Which Raleigh is this?

[bikemeister2000]

It's a Gran Tour frame.

The single sided chainstay bridge is a clincher. This was a feature designed by Gerald O'Donovan. His reasoning was that the bridge was just a mount for a mudguard and nothing else. Applying heat degraded the inherent tensile strength of the tube and created an unnecessary stress raiser.

At the time this frame was made, there was no distinction between what has been Lightweight and what had been SBDU. The staff became Raleigh Special Products Division. All Frame manufacture was carried out by the same guys irrespective of whether the frame was destined to be Randonneur, a Gran Sport Tourer of a made to measure special order.

Just a note on the spoke holders. Originally it would allways be on the drive side. It then served to protect the chainstay from any chainslap. I do not recall why it would be on the non-drive side.

Cheers

 

[one-eyed_jim]

It's a Gran Tour frame.

The single sided chainstay bridge is a clincher.

I don't think that's true. You can see the single-sided chainstay bridge on the picture of the teal blue Randonneur above, and this Royal has the same feature:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140613955866

Just a note on the spoke holders. Originally it would allways be on the drive side. It then served to protect the chainstay from any chainslap. I do not recall why it would be on the non-drive side.

It makes more sense to me to put it on the left hand chainstay. Spokes that are being slapped by the chain will develop nicks and scratches that will serve as stress raisers and may shorten their life in use. A simple plastic chainstay protector does the job just as well, with the spare spokes out of harm's way on the other chainstay.

Do you know the first production year for the blue 708 Randonneurs? I remember looking at one in 1994.

 

[bikemeister2000]

I don't think that's true. You can see the single-sided chainstay bridge on the picture of the teal blue Randonneur above, and this Royal has the same feature:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140613955866

That's because it's the same frame. The 708 was sold assembled as the Royal and Randonneur, and also as a frameset as the Gran Sport.

It makes more sense to me to put it on the left hand chainstay. Spokes that are being slapped by the chain will develop nicks and scratches that will serve as stress raisers and may shorten their life in use. A simple plastic chainstay protector does the job just as well, with the spare spokes out of harm's way on the other chainstay.

Quite right.

 

[Moss]

Raleigh Lenton - Standard Reynolds 531 frame. 1950's

 

[cooper-climax]

At the time this frame was made, there was no distinction between what has been Lightweight and what had been SBDU. The staff became Raleigh Special Products Division. All Frame manufacture was carried out by the same guys irrespective of whether the frame was destined to be Randonneur, a Gran Sport Tourer of a made to measure special order.

I'm kind of intrigued by this. When did the merger take place? I've always fancied a Special Products frame, it'd be lovely if I could claim that my Randonneur qualified.

It makes more sense to me to put it on the left hand chainstay. Spokes that are being slapped by the chain will develop nicks and scratches that will serve as stress raisers and may shorten their life in use. A simple plastic chainstay protector does the job just as well, with the spare spokes out of harm's way on the other chainstay.

I have no idea if this is the reason for the change, but the spokes in my drive-side holder are absolutely pristine after thousands of bumpy miles. Drawn stainless is much harder than chain side plates. Of course, worrying about damage is a good enough reason in its self, as is the heat of brazing the holders onto the drive-side chainstay.
I'd say that getting the spare spokes off past the chain rings is a tiny bit more of a faff, but if you need a spare spoke, you're going to be faffing any way.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

That's because it's the same frame.

Ah, I see what you mean. I thought you were saying that it's not a Royal or Randonneur, but a Gran Tour, because of the half-bridge mudguard mount.

The 708 was sold assembled as the Royal and Randonneur, and also as a frameset as the Gran Sport.

That's what I thought I remembered. The Gran Tour pictured above is labelled "708 Classic" though - perhaps just a graphic design error in the catalogue.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Incidentally, here's one of the last Randonneurs from 1999-2000 in factory spec:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130585686675

The 708 frame was the same as ever, but the forks on these last models had a different crown, and a dynamo bracket.

 

[doctor-bond]

Cool - I like the idea of the maguras but the cable runs are a bit industrial.

For future reference, here's the pics: