Raleigh Magnum

[EltonFrog]

I was taking the dogs for a walk about an hour ago, and a friend of mine in the village was in the garden clearing out his garage to make way for a new vintage motorcycle. I happened to glance in the back of his van and this was heading for the tip. I rescued it...

Anyone know anything about this model?

 

[EltonFrog]

Google is my friend, it looks like a budget bike.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I happened to glance in the back of his van and this was heading for the tip. I rescued it...

I prefer a Wall's Magnum TBH

Budget or not it could still make a nice little project as long as you don't have to throw much money at it

 

[EltonFrog]

I prefer a Wall's Magnum TBH

Budget or not it could still make a nice little project as long as you don't have to throw much money at it

Aye, I think you are right, a clean up, some new cables and some budget bar tape, and that will be that. It seemed a shame to dump in a skip.

 

[smokeysmoo]

It might well have been a budget bike in it's day, but vintage/retro call 'em what you will lugged frames certainly aren't budget nowadays.

So even if you decided to move it on you should certainly make a few £ in the process.

 

[EltonFrog]

It might well have been a budget bike in it's day, but vintage/retro call 'em what you will lugged frames certainly aren't budget nowadays.

So even if you decided to move it on you should certainly make a few £ in the process.

Ta. I'd be interested to see how it cleans up, and what the frame size is. I ought to measure it really.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

If memory serves me right: Raleigh Magnum was the dropped bar sister to the Raleigh Merlin that I got in 1986. They were basically the same bike, except the Merlin was straight bars. The decals are identical.
Originally 5 speed Shimano Positron 'pre-select' derailleurs, with the changer mounted on the stem (your patient looks like it's had a shifter transplant), Weinmann Alloy centre pull brakes.
They were smooth and quick, aimed at the sports tourer market. If you wanted speed you went for the Raleigh Record or Record Ace.
Back then you were looking at £125 for a shiny new one. It wasn't a budget model.

They last well. I've still got the Merlin.

 

[EltonFrog]

If memory serves me right: Raleigh Magnum was the dropped bar sister to the Raleigh Merlin that I got in 1986. They were basically the same bike, except the Merlin was straight bars. The decals are identical.
Originally 5 speed Shimano Positron 'pre-select' derailleurs, with the changer mounted on the stem (your patient looks like it's had a shifter transplant), Weinmann Alloy centre pull brakes.
They were smooth and quick, aimed at the sports tourer market. If you wanted speed you went for the Raleigh Record or Record Ace.
Back then you were looking at £125 for a shiny new one. It wasn't a budget model.

They last well. I've still got the Merlin.

Thankyou

 

[wisdom]

Could be a nice little project as it looks to be all there.Good luck and keep us posted.You. were quite right to save it from the skip.

 

[EltonFrog]

I was wondering about perhaps turning into a fixie or ss?

 

[wisdom]

Allways another option,whatever you do just enjoy riding it,after all its a bit of english engineering history.

 

[RWright]

I had a Raleigh Record from the late 80s that I bought brand new. I never rode it and it stayed under my house in the crawl space for at least 10 years. Several years ago I gave it to this kid that worked for us because he didn't have a car and I was wanting to clear out under there anyway. He got it and rode it and loved it, still has it as far as I know. This was all before I started getting back into riding. This bike reminds me of it in a way, not sure why, maybe just that era.

I wish I had it back, even thought about calling the guy and seeing if he still rides it. I just found the owners manual for it the other day. I am pretty sure it was a Record, the manual was more a non model specific type thing. It just says Lightweights on the cover.

 

[cbs]

I had one of those! Bought it from a school acquaintance who was apparently into road racing (although it turns out that a lot of his exploits were a little embellished shall we say). He had put 700c wheels on it, full length polycarbonate mudguards, a leather brooks saddle and some rubber bar covers instead of tape. Mine was the 10 speed version, with indexed shifters on the stem, and it was quite a nice bike really. I ended up selling it to a work colleague in the early 90s when I bought a mountain bike, only to find later that he didn't really use it and left it outside to rot. Shame really, would make a good project now, maybe as a resto or a single speed.

Don't remember mine having centre pull brakes though - they were considered pretty special back in the day if I remember correctly...

 

[EltonFrog]

I had one of those! Bought it from a school acquaintance who was apparently into road racing (although it turns out that a lot of his exploits were a little embellished shall we say). He had put 700c wheels on it, full length polycarbonate mudguards, a leather brooks saddle and some rubber bar covers instead of tape. Mine was the 10 speed version, with indexed shifters on the stem, and it was quite a nice bike really. I ended up selling it to a work colleague in the early 90s when I bought a mountain bike, only to find later that he didn't really use it and left it outside to rot. Shame really, would make a good project now, maybe as a resto or a single speed.

Don't remember mine having centre pull brakes though - they were considered pretty special back in the day if I remember correctly...

Thanks for that. I shall probably just tidy it up. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up a bit, then I'll get out side and have a go at it.

 

[uphillstruggler]

it amazes me what people will chuck in the skip, nice find