Raleigh Competition '84

[Deax]

A spur from the '83 / '84 Raleigh identification thread - on request and for those interested here's an '84 Raleigh Competition frame that didn't to the best of my knowledge appear in any literature.

It's a half way spec between the competition frame used for the '84 UK Competition bike (Gipiemme dropouts, Prugnat S4 lugs) and the Team Replica (Campag. dopouts, Prugnat 62 lugs), having Campag dropouts and S4 lugs. It also has top mounted brake cable guides unlike the Team Replica. Of course the bike Competition was a green colour - this being metallic gunmetal.

Sorry, I didn't take any shots of the whole frame when I bought it, only close ups of the decals as I investigated getting them reproduced.

Eventually it became (via Argos) a `Team Replica Replica' (picture included: the blue on the back of the bike is incorrect in this pic, but to their credit Argos have made it better) - it's edging towards a complete bike in that form now - just looking for the last couple of NOS / very good components to complete it.

I'm sure there are other undocumented (in catalogues, anyway) Raleigh frame colours - in '86 or '87 (when I was riding a Gran Course) a friend purchased in the UK a Team USA coloured frame - the red with black forks and triangle. It looked lovely.

If you're a fan of Raleigh's of this age - my '83 Gran Sport is now complete - and I hope is now one of the best out there - pics here:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1164 ... 433/albums

Paul
Wiltshire, UK

 

[MrW]

It's a 1985 model, the same as mine (click the link on my signature)

Yours has campag drop outs, mine has gipiemme, but that in itself is not unusual, as Nottingham seem to have adopted a 'whatever is closest to the bench' approach back in the day!

 

[daccordimark]

The other thing that usually marks out the Competition from the Team Replica is the stay and fork ends. The Competition had domed ends whereas the Team Replica had scalloped ones.
So yours Deax is a real mixture of the two that's for sure.

Nice frames the Competition, I had an earlier sky blue one and was a bit miffed when they went to fastback stays and sloping fork crowns just after I bought my complete bike.

Edit having seen the scan: Ha! Shows how much I know, the '85 Competition had scalloped ends at the dropouts.

Mark.

 

[Deax]

MrW,

thanks for that. Now you've shown me it I recall the '85 catalogue although I don't have one on file - must be 25 years since I've seen it and it's not easily found on the web. Do you have the rest of it? Love a scan!

I've just been in the loft to check out my Competition. The serial number indicates a late spring '84 build (12 fortnights into the year) or August, depending on the reference you choose: `WL4..'. So some way ahead of the '85 catalogue. Was I imagining that these frames were available separately?

I guess as http://www.kurtkaminer.com/ suggests (although in the context of US manufactured frames) it could have been pre production for '85.

Can you confirm that your frame has Prugnat S4 lugs (with the cut outs) and Campag dropouts?

Oh - and it never occurred to me that the colour could be described as `blue' in any way!

Paul
Wiltshire, UK

 

[MrW]

Mine has Prugnat S4 lugs, but Gipiemme drop outs, but the fork and rear stay ends are scalloped like yours.

You'll probably find that the '85 model year starts in August '84 knowing Raleigh!

As I said, this isn't unusual for Nottingham, as they did lots of things that brochures suggested otherwise...

The existence of the Reynolds 531 50 years of winning decal on yours suggests that it wasn't assembled until the '85 model year...

PM me your email, I'll send you the scans

Mine: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=267608 (in 'ambassador blue' hmmmm....)

 

[non-fixie]

Thanks for all the information, guys. I'm a fan of those frames, and it's not easy to find out what's what with Raleigh.

Until now I thought the 1985 Competition was the more plain looking Reynolds 501 bike (see http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73564), which meant I couldn't place the ambassador blue examples I found on the 'net. Thanks for clearing that up.

I have a couple of "iridescent green" :roll: '84s myself: