'73 Raleigh Grand Sports?
04-17-23, 10:02 AM
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'73 Raleigh Grand Sports?
I picked up a Raleigh Grand Sports last week and have been going through it. I was told it was a '73, but it has a slightly different mix of components. It has Campagnolo Gran Turismo front and rear derailleurs, but Simplex shifters. Could it be a different year?
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04-17-23, 10:38 AM
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yes, looks like a 1973 model year
gear ensemble: shift levers original; gear mechs a replacement
congratulations, looks in wonderful condition for a fifty year old machine
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yes, looks like a 1973 model year
gear ensemble: shift levers original; gear mechs a replacement
congratulations, looks in wonderful condition for a fifty year old machine
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Last edited by juvela; 04-17-23 at 10:39 AM. Reason: spellin'
04-17-23, 11:04 AM
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04-17-23, 11:16 AM
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Congrats on finding such a well preserved model!
Appears that the rear derailleur is the crappy shifting boat anchor Gran Turismo rear derailleur. These were not OEM, if you want to go the original route you can look for a less crappy shifting Simplex derailleur.
Looks like you're in luck, yours has the slightly rare rear dropouts with an integrated derailleur hanger. You can easily swap out the derailleurs for better shifting models. Period correct and huge upgrade to shifting would be to install Suntour VGT derailleurs, which are still easy to find for not much money. Many of the members here have boxes of them in our bin drawers.
Note that regular contributors here call these Raleigh Gran(d) Sport(s). You can find decaling as Gran Sport, Grand Sport, and Grand Sports. No one knows why, but you can find all three permutations made right around 1973.
The great thing about the Gran(d) Sport(s) is that they ride great, and can be built up many different ways. I have one that's a 3 speed, and another I've modified to be a compact double randonneuring/credit card touring bike. There's something about that creamy white and lagoon blue paint job that just looks right. Workmanship varied greatly on these, sometimes Nigel took a 3 pint lunch and you got one of the frames he built that afternoon. With a fully Reynolds 531 double butted frameset you get a very tough frame, one that can be bent a bit back into shape if need be.
Appears that the rear derailleur is the crappy shifting boat anchor Gran Turismo rear derailleur. These were not OEM, if you want to go the original route you can look for a less crappy shifting Simplex derailleur.
Looks like you're in luck, yours has the slightly rare rear dropouts with an integrated derailleur hanger. You can easily swap out the derailleurs for better shifting models. Period correct and huge upgrade to shifting would be to install Suntour VGT derailleurs, which are still easy to find for not much money. Many of the members here have boxes of them in our bin drawers.
Note that regular contributors here call these Raleigh Gran(d) Sport(s). You can find decaling as Gran Sport, Grand Sport, and Grand Sports. No one knows why, but you can find all three permutations made right around 1973.
The great thing about the Gran(d) Sport(s) is that they ride great, and can be built up many different ways. I have one that's a 3 speed, and another I've modified to be a compact double randonneuring/credit card touring bike. There's something about that creamy white and lagoon blue paint job that just looks right. Workmanship varied greatly on these, sometimes Nigel took a 3 pint lunch and you got one of the frames he built that afternoon. With a fully Reynolds 531 double butted frameset you get a very tough frame, one that can be bent a bit back into shape if need be.
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Last edited by gugie; 04-17-23 at 12:58 PM.
04-17-23, 11:36 AM
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That's interesting. I thought that the Campy derailleur might have been an upgrade, not a downgrade. I guess that's why I had the impression that it didn't shift that great.
04-17-23, 11:40 AM
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I had one that I let go of during the covid bike boom, hated it at the time but I had (still have) too many and wasn't riding it as much as I did. They do build up and ride very nicely, the white is easy to touch up. Pic of mine and (to Gugie's note above) of the fork while I had it apart. Judging from the differing chrome sock lengths, the painter appears to have had a really good post-lunch buzz going.
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04-17-23, 12:29 PM
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Last edited by Pcampeau; 04-17-23 at 12:32 PM.
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04-17-23, 12:49 PM
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If it has a serial number, that could confirm when the frame was built.
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04-17-23, 08:29 PM
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I think that down tube Raleigh script was last used in 1972. Beautiful condition!
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04-18-23, 08:49 AM
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This era (c.1972-76) GS were all built with Bocama Professional lugs, but different fork crowns. The OP's bike has the fancier Vagner no. 11 fork crown, which (judging from catalog photos 1973-76) appears to be the standard unit, and it also has the Stronglight 93 cranks with the chainguard in the outer position. The 1973 specimen I had used the the Vagner DP + losange fraise, which was the same crown used for Super Courses, and I have seen it on other GS bikes - but like the Nervar Star that came on mine, it was probably secondary choice driven by parts shortages.
04-23-23, 02:08 PM
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I was working on the bike today. I really need to get rid of the campy derailleurs. They work very poorly and are very difficult to adjust.
I plan to put some Suntours on soon.
I plan to put some Suntours on soon.
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04-24-23, 12:04 AM
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Make sure your hanger is aligned. It can make any derailleur work sub par but I'm with you on using suntour. They just work.
