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1976 Raleigh Super Course

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1976 Raleigh Super Course

Old 10-26-20, 05:17 AM
  #1  
Narhay
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1976 Raleigh Super Course Mk II

I picked this up from the original owner a few days ago. It is a bit crusty in places but I am maybe overly optimistic some judicious use of a brass wire wheel should tidy it up nicely.

WP600K71 with the K being sideways serial number places this in November of 1976, possibly one of the last runs before the red 1977 models with the integrated derailleur hanger, 700c wheels and barcons came out.

Plans for it are to strip, polish, de-crust, and rebuild exactly as is. The Brooks is in good condition but why must they always be narrow versions on the bikes I find??? The garage is being rebuilt this week so if anyone wants a rusty, slightly misshapen garage door with a few holes in it from 1952 please let me know and I'll put it aside for you.








Last edited by Narhay; 10-26-20 at 05:24 AM.
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Old 10-26-20, 05:25 AM
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1976 was a great year for Raleighs. My Competition from that year is nowhere near as pretty. Those rear chromed triangles look great with a nice silver hub and shiny new cassette or freewheel. Ditto with the front end, once it's all polished up. And that green and white paint looks great. Is that original handlebar tape?
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Old 10-26-20, 05:41 AM
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I had one of those years ago. Great bikes!
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Old 10-26-20, 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
1976 was a great year for Raleighs. My Competition from that year is nowhere near as pretty. Those rear chromed triangles look great with a nice silver hub and shiny new cassette or freewheel. Ditto with the front end, once it's all polished up. And that green and white paint looks great. Is that original handlebar tape?
I believe the whole thing to be original and unmolested. I think the PO rode it out from the shop, didnt change a thing and then stored it for years.
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Old 10-26-20, 06:36 AM
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That’s remarkably well preserved. Even the Reynolds decal looks pristine.
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Old 10-26-20, 07:27 AM
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This is the first Super Course MK. II I can recall seeing with those lugs. They appear to me to be Bocama 80-series lugs - could they be a return to the lugs used on the '67 Raleigh Carlton or more like the ones on the '68 Super Course? Is it a floor sweep moment, where they're finishing out the year, next year's Super Course with its plainer lugs and steeper angles is already planned, and whoops, we're out of Prugnat 62s, let's use these lugs we normally use for the Grand Prix and get it out the door?

A quick recap - Raleigh Carlton (the Ur-Super Course, 1967) with what appear to be Bocama 80-something lugs; Nervex Professional lugs 1971-72 and probably earlier, EXCEPT for some 25.5-in specimens with Bocama model 14 pattern II lugs; Carlton Capella lugs, 1973 only; Prugnat 62 1974-76.
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Old 10-26-20, 11:46 AM
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You got lucky.
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Old 10-26-20, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by rustystrings61
This is the first Super Course MK. II I can recall seeing with those lugs. They appear to me to be Bocama 80-series lugs - could they be a return to the lugs used on the '67 Raleigh Carlton or more like the ones on the '68 Super Course? Is it a floor sweep moment, where they're finishing out the year, next year's Super Course with its plainer lugs and steeper angles is already planned, and whoops, we're out of Prugnat 62s, let's use these lugs we normally use for the Grand Prix and get it out the door?

A quick recap - Raleigh Carlton (the Ur-Super Course, 1967) with what appear to be Bocama 80-something lugs; Nervex Professional lugs 1971-72 and probably earlier, EXCEPT for some 25.5-in specimens with Bocama model 14 pattern II lugs; Carlton Capella lugs, 1973 only; Prugnat 62 1974-76.
To me (no expert on lugs), those look very much like the lugs that were used on Raleigh Grand Prixs during the seventies. I had a Peugeot PA-10 circa 1970 that used them as well. I've heard some people refer to them as Bocama lugs and others as "Crespera".
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Old 10-26-20, 12:15 PM
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In a pleasant departure from recent acquisitions the seatpost and the stem both moved without issue.

