in the roof of my girlfriends dads workshop. I showed a friend and he loved it and he recommended that I ask and try and find out abit more about it as it appears to be an interesting spec. I have tried to do a little research into dating the bike but been unsuccessful as I don't understand the serial number dating.
It would be great if anybody can let me no anything about the bike !! I'm looking forward to getting it back on the road.
Many thanks

 

[tiermat]

The standard Raleigh dating system won't work with that bike as it's a SBDU bike. This means that the numbers don't really correspond to any date (not like the other Raleigh/carlton serial numbers that have the month and year coded into their serial number. SBDU bikes start SB then have 4 characters, which are sequential.

You might find some more info here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TI_RALEIGH_TEAM_PROS/

Nice bike BTW!

 

[Matt_wood55]

That's a really odd spec, strange that it's got mudguard eyes, funny front mech braze on etc. Maybe this is a one off order done for a specific customer? The SB frame number will help you pin down an approx date of manufacture if you register with the Yahoo forum - they have a big database of users bikes.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Looks a very nice 753 frame with a mish-mash bag of wrong parts put on it

Having eyelets on the forks and rear drop-outs suggests a bit of a touring frame but thats just me :roll:

 

[fiks]

Nutted brakes, Simplex dropouts, mudguard eyes, French style front mech braze on....then the 753 sticker comes as a bit of a shock.


I agree, probably a custom built frame for someone.

 

[Midlife]

Certainly in my day (late 70's) you paid your money, sat back (for a year) and whatever you ordered arrived.

Can only remember seeing one SBDU frame in classic Raleigh livery with mudguard eyes but there must have been more, simplex dropouts also strange.

The frame number is also past my era, in the late 70's they were 2000 ish plus, that number certainly puts it in the mid 80's at a guess.

Seat cluster with the plates being wider than the stays is typical of the frames I came across in the 70's..........later models in panasonic colours seemed to be fastback. SBDU frames not my area of expertise and RoadKing knows more.

as I say.......when it comes to bespoke frames you pay's your money and make your choice

Shaun

 

[lastpubrunner]

Looks a very nice 753 frame with a mish-mash bag of wrong parts put on it

Who is to say that they are 'wrong' parts ?

I thought customers could fit what they wanted ?

Personally, I'd ride that bike 'as is'; sure, the OP could spend a small fortune on Campag bits, but I don't believe he would notice much difference - not in terms of the money that he'd need to spend. Mind you, fitting campag bits would impress the purists and would add value to the bike.

Perhaps I've fitted 'wrong' parts to my own SBDU frame; for example, Suntour Cyclone MKII front and rear derailleurs . . . . . . . they work as well as (better, actually) than any Campag stuff that I've tried. And much, much cheaper.

I suppose it is a question of what the bike will be used for; I actually use mine on a weekly basis.

 

[David B]

Looks a very nice 753 frame with a mish-mash bag of wrong parts put on it

Who is to say that they are 'wrong' parts ?

I actually use mine on a weekly basis.

New Success parts are never the "wrong" parts IMO.

I'll also echo your sentiments about actually having a bike you can, and do, use rather than just building and owning a machine to sit about & look pretty.

David

 

[Piperdave]

Very nice find....

See the Panasonic link in my signature for some more info/links on the bike/team. Mine is only a low spec, off the peg version, but there is some info/ catalogues / pics etc there.

Lucky man......

 

[Scoobydaz]

Thanks for your comments.

Thanks everyone for your comments so far. They have been interesting to read. As far as I'm aware the bike was purchased as is and my girls father can't remember making any specification alterations.... I'm about to get the bike serviced - hopefully he won't want it back!!