75lechamp 

This is a frame I found last year, and it's been in progress for quite a while.... After many conversations with Neil at Raleigh-sb4059.com, we concluded it is a legitimate SBDU 753 frame, with some modifications. At some point, the bottom bracket had been replaced with a non-standard unit, so it does not have the SBDU number on it, but the fork does - SB3311. It had also been subjected to a sub-par paint job and incorrect decal placements. However, the reason I got it practically for free was there was a crack in one of the chainstays. I found a fellow out here in Colorado, Mark Nobilette, who is one of the original guys to be certified to use 753, and it so happens he had a few stays around his shop....

I just picked it up from the painter, Brian at Davinci Tandems here in town, who did a great job! In consultation with light weight guru Jim Merz, I am planning a light weight build, including:

Campy SR BB, second gen, titanium spindle and Merz titanium washers and nuts
Campy SR pedals, titanium spindles, Christophe "Z" alloy clips
3TTT Superleggero bars
Cinelli 1A stem with alloy stem bolt and Merz titanium pinch bolt
Campy brakes with alloy pad holders from later SR, plus titanium Merz center bolts and other titanium and alloy bits such as alloy barrel adjusters
Campy SR seatpost with Merz titanium bolt
Regina America Superleggero (anodized alloy cogs)
Regina Superleggero hollow pin chain
Campy SR derailleurs, with Merz alloy bolts
Concur Superleggera saddle, alloy rails



As found, driver side chain stay crack... I heard this used to happen fairly often, as 753 is pretty brittle

Mark's handiwork, replaced chain stay...

Off to the painter, primer

Picked up just today - FYI Brian at Davinci Tandems does a great job!


Here is the pile of parts I have collected, and I am hoping to get the weight way down....

Back home....

Lightweight wheel set I built, Mavic GEL280 laced to Campy low flange, OMAS alloy skewers, DT revolution spokes

steelbikeguy

wow!
That's quite a restoration! Even better, you got to get Misters Nobilette and Merz involved!
Just wondering.... did Nobilette comment at all on the build quality of the frame? They were built by a small, select group, so I'd expect pretty high standards. I've got a Raleigh 753 Team bike myself, so it is a bit of a selfish question.

The paint job really looks great! Did you use decals for the seat tube graphics, like the original?

Congrats on a wonderful project! I hope it brings a big smile to your face each time you ride it!

Steve in Peoria (very happy with mine)

75lechamp 

Thank you steelbikeguy ! I can't wait to get it built and ride!

75lechamp 

Starting to put the components together.....



Campy brakes, with Merz titanium center bolts, OMAS dome nuts and titanium recessed nut, alloy pad holders...

Titanium seatpost binder bolt

Merz Super Record seatpost bolt

Concur superleggera saddle, with alloy rails


So far, so good...

OMAS recessed nut

Rino red anodized chainrings, a little lighter than Campy, OMAS alloy chainring bolts, SR titanium pedals, Christophe Z clips anodized black, alloy, Merz titanium nuts and washers on titanium spindle SR second generation BB...

75lechamp 

Campy low flange with OMAS alloy skewers

SR titanium BB with Merz titanium nuts and washers

1A stem with OMAS black anodized alloy bolt and Merz titanium pinch bolt

3TTT superleggero bars

New Regina America alloy freewheel

merziac

And I'm sure you know but lets make sure not to forget that Jim was the very first to be certified by Reynolds to work with 753.

rccardr 

Did not know that, thought it was Bob Jackson who was the first certified.

merziac

Maybe Jim was the first American builder certified, he was also Raleigh's US warranty frame repair contractor at one time as well.

merziac

Yep, sorry, Jim was first US builder and technically Raleigh was the first company in 75 but it was their tubing so.....

Bob Jackson and Harry Quinn soon followed.

rccardr 

I see. Knew that Jim was their repair guy in the US but not dates.
My understanding is that Reynolds sent 753 tubing to Bob Jackson two years ahead of its introduction to the market so that he could provide feedback on frame manufacturing methods using it.

repechage

Interesting that the replaced bottom bracket has the seat tube almost tangent to the front of the BB bore and not having the seat tube center passing through the rotation center.

obviously not a problem but more of a curiosity as to who cast the shell. Looks much beefier in total design.

the Davinci drive looks interesting by the way.
the paint looks great too, exceptional masking at the headtube.

merziac

Well they may have, but Raleigh used it in 74 and 75, both being owned by TI, no surprise. They may have tapped BJ for frames outside their control.

The Retrogrouch: Classic Tubes: Reynolds 753

jdawginsc 

All I know is that might be one of the finest paint jobs I have ever seen on a bicycle. Wow.

75lechamp 

Hey folks, I finally finished my super lightweight build and along the way I found an even lighter freewheel, a Suntour Microlite 6 speed, which by virtue of its alloy body as well as cogs weighed in at around 170g, which is about 100g lighter even than the Regina alloy I had.

Now, time to weigh it...



Here it is fully built, and using a fairly cheap digital fish scale, so not sure how accurate this is.....

But it weighs 17 lb 15 oz, even lighter than I thought I might get!

poprad

I don't know how I missed this thread, but I'm glad I found it. Lovely bike and great photography. @75lechamp you have some skills!

bikingshearer 

I might - might - be able to ride an 18 pound track bike without destroying it under my seriously Clydesdale self, but a 753 road bike? Not a chance.

Beautiful bike. Enjoy the hell out of it. May not be the best choice for gravel grinding, though.