rossiny

I gave away a Super Course a while back that had been resprayed horribly , decided I liked the way it rode , and happen to find this . Cappella lugs 🤓.
don't know what to do with it. ( any suggestions). There's a clicketty sound out of the rear hub, . I'm sure needs to be all gone through. Surprisingly clean original paint , even under bottom bracket and chrome seems like it will clean up..

juvela

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nice find

appears '73, first year for this transfer set

final model year prior to launch of Mk. II

serial should be found on lateral side of NDS dropout

unusual to locate one with so few changes, only the gear mechs

worst remaining original fitting is the Simplex Prestige Delrin shift lever set

you mention clicking noise in rear

one additional spot to check when you have the machine in the stand is the pedals; have had some of these come through of this time which did not receive the correct number of balls in each race; good idea to repack anyway, assuming you will be using the stock ones...ball size is 5/32"

when you have everything set to your liking do not forget to append the machine to the "show your Super Course" thread


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52telecaster

Great city bikes!

Hummer

Congratulations. I should be so lucky as to find one like that. The best I have found are Canadian made Raleigh Grand Prix.

1989Pre 

First thing? Clean it.

USAZorro

That's a beautiful example.

Give it a thorough servicing and see what issues remain. If that were to fall into my hands, I'd want to change the rear derailleur and shift levers (I don't much care for downtubes, but I can live with them). Enjoy!

Moe Zhoost

That's in amazingly good shape for an unrestored SC. Life is good to you, mate.

gugie 

What can you do with it? Damn near anything, that vintage SC is a chameleon bike. Ride it OEM, or put some wide tires with fenders, or wider tires and use it as a gravel bike. Make it a 1x with upright bars as a city bike.

tkamd73 

If it’s your size, fix it and ride it, clicking sound out of rear hub should be an easy fix. Probably bearings, as stated above, or possibly freewheel, or even rear derailleur, not a big deal. Nice bike, great find, enjoy.
After reading other members posts about how great they ride, I decided to see for myself, so found an old frame and built it up.
As suspected, they were right, awesome ride. I know I’ve posted this before, but everyone likes posts with pics, so here it is again.
Your’s has much more potential, much nicer lug work, and chrome!
Tim




1978 Supercourse

gugie 

I built an old one up for the 2021 Clunker Challenge, and rode it 62 miles in one shot. I was shocked how nicely it rode.


Foam grips get a bad rap, but they were actually very comfy.

sbarner 

My favorite era, if just for the flamboyant paint and unusual, but not obscene colors. I like the green better than the brown. I was building these up new BITD, and they came with the frame completely wrapped in a sort of brown crepe paper, as I recall. It took almost as long to unwrap as it did to assemble, though the Brits made sure that there was plenty to attend to. The steel crank is so unusual today that it has switched from being a liability to an asset. Someone has changed out the rear wheel, but the brake pad position makes me think it's still a 27". You can still find tires for them, and the Pasela is probably the best choice these days. If it were mine, I would find a working Simplex Prestige derailleur for it, and swap the freewheel for a 14-28 Suntour. That Shimano derailleur works far better but it looks like a tumor on that bike. Most of these ended up with Suntours, but a Simplex just looks right and is a conversation starter. Find a set of metal Simplex downtube shifters and ditch the plastic ones. The Simplex shifters have a smaller barrel than most other brands, so you will get the best feel if you stick with them. A set of barcons wouldn't be out of place, and Suntours will work with Simpex mechs, but downtube shifters will change gears with a crisper snap. The front derailleur combines the attributes of fragility and poor shifting, but keep it if it actually works and the body isn't cracked.

As I recall, the original tape was a patterned, off-white plastic, but I would probably get rid of that not-quite-a-match green stuff and replace it with black or white cloth and a coat of shellac.. Those slippery hoods will outlast you and are right for this bike, so don't screw with them. The saddle has had the radish, so I would find another B-15 or B-17 to replace it.

Every Raleigh of this era that I have worked on recently has had grease that gave up any lubricating qualities long ago, so everything should come apart. Spend some time reading up on how to get the crankarms off if you have never done it before. Without a press, you are going to destroy the cotters in the process, so get some replacements before tackling the job. There is one way to do it right and a whole bunch of ways to do it wrong, some of which will wreck your BB bearings. Sheldon Brown is your friend, even from the grave. The cable casing looks original. If you're thinking of replacing it with lined casing, make sure it fits through the guides before destroying the old housing. The ribbed, off-white housing isn't lined, but is correct for this bike and should work fine. I'd keep the original housing, just for its looks.

Personally, I would put together the correct rear wheel for it (Weinmann rim, Normandy large-flange hub, 36-hole), but that's just me and it's your bike, not mine. This was the first bike in Raleigh's line that I think deserved any respect and it's great to see one that is so close to being original and in such nice shape. There are plenty that are down to little more than the original frame that are available to rat rod.

branko_76 

yes, restore it.

daka

Original paint in such good condition (and the best color too) argues for staying close to original rather than doing a big hack or resto-mod. Agree with others above that the Delrin pieces may not be ideal if you want to accumulate some mileage on the bike, which I would encourage, they are very pleasant bikes to ride. Personally, on my '73 Super Course, I used steel Huret derailleurs and shifters that all came off of a 1970 Super Course. Functional, but probably doesn't shift as precisely as even the contemporary Japanese kit would have. The Huret Challenger and its accompanying shift levers which first appeared on the '74 Super Course Mk II work well and are robust, but you will be limited to a 28t rear cog. I find 40-28 to be adequate for most climbs but you will find others here on the forum that would insist on having lower gears.

TugaDude

It has what might be the original handlebar wrap, so it was likely a garage queen. Amazing how many I see like that. Shame really. But it is what it is.

As far as the Super Course, I own one of the root beer colored ones that's not too far off of that one in age. Mine is currently torn down to the frame and sadly has been sitting for far too long. But I did ride it and it was a blast. Just a nice, supple ride.

That one? Restore it and enjoy!

rossiny

Wheels. I think the wheels are non original and mismatch. So I guess I need a wheel set and tear the bike down for completely new grease and clean. Looking forward to doing this soon.
I loved the way the one I gave away rode. It gave a feeling of sitting in it , rather than on it. Cornered well and comfortable.!