noglider 

Yup. I'm still paying the fines and penalties.

Mr IGH

A fellow rider has this one, looks to be a 1977, are the components original, esp the bar cons and brake levers/tape?

Mr IGH

Here's mine, started as just a frame/fork/headset and seatpost from Craig's list. It's my gravel grinder, I use it on club rides. It get's lots of attention, esp when I can hang at the front
Mavic A319 rims, DT spokes and Pasala tires for the wheels:




Drum brake/dyno hub and SuperNova E3 headlamp up front:


Drum and freehub out back with 9 speed cassette, triple up front with Shimano M324 pedals:




Woodchipper, Shimano 9 speed indexed bar cons and Cane Creek brake levers in the coxpit:


The paint isn't very good and I have a bunch of braze-ons left over from my last project...this bike may be due for an anti-drew makeover....

greg3rd48 

I actually just picked up the same SC TT and plan to start working on it asap. You did a great job! Are those Shimano 8 speed bar ends? did you have to cold set to 130mm to fit the cassette? I am debating on how I want to proceed with my restoration but yours is well done. I do have 8 speed bar ends and I plan on switching to 700c's so why not increase the gears...

Mr IGH

Thanks for the kind works! Frame was cold set to 132.5mm. Shifters are 9 speed to match the cassette. The TT version came with sew-ups as I understand things, 700c wheels should be easy.

greg3rd48 

Thanks for the info. Yes mine came with tubulars so those are definitely out. I think I will go with the 8 speed shifters and cassette. Great job!

SpiritCyclist

Here's my recently acquired Super Course. 1973, as far as I can tell. It's in quite a state of disrepair, at the moment. Apparently the last owner liked the look of red tape(?) You can see in one of the pictures that one of the Simplex RD's jockey wheels has a chunk busted off. The non-drive-side crank appears to be bent (or is that my imagination? It's awfully close to the chainstay). Also, the large chainwheel seems to be bent. These things don't concern me much; however, the seatstays are both dented up towards the brake hangar. You can kind of tell in the picture, but I should probably take a better one. Is this anything to be worried about? Non-original wheelset--Maillard hubs laced to Wolber rims, pretty out of whack. Suntour Perfect 5 speed freewheel. But it did come with the original Brooks B15

My goal is to strip 'er down, clean 'er up, and then reassemble (possibly as a single speed) using as many original/salvaged parts as possible. I'm a college student with basically zero expendable income, at least for the time being! There is a nearby bike co-op from which I'll probably utilize, though I do have a fair amount of tools already.

Any thoughts/observations would be welcome. I can provide more/better pics upon request. Thanks! This forums rules!

SpiritCyclist

OK, here are a few better shots of the dented seatstay area. I think it looks worse than it is, due to the crumbly red tape. Also, a shot of the whole bike, since I neglected to include one before.

noglider 

@SpiritCyclist, you have a lot of work ahead of you. The left crank does look bent. We used to have a tool for straightening steel cranks. I bet it would be hard to find, but you might be able to improvise something. Or maybe you can find a replacement.

Go to the plumbing supply aisle at your hardware store and buy some brass-bristle brushes. They can help you clean the bike up without scratching it.

How are the wheels on the bike? I hope they're straight.

SpiritCyclist

Thanks, noglider. The wheels seems straight while on the bike, so I don't think the frame or fork are bent (I will check this more closely). I'm just wondering about that seatstay- is it safe? I know steel can dent and bend, but I'm not a pro at diagnosing this stuff.

Also, don't want to monopolize this thread. So I'll do what I can, research the forum for info, and report back when I've made progress.

noglider 

You can use this thread or start your own. Share as much as you'd like. We enjoy this stuff!

I've been seeing a lot of early and mid 70's Super Courses on the streets here. Some have been modified a fair bit, and some have not.

LECHERO531

Everything that lived in post #741 now lives here. Done on the cheap, but SC's always look good. Rattle can green Hammerite (started life as a red MK2). The cream is air conditioner putty. Old black belt used to make the hub cleaners. Artistic license taken with decals (Photoshop). Pinstriping by Sharpie. Since these were taken it now wears hammered stainless fenders and a tan suede seat. Pics to follow when the weather turns. Have plans for a 73 brown SC (in my head) if I can find a frame. Again it's therapy for me.

OTS 

^ Like your style.
You are correct.
Classic good looks built up your way.
Never goes out of style.
Nice job !

Lascauxcaveman 

@LECHERO531, I like your idea of the boxlining tapered to a point on the fork legs. I may just steal that for my next "olde fashioned" repaint. :thumb"

LECHERO531

Also on seat/chainstays, have done box lining on tubes before. The easy way: Find junked refrigerator door, cut seal, remove flexible rubber magnet, use as guide, line away. Thks...would like to see results.

auchencrow

@LECHERO531 - What the caveman said! I think that was a truly inspired aesthetic touch - and now I wonder why Raleigh didn't apply it to the SC's in the first place!

SpiritCyclist

Out with the old, in with the new! As random luck and chance would have it, I got a good deal on this '78 SC in a partial trade for the old, beat up, and disassembled '73. The bike is in great shape and totally original, minus new cables, tires, chain and bar wrap. The guy I bought it from said he got it from the first owner, a crotchety old neighbor (the kind who would puncture kid's soccer balls if kicked into his yard). Apparently he hardly rode it, but kept it hanging in his garage near a window. Hence, some of the paint is faded to a cool orange color from the sun. It actually looks awesome up close--swirly and smoky.
The picture is horrible, I know--sorry.

LECHERO531

They didn't have Sharpie paint markers. Best invention since sliced bread. Tried to hit most of the styling cues, light, bell, levers, hub cleaners but with a slightly modern twist. To be mentioned by you guys, I guess I did something right.

Narhay

Before and after:





Build thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...er-course.html

Bikedued

Heck yeah~~! Looking good!,,,,BD

Narhay

Thanks. Brakes are still an issue with the squealing but I'll hope to remedy that shortly. Nothing like throwing a bunch of money and nice parts at a midrange frame to question your sanity.

noglider 

It does seem crazy, until you ride it.

greg3rd48 

Fantastic looking build! I can't wait to start on my Super Course TT...

GordoTrek

WOO, just finished my supercourse , i've been following this thread to pin down a date for it, its the coffee/copper colored one, it looks like it's a 73, but it didn't come with a cottered crank, so maybe a 77? i know i've still broken the cardinal rule of not taking any pictures, but i wanted to get done with it first before posting anything.

The story, i found it at our coop's offsite storage building, we have over 1500 bikes there waiting to be rebuilt to help the less fortunate, and we have a nice little section of "Craigslist Bikes" many of you here would love to take a gander at them i'm sure. found a mid seventies raleigh sports in silver and teal!? anyway back to the super course, it came with Suntour Seven rear, Simplex Plastic front and simplex shifters. thats what made me think early seventies? the crank is a standard cotterless crank, it says "tourney" on the arms, is that Shimano Tourney? it was in good condition, i'm not sure its OEM but it works for now. i replaced the front derailleur with a Suntour NSL that i was saving ,and some nice Suntour Powershifters make up the rest. it also came with a Pletscher Rack that i took off, threw on a semi used set of paselas and she's ready for work! not sure what i'm going to do with it, but its my size and i've been pining for one for a while,

i'll post pictures later on.. promise

bikemig 

I just picked this up. It was nicely upgraded by the PO with campagnolo nuovo record hubs, headset and seatpost, a TA crank, shimano crane derailleurs and shimano 600 shifters, and Dura Ace long reach sidepulls: