Show us your Raleigh Gran Sport/Grand Sport/Grand Sports
 

Three different names for the 1970s blue on white or white on blue Raleigh bike. This was just below the Raleigh Competition in the hierarchy. It seems to be somewhat rare.

Here is a picture of my Grand Sports. It is about a 1973. I removed the dork ring (chain protector).

Wasn't that the International?

Here is the '72 I restored last month:

http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/w...d/IMG_4819.jpg

Raleigh Hierarchy
 

The Raleigh Hierarchy from 1973 was:
Professional
International
Competition
Gran Sport/Grand Sport/Grand Sports
Super Course
Grand Prix

If I can read the decals correctly it looks like yours is a Grand Sports. You did a great job on it.

Does anyone have a color match for the blue and white?

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...g?t=1255909572

My '62, I also have a '7? waiting for restoration.

As requested, a '73 Gran (no D) Sport:

http://users.rcn.com/jimmuller/pics/...n_Cadillac.jpg

I saw a Gran Sport on CL for 75.00 last week :D

LOVE that blue and white combo and the 'spagetti' script.

'74 blue
 

here's another 'lagoon blue' frame circa '74. Gran Sports.
being re-built now.

My '73 (Grand Sports) - Still with butted '531 frame, forks and stays.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Sports007a.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Sports008a.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Sports010a.jpg

If you didn't buy it you should have. They are nice bikes. Reynolds 531 steel, Stronglight crank, Brooks B17 saddle, Normandy hubs. I paid $95 for mine. It didn't have the Brooks saddle so I replaced the crappy one that was on it with a Sella Italia saddle I had. It had a newer Shimano Sora front derailleur that I replaced with a Campy Record derailleur that I paid $10 for so I have $105 into mine.

+1

...And the earlier ones are full 531 just like the Int'l (in spite of what the catalog says) and the only real difference is the color, components and lugs. The Int'l had nice chromed lugs and Campy DRs, while the Grand Sports has the Lagoon blue Carlton colors and GB Rando bars which are just WONDERFUL.

I have seen prices for them all over the map. (You don't want to know what I paid for mine).

Auchen, that's a lovely specimen. How much of that is original? Not the RD, but the crank? Pedals? As I recall from seeing a catalog somewhere, they were equipped rather differently from most bikes back then, especially a 531 frame. Randonneur handlebar, "sport" gearing (which meant 38-100 inches), rattrap-style pedals w/clips+straps (as I recall), Simplex derailleurs. A nice bike not set up for racing but not your average everybody-needs-a-bike bike.

1974 Gran Sport
 

Here's my '74. A marvelous ride.

http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000105a.jpg
http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000103a.jpg
http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000100a.jpg

Needs wheels and too big anyway.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...s800/gran2.jpg

Thanks Jim - The bike is original, except for the Suntour Vx derailleur, a Falcon 5-speed FW, and Sylvan pedals.
The crank is the original BSA-threaded Nervar. I surmise Raleigh used what was available vs the SL 93.

It's funny that this thread popped up - I had mine out earlier today, and was again impressed with the ride and how very quick it is. IMHO, these are truly wonderful bikes and sleepers on the market in many cases. Their very rarity had ensured that only the cognoscenti seek them out.

Jeirvene - These bikes really look great with white Bluemels.
It's a shame they're so expensive (not to mention that I'm too cheap to pay for them).

http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000100a.jpg

They were unexpected. The seller sent fuzzy pics, and said it had aftermarket white plastic fenders. I assumed they were Planet Bike, or some such, and was pleasantly surprised to find it with the Bluemels lightweights.

The thing I find strangest about these bikes is the crappy plastic Simplex explode-o-matic shifters and RD on an otherwise fabulous all 531 bike. I binned them right off for the Suntours. The Nervex Star crank is a classy touch but sports 128 bcd rings - hard to source if you want to swap sizes. The dropouts are stamped, though it does still have 531 butted tubes, forks and stays.

Nice frame - what are the specs, and what's the story?

I see that I'm not the only Grand Sports owner to ditch the chainguard for a shorter bb spindle.

Man, that 1962 is one sweet bike. Thanks for showing it!

My GS here. I paid $80 about 7 years back, and had to move the fork blades a few mm to the right to ride straight.
It's a couple of cm small for me, but it descends mountain roads in such a relaxing manner.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6...d4cfdc22_z.jpg

Here's a crappy picture of my 76 Gran Sport in as-found condition, about a year ago. I've been working on it slowly--it's almost ready for the road now. Basically just needs to be cabled and have the bars wrapped. I'm building it up as my touring bike.

Nice. Looks like they still had 531 forks as of '76. Strange - I had thought they ended that a few years earlier.

Well, I can confidently say that mine at least has the decal.