1980s Raleigh frame numbers

[Funky]

Hi All.
Now the sun is out, despite near zero temps, a long Saturday on the Raleigh has revealed it's number 13807QR.
At least I think it's a Q, there's a mark crossing the O which I think is part of the Q stamp.
It is on the steerer tube, which is the only place left to look.
Thanks to all the post replies, I can now post pics.
So, replacing the crap seat, tape and respoking the rear wheel and replacing one busted spoke on the front is all that's left to do.
Then I can return it to my son who will treat it like s**t again and we'll be back to square one.
As I personally don't get on with all that leaning forward business, I don't like drop bars. I'd love to do a flat bar conversion on this because it is a nice light and very nimble frame and wheel set up. Sacrilege among the purists, I know, but more practical around a big city.

 

[gilespargiter]

Well I learn't to ride bikes in the London area well before I was a teenager many moons ago and I still use "Maez Bends" drop bars. These have a square (not flared) drop which puts you down and stretches you for a tucked powerful pull on the ramps below the brakes, where youcan also reach the brakes easily, gives you an easy resting place between pulls on the place below those ramps at the lower level (I set the bars so this slopes up slightly - easier on the wrists and boll-x to fashion) the hoods give a good moderate riding position with excellent allround view and the tops a good place to relax- go easy and see all around. Of course unlike the ridiculous over stretched too low racing positions that many fashion followers use these days, I set the top of the bars level or even slightly above saddle height, for a much more practical comfortable everyday riding position. So that I do actually use the drops as part of my normal repertoir of riding positions. These bars are good for threading through traffic on these accounts. Easier to navigate between vehicles and even other cyclists without getting hooked up. They are of course available in different widths for different type bikes/needs.

That frame looks as though it has quite a steep head angle - and therefore possibly limited toe clip clearance? The saddle tube looks more relaxed - possibly 72deg and 71? The chainstays look quite short. So most probably a very lively frame, which may mean it is built with thinner lighter tubing - according to it's original price range?

Lovely looking bike by the way - but much more useful with mudguards . . .

 

[Funky]

Hey Giles. Thanx for all that. Work has been postponed, my son doesn't really need it for his new job plus all that crappy weather n all. Gives me a chance to respoke the wheels and find some nice tape, sort the worn out looking outer cables etc. Dads, what are we like?
Toe clip clearance is OK on this, just. I also don't use clips, can't get the hang of them always being upside down. But they do give better oomph I'll admit.
Why don't they come with counterweight pieces to stop this happening? Or do they? I suppose we could go on ad infinitum about riding styles and positions. Frame geometry and my body shape, not to mention age, all have some influence on all it.
Roll on summer though, the winter is tooooo long!

 

[raleighnut]

Hey Giles. Thanx for all that. Work has been postponed, my son doesn't really need it for his new job plus all that crappy weather n all. Gives me a chance to respoke the wheels and find some nice tape, sort the worn out looking outer cables etc. Dads, what are we like?
Toe clip clearance is OK on this, just. I also don't use clips, can't get the hang of them always being upside down. But they do give better oomph I'll admit.
Why don't they come with counterweight pieces to stop this happening? Or do they? I suppose we could go on ad infinitum about riding styles and positions. Frame geometry and my body shape, not to mention age, all have some influence on all it.
Roll on summer though, the winter is tooooo long!

There is a technique to get pedals to flip over as if by magic, once the crank is turning above a certain speed centrifugal force (actually centripetal but let's not get too technical) will exert more influence that gravity so removing your foot from the 'wrong' side and then replacing it on the correct side becomes easy. Timing this off/on is the key but once learnt dealing with toeclips, clips/cleats is easy.

 

[gilespargiter]

That is the way of it with bike rebuilds I find Funky. BTW I have just edited my above post, it had a glaring error. It should (and now does) say 72deg and 71.

I do in fact use toe clips without doing up the straps, which I find very sufficient to keep my foot located and allows me to wriggle my feet around a little when I please. which I do after a period of time. I use them attached to MKS Lyotard style pedals which have a platform that give good to support one's foot. These are a fraction of the price of actual "Lyotard" replicas and of a superior construction, in my view, as the top plate is not riveted to the base but cast with it, this makes them far more robust when the first power stroke is occasionally done with the pedal upsidedown. They are well balanced and become second nature to engage one's foot with after a little while, so that one seldom misses! They allow for the use of various kinds of "normal" footwear that is good to walk in as well as being able to cycle with one's foot securely positioned.

However. . . I did not so much mean that you need/have actual toe clips that may or may not have clearance. I was using the term to describe the front of foot to wheel clearance, which is a way that this dimension is often described.

Hope you have great pleasure with the rebuild as it progresses at your chosen speed.

 

[Dan B]

Raleigh were run by bean counters and they were pretty picky with numbering all adult bikes . Is the number stamped vertically on the seat tube under the seat bolt?

I had another look at mine this evening and yes! it is. However, the stamp is shallow and the paint is thick, can't really make out more than a few digits

Any tips for reading a frame number that's been painted over, without taking all the paint off?

 

[Illaveago]

I had another look at mine this evening and yes! it is. However, the stamp is shallow and the paint is thick, can't really make out more than a few digits

Any tips for reading a frame number that's been painted over, without taking all the paint off?

You could try taking photos of it at different angles and then alter the lighting and sharpness in editing . It worked on one of mine .

 

[mcshroom]

I had another look at mine this evening and yes! it is. However, the stamp is shallow and the paint is thick, can't really make out more than a few digits

Any tips for reading a frame number that's been painted over, without taking all the paint off?

Which 5 have you got?

If you've got the first three (two letters and a number) then you should be able to work out the factory, month and year of manufacture.
http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html#19731982

 

[mcshroom]

Otherwise, how about taking a wax crayon/pencil rubbing of the number?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

As I personally don't get on with all that leaning forward business, I don't like drop bars. I'd love to do a flat bar conversion on this because it is a nice light and very nimble frame and wheel set up. Sacrilege among the purists, I know, but more practical around a big city.

Drop bars have their advantages, and if set at a sensible height; i.e. high - they can be just as comfortable as flat bars when riding on the bar tops. The current fashion seems to be to set them low as humanly possible (all that "slam your stem" BS) where the rider goes around with their backside sticking right up in the air, nose on the front wheel, crippling themselves just to "look more aero". If you ignore all this nonsense and set the bars for comfort they can be very useful to enable you to move your hands around to avoid fatigue, and for short bursts riding on the drops into a strong headwind does make it easier on your legs.