Karlwagner1

Hello , new to forum 1st time posting as well,
I recently received 2 vintage Raleighs from my uncle who bought them new
Im trying to determine the exact years of each
they re both in original condition
I don’t think I can post pictures of them until as a new poster I have certain # of posts
At least that’s what I read when I signed up
I am considering the idea of upgrading the super course to fit me a little better and make it more modern but overall it seems in pretty good shape didn’t know what the basic value of these bikes are and how collectible they were I pretty much just do casual riding for exercise and at the campgrounds
Nonetheless I appreciate older bikes
thanks

dabac

Bicycles as a rule only rarely end up as valuable collectibles.
And since bike parts are a lot more expensive piecemeal than as complete bikes, thorough upgrades are rarely worth it.
The flip side is that bicycles are mature technology. For casual, utility riding, a decades old bike will still do just fine.
And while a thorough upgrade might be financially questionable, there’s nothing wrong with replacing fit items. Stems, bars, saddle, pedals.

terrymorse 

If it’s a 3-speed, it’s not a Super Course.

Most likely a Sports or a Superbe. Utility transportation bikes.




Good, inexpensive bikes.

Karlwagner1

I have both the super course mens bike and the ladies 3spd
thanks for sharing the pictures
the supercourse actually has the storage bag shown in the picture
i wasn’t sure if it was an aftermarket add on or something that would ve been available from raleigh

cb400bill

Thread moved from Road to Classic & Vintage.

jon c. 

There are serial number databases that can help determine the year. The Super Course was a low to mid level bike in the boom era and some years are better than others. But generally speaking it's a solid bike and will do fine for casual riding.

Trakhak

Just to clarify: are you saying that you have two 3-speed bikes, one a men's bike, one a ladie's bike? Or is the men's bike a drop-handlebar 10-speed racing bike with a frame decal that reads "Super Course"?

rgvg

There's a whole thread on super courses https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...er-course.html

I really like mine. Even though it's a mid level bike lots of people like them too.

ollo_ollo

There is also this massive thread that evolved from a failed, separate, 3 speed forum request. Over 980 pages, more than 24,500 replies. Spend a few months reading through some of it and you will know all there is to know about 3 speeds : For the love of English 3 speeds... - Bike Forums Don

Karlwagner1

Trakhak
i have 1 women’s 3spd and
1 mens super course... yes its a drop handle bar style

nlerner

The three speed will have a date code on the rear hub with two digits for the year and one or two for the month, e.g., 72 10 = October 1972. If the wheel is original to the bike, that’s how old it is. If these were purchased around the same time, I’m going to guess that both are 1974.

terrymorse 

OK, so two Raleighs then (I missed the comma).

The Sheldon Brown site has a nice page on the Super Course.

It was a pretty decent entry-level road bike, nice aluminum rims and a quality Brooks saddle. Much better than the comparable Schwinn model.

But I never liked the (mostly plastic) Simplex derailleur, or the (spongy) Weinmann center-pull brakes.

Later year models had a much better Suntour derailleur, but they stayed with the Weinmann brakes.