This is the 23.5" ctt and 22" top tube model so it is almost the right size for me...hmmm......
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Old 10-26-20, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by daka
To me (no expert on lugs), those look very much like the lugs that were used on Raleigh Grand Prixs during the seventies. I had a Peugeot PA-10 circa 1970 that used them as well. I've heard some people refer to them as Bocama lugs and others as "Crespera".
They do look very much alike. I've heard the term "Crespera" used before, but I don't recall ever seeing them described in any Carlton or Raleigh literature, and if anyone has something, please share it! If there was indeed a Carlton Crespera lug, it could well have been an exclusive from Bocama. But I think these ARE Bocamas, as Raleigh/Carlton used various lugs from that company on Gran(d) Sport(s) and 25.5-in Super Courses from the anniversary badge era - and probably others as well. Apart from the Capella lugs, did Raleigh/Carlton use anything that wasn't an off-the-shelf, out-of-the-box lugset during the late 60s-early 70s?

Side note - does anyone know who actually made the Capella lugs?
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Old 10-26-20, 12:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Lemond1985
..... Is that original handlebar tape?
I was thinking about the tape too...
My '74 International has the original tape (and basically everything else), and the white tape goes so well with the brake hoods and cable housings!



I think Narhay needs to do what he can to clean the stuff up and save it! With the white frame panels, it'll even look better.

Steve in Peoria
(I always thought that the Super Course looked great in the catalog)
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Old 10-26-20, 09:30 PM
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That super course is quite a bit cleaner than mine when I got it and mine cleaned up very well, yours will look fantastic once cleaned!
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Old 10-26-20, 09:52 PM
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Looking forward to the after pics! Narrow Brooks, what’s not to love!
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Old 10-27-20, 12:09 AM
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Great little Super Course! I've been reading "Show your Super Course" thread and remember your mk I Super Course, very curious about the ride quality between the two models. I recently acquired 1972 Super Course from original owner, just serviced it and did slight modifications. I need to post few more posts to be able to share pics of my build.
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Old 10-27-20, 03:36 AM
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I have a 1977 Competition GS in original condition and I love it. I have been the second owner for five years and the original owner rode the bike once or twice and then stored it away in his garage until he sold it to me. The Carlton Raleigh’s are very nice riding bikes and I am sure yours will be no exception. I can’t wait to see it all cleaned up and ready to ride!
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Old 10-27-20, 04:51 AM
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Originally Posted by jimijames
Great little Super Course! I've been reading "Show your Super Course" thread and remember your mk I Super Course, very curious about the ride quality between the two models. I recently acquired 1972 Super Course from original owner, just serviced it and did slight modifications. I need to post few more posts to be able to share pics of my build.
My old MK I was a 1974 model I believe. You have a good memory to summon that one up from 5+ years ago. Here she is. Last I saw of her she was driving away in the trunk of a very leggy lady.



I will have to remember how it rode but I am spoiled with a professional, international, competition and now this.

The bar tape may look nice from the photos but it has some scuffs and is otherwise not in the most beautiful condition so it will have to go.
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Old 10-27-20, 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by jimijames
Great little Super Course! I've been reading "Show your Super Course" thread and remember your mk I Super Course, very curious about the ride quality between the two models. I recently acquired 1972 Super Course from original owner, just serviced it and did slight modifications. I need to post few more posts to be able to share pics of my build.
I have both a '73 Super Course Mk 1 and a '74 Super Course Mk II. The Mk I has a slacker head tube angle, which I have tried to illustrate in this photo, and the wheelbase is one inch longer than the Mk II.


While the ride of the two bikes is more similar than it is different and I like them both, if I had to choose between them I would keep the Mk II. It seem just a little bit more nimble and fun and the steeper head angle has less of that "flop-over" tendency that slack angle bikes exhibit.

