Camilo

Today I saw, but resisted, a beautiful, seriously sparkly like new, Raleigh Grand Prix. It was red with a fully chromed fork and fully chromed seat and chain stays. IIRC, it also had a Chrome head tube. The group was Suntour ARX. I didn't study it other than to note the group and that it had forged dropouts, not stamped. It was really a nice bike and inexpensive ($140). I don't need another bike, but I've always wanted a upper tier Raleigh from the 70s-90s, downtube shifting. I've always thought in terms of a Pro or a Competition with top tier Suntour or Campy components of whatever era it came from. I don't think that either the frame nor the group was top tier, but they shore lookt nace!

Anyway, what did I miss out on? Again, this thing looked very mint to me. Theoretically I could track it down and maybe buy it if it's a once in a lifetime miss.

Bad Lag

Grand Prix is not a "upper tier Raleigh".

Also, all that chrome does not ring true with me. Chrome socks on the fork is valid but the rest is???

jetboy 

I assume its the "Racing USA" grand Prix- red with chrome -! Raleigh 555 tubing- very cool bike and fully blinged out. I think 140 is a steal of deal if its in nice shape!

like this right? 1985ish?

dedhed

^^^^^ This. A Raleigh USA mid 80's Gran Prix. Nice bikes, bought mine brand new

ollo_ollo

True,

Raleigh Grand Prix (from another BF Thread)
in 1973 they looked like this, but they evolved.

Camilo

Yea that's it. It was really nice looking. I seriously think it was NIB or unused. But since I do have a limit to my "collection" (storage) I have intended for the past few years, if I were to add to my modest collection, to wait for something "perfect" for my next bike. Perfection will be in the genre of what I lusted after in my youth: high end British steel with quill stem and DT shifters, non-aero levers, high end Suntour or Campy, either very good condition complete or a frameset I can make a project of. I already have a vintage-ish Italian (another youthful wish), but have always wanted that and a high end British bike for some reason.

I was absolutely sure without any research, that regardless of its place in the Raleigh and Suntour hierarchy, it was well worth the $140. Heck, I sold a good but not perfect mid-70s Supercourse in the 90s for that much at the same swap. But I tend to look at bikes as ones I can keep "forever" as opposed to it being a nice bike to ride for a while and then sell. Again, storage when not in use.

You can tell, it was not an easy rationalization to NOT buy it!

Bad Lag

That is not "evolved" that is transmuted, transformed, transfigured, transmogrified.

Hold out for a Raleigh Pro or one from a small, British frame maker.

Piff 

They are uncommon, but there are some 531 double butted frames/tubes/stays Raleigh USA racing frames out there, as well as 555rsl frames too. 555sl frames are made in japan, from some kind of tange tubing. 555rsl frames are made in England from an unknown Reynolds tubing, possible 531.

That Grand Prix you found is a fine riding bike...but if only trends had not forced mid-tier bicycles toward such tight clearances. That 555 tubing and appropriate frame geometry would have made it into a great sport tourer.

Chuck M 

$140 for a Raleigh Racing USA bike in the condition described in the OP? I'd buy it for that and convince myself I needed it as long as it fit me.

Trakhak

Agreed. I worked at a couple of Raleigh dealerships, the first in the mid-'70s and the second in the mid-'80s. I had something of a bike snob attitude about the Asian Raleigh USA bikes versus the "real" British Raleighs back then, but in reality, the Raleigh USA bikes were---let's face it---better than the earlier British bikes in almost every way: build quality, finish, etc.

jetboy 

I do think yes: if you are a collector than maybe not. One does not have to buy every bike-- someone else will hopefully spend $140 and be super stoked and ride it! every bike we don't buy is someone else that does.

albrt 

I have seen quite a few 70s Grand Prixes in surprisingly good shape the past few years. I always have to remind myself that this is a mid-range bike at best, because they look awesome (until you try to pick them up). My perception is also colored by the fact that the Grand Prix was better than what I could afford at the time.

Anyway, I guess they must have sold a lot of these to people who didn't actually ride.

plonz 

These chrome Raleighs were produced two years in ‘84-‘85. From catalog scans, the yellow USA sticker was used in ‘84 and the RWB sticker in ‘85.

Grand Prix was the entry model into the racing lineup those years followed by Supercourse, Competition and Prestige. The Supercourse in boysenberry is a real stunner IMO.

In ‘84-‘85, Grand Prix’s 3 main tubes were Raleigh’s 555sl mystery tubing, often rumored to be some sort of Tange tubing. Grand Prix had a catalog weight of 24lbs.

In ‘86, Raleigh USA ditched the chrome and Grand Prix donned a teal and light purple combo dubbed Seamist and Zephyr Purple. This is the year I see most often in the marketplace. Raleigh also started using Reynolds 531 on the main tubes in 1986.

I love the ‘84-‘85 and even ‘86 Raleigh USA lineup. When I come across them in my size with good chrome under $300, I always look twice. Under $200, automatic buy.

1989Pre 

My 1980 G.P. came with steel rims, so no surprises about weight. (I swapped them out as soon as I could for aluminum).
A lot of G.P's found their way into better components at the hands of riders who couldn't quite afford a Super Course.

nlerner

They also work really well as 650b conversions:

Kabuki12

I have a few Raleigh's. The Grand Prix I have is from about 1971 , made in Holland. It is not near as nice as the red one from later years. The Professional I have is from 1978 and the Competition GS is from 1977. Raleigh changed through the years .