Barn fresh Raleigh Super Course

Pondo · Nov 3, 2024

I picked up this little jewel yesterday. It’s 1974 Raleigh Super Course Mark 2. It’s very well kept and in great condition. I bought it from the original owner who built it herself back in the day. She was the first woman to be a licensed Schwinn mechanic apparently. She also had her own custom wheel building business and built wheels for all the big names back then. The wheels she built for this bike are Campy Super Record hubs with tubular alloy rims. Very light and very cool. The bike has been sitting for quite a few years now but the tires still hold a little air pressure and everything still works so I took it for a spin. Man this thing is fast! Probably the fastest bike I’ve ever had. It’s pretty light with the Reynolds 531 tubing. Best yet, it’s the right size and fits me very well! I’m looking forward to putting new tires, brake pads and bar tape on it, cleaning and lubing and putting some miles on it.

us56456712 · Nov 4, 2024

Pondo said:
I picked up this little jewel yesterday. It’s 1974 Raleigh Super Course Mark 2. It’s very well kept and in great condition. I bought it from the original owner who built it herself back in the day. She was the first woman to be a licensed Schwinn mechanic apparently. She also had her own custom wheel building business and built wheels for all the big names back then. The wheels she built for this bike are Campy Super Record hubs with tubular alloy rims. Very light and very cool. The bike has been sitting for quite a few years now but the tires still hold a little air pressure and everything still works so I took it for a spin. Man this thing is fast! Probably the fastest bike I’ve ever had. It’s pretty light with the Reynolds 531 tubing. Best yet, it’s the right size and fits me very well! I’m looking forward to putting new tires, brake pads and bar tape on it, cleaning and lubing and putting some miles on it.
View attachment 283089 View attachment 283090

Real nice. Great history

Pondo · Nov 4, 2024

I've been doing some research on tubular tires and I think for riding my local roads and maybe doing some trips I'd be better off rebuilding these wheels with 700c rims and go tubeless. Changing a tubular tire to repair a flat while on a ride sounds like a major pain.

Wildcat · Nov 4, 2024

Pondo said:
I've been doing some research on tubular tires and I think for riding my local roads and maybe doing some trips I'd be better off rebuilding these wheels with 700c rims and go tubeless. Changing a tubular tire to repair a flat while on a ride sounds like a major pain.

I notice your brake pads are set at the lowest point, a 700C rim is slightly smaller than the 27 inch, so you may have to change out the brakes also.

Pondo · Nov 4, 2024

Wildcat said:
I notice your brake pads are set at the lowest point, a 700C rim is slightly smaller than the 27 inch, so you may have to change out the brakes also.

Yeah, I might have to do that. I'd stick with 27" but tire choices are so much better for 700c

Wildcat · Nov 4, 2024

That's what I did with my Mixte build, 700c now, but was made for 27". "Gravelina"

pacebicycle · Nov 5, 2024

Tubular (aka sew-up, glue-on, etc) tires ARE 700c, so you won't have to change the brakes when you convert to 700c clincher. They're all 622mm (actual bead-seat diameter.)

Pondo · Nov 5, 2024

pacebicycle said:
Tubular (aka sew-up, glue-on, etc) tires ARE 700c, so you won't have to change the brakes when you convert to 700c clincher. They're all 622mm (actual bead-seat diameter.)

I wondered about that. I've been researching tubulars and they are referred to as 28" which is typically 700c. That's really good to know, thanks for chiming in.

Isn't it weird that 700c is referred to as 28" when it's actually a bit smaller than a 27" wheel? Bike wheel sizes are so interesting.

Wildcat · Nov 5, 2024

pacebicycle said:
Tubular (aka sew-up, glue-on, etc) tires ARE 700c, so you won't have to change the brakes when you convert to 700c clincher. They're all 622mm (actual bead-seat diameter.)

What is on there now are 27", with the pads adjusted as low as they go. The 700C rim radius is 4mm less so the pads may not contact the 700C rim well enough.

Irontri · Nov 6, 2024

pacebicycle said:
Tubular (aka sew-up, glue-on, etc) tires ARE 700c, so you won't have to change the brakes when you convert to 700c clincher. They're all 622mm (actual bead-seat diameter.)

They also came in 650c. I used and raced on them for several years.

ifitsfreeitsforme · Nov 6, 2024

I'm confused... there's a such thing as 27" tubulars? I thought as someone else chimed in, that tubulars are 700c.

Pondo · Nov 6, 2024

ifitsfreeitsforme said:
I'm confused... there's a such thing as 27" tubulars? I thought as someone else chimed in, that tubulars are 700c.

From the Sheldon Brown website:

This is why I'm going to switch to 700c tubless, also from Sheldon Brown:

I put a 27" wheel in the forks yesterday and the brake pads were halfway below the rim edge, to the inside of the wheel. So the tubulars on this bike are a few millimeters smaller than a 27 so probably measure closer to 700c.

I can get new tubular tires but they're around 32mm and $50 each on sale, normally closer to $100. I'd like to run a 38-40mm tire with decent flat protection so a 700c tubeless setup seems the way to go. I even thought about a 650b conversion but I don't want to lower the bike by 1/2". Plus the brakes wouldn't reach.

The next thing I have to figure out is the threading on the rear Campy hub. I'd like to keep this hubset on the bike if I can get lower gearing, so it will need to be able to fit an ISO freewheel. I'd like a 34 tooth cog on the rear. I'd also like to keep these nice Stronglight cranks and the smallest inner gear that will fit is 38. It's current gearing is good for more level terrain but I live in the mountains.

ifitsfreeitsforme · Nov 6, 2024

sensible gearing for vintage road/racing bikes in hilly areas is a conundrum. The C&V subforum on Bicycle Forums has lots of people who've solved this problem in different ways.

Pondo · Nov 6, 2024

ifitsfreeitsforme said:
sensible gearing for vintage road/racing bikes in hilly areas is a conundrum. The C&V subforum on Bicycles Forum has lots of people who've solved this problem in different ways.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be lost over there for a while.

Barn fresh Raleigh Super Course

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