In my latest "rearrangement of parts between bikes" (or how to screw around with your bikes without spending any money) I've put my upright bars and racks/panniers on the Mk I to exploit the load carrying stability inherent with the longer wheelbase plus the shorter stem and wider bars suppress some of the annoyance associated with the "flop-over" tendencies mentioned earlier. Rode it configured that way on a 25 mile ride last Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
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Old 10-27-20, 10:44 AM
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What are your plans for the bike? I love my Super Course and considered selling it twice and then came to my senses. Since it's not valuable, I don't treat it gingerly. I've rebuilt it many times and used it as a testbed. I have an International as well, and the rides are extremely similar. The Super Course is just a little heavier, and I don't really notice that.
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Old 10-27-20, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
What are your plans for the bike? I love my Super Course and considered selling it twice and then came to my senses. Since it's not valuable, I don't treat it gingerly. I've rebuilt it many times and used it as a testbed. I have an International as well, and the rides are extremely similar. The Super Course is just a little heavier, and I don't really notice that.
I will rebuild as is for now. New tires, cables, bar tape, chain, housings, brake pads, rebuild hubs, headset, bottom bracket and pedals. Then probably shelve it til one of the no snow days we sometimes get in the winter or until the spring.

Realistically I will probably end up selling it as I have limited storage and 3 of the "better" Raleigh bikes but I am somewhat tempted to build a low tech 5 speed IGH bike out of it too.
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Old 10-27-20, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Narhay
My old MK I was a 1974 model I believe. You have a good memory to summon that one up from 5+ years ago. Here she is. Last I saw of her she was driving away in the trunk of a very leggy lady.

I will have to remember how it rode but I am spoiled with a professional, international, competition and now this.

The bar tape may look nice from the photos but it has some scuffs and is otherwise not in the most beautiful condition so it will have to go.
I read your rebuild as a guide how to proceed with my own restoration. Also, I'm Canadian too.

I ditched the original cottered Nervar crank and replaced it with a very light 170mm Superbe crank. It's a little on a short side crank for me but it works for now. Would love to find a longer crank sometime in the future. I rebuilt the wheels around the original Normandy sport hubs but I replaced original axles and cones from a campy nuovo tipo hubs, worked like magic! I used Mavic MA2 rims and DT db spokes. Well, and typical restoration sequence: hubs, headset grease and bearings (it was in great shape, btw), new chain, new old stock Shimano Freewheel, new bar tape, cables and housings. Decided to remove Simplex FD and RD and replace it with Suntour Compe V FD and Suntour Vx RD. So glad that OP changed downtube shifters with Suntour barends, so good!

Last edited by jimijames; 10-27-20 at 04:28 PM.
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Old 10-27-20, 04:32 PM
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I still thinking about finding the SunXCD 120mm freehubs to rebuild the wheels again for the future serviceability, but for now it works. I never tried the original dimpled Weinmann rims, I will rebuilt them with original spokes (with the letter "E" on it) and another Normandy hubs. Does anyone have a front high flange Normandy hub by any chance?
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Old 10-27-20, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by jimijames
...Does anyone have a front high flange Normandy hub by any chance?
I'm pretty sure I do have an orphaned one in my parts stash. Where are you located?
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Old 10-27-20, 07:30 PM
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I did an IGH build with a Super Course MkII some time back (no longer in the stable):
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Old 10-27-20, 09:32 PM
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Originally Posted by leecycle
I'm pretty sure I do have an orphaned one in my parts stash. Where are you located?
Oh hey! That could be amazing! Is there anything you need that I could find in my small stash? I'm in BC
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Old 10-27-20, 09:42 PM
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Originally Posted by daka
I have both a '73 Super Course Mk 1 and a '74 Super Course Mk II. The Mk I has a slacker head tube angle, which I have tried to illustrate in this photo, and the wheelbase is one inch longer than the Mk II.

While the ride of the two bikes is more similar than it is different and I like them both, if I had to choose between them I would keep the Mk II. It seem just a little bit more nimble and fun and the steeper head angle has less of that "flop-over" tendency that slack angle bikes exhibit.
Thanks for this info, very cool! But Mk.I has such a beautiful lugs and so much character to it comparing to Mk.II. Mk.II looks a bit more modern a little bit more mainstream imo. Did you change crankset on your Mk.I?

I went for a test ride last weekend and sat down to watch the sunset and got a compliment from a young lady, she loved the bicycle.
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