Show us your Raleigh Gran Sport/Grand Sport/Grand Sports
#76
Still learning
Grand Sport Bar Tape Recommendation - Padded and Blue
Doing a refurbish on a 1971 Grand Sport for a friend of mine. Need recommendations on a padded blue bar tape to match the blue accent on the white frame please?
#77
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I've just acquired a 1973 Gran Sport and this will be my winter project, after I clean it a bit and perform needed maintenance and ride it until then. I want to restore it as original as possible. I'll be asking many questions, if you don't mind.
#1 Looking at the 1973 catalog I see it came with gumwall tires. I like Michelin World Tours, any others you can suggest?
#1 Looking at the 1973 catalog I see it came with gumwall tires. I like Michelin World Tours, any others you can suggest?
#78
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I've just acquired a 1973 Gran Sport and this will be my winter project, after I clean it a bit and perform needed maintenance and ride it until then. I want to restore it as original as possible. I'll be asking many questions, if you don't mind. Looking at the 1973 catalog I see it came with gumwall tires. I like Michelin World Tours, any others you can suggest?
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#79
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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AT, nice GS. Mine is that same color scheme. Like jei I am a fan of Paselas for sport use, though I prefer 25s. I may be wrong but I would not have thought that bike came from the factory with the generator and lights. Or the black seat clamp.
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#80
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That is a Wright seat and so the black, backwards, seat clamp
#81
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I wouldn't be too concerned about keeping equipment original for these mid-70s GS's, though period correct is appreciated. One reason I say that is, although the catalogs state what is standard, I've seen so many variations with period correct changes, that I'm starting to think that many original owners made changes right off the bat, or perhaps the bikes were originally built to order (or due to parts availability) with these variations. My particular example, a '76, I believe, came to me with Campy NR shifters & FD, and Shimano Crane GS RD; none of which I mind at all. I will change the RD to a standard cage Crane from my parts bin, as I don't need the long cage, which I think looks a little dorky with a 22 max cog cluster (my mod). The 14-28T cluster the bike came with didn't need the long cage either, for that matter.
#82
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When I bought my 1975 or 1976 Gran Sport, I bought it NEW at a shop. The shop was offering a deal: they replaced the entire Simplex set of shifters and derailleurs with Huret Jubilé equipment. The charge was $0. (Not only that, the list price was $300, and I got it for $225.) I didn't care about factory spec then, because I knew the Huret stuff was better than the Simplex stuff. So why should anyone else care? Just because it's old?
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#83
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When I bought my 1975 or 1976 Gran Sport, I bought it NEW at a shop. The shop was offering a deal: they replaced the entire Simplex set of shifters and derailleurs with Huret Jubilé equipment. The charge was $0. (Not only that, the list price was $300, and I got it for $225.) I didn't care about factory spec then, because I knew the Huret stuff was better than the Simplex stuff.
#84
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Thread Starter
I picked up another Grand Sports a couple weeks ago. The paint is pretty rough so I will be giving it a new paint job. I have it all disassembled for the repaint. I will post pictures when I complete it. I picked it up for $47.
#85
Senior Member
I've got a '73 that I've put a lot of miles on. The guy that I got it from used it as his sole transportation for a year after getting a DUI, including a 30 mile commute, and who knows how many miles were on it before he had it.
It's the same blue, white and chrome color scheme as many of the bikes pictured here, but it's not as pretty and I haven't even attempted to keep it stock. I'm currently running it as a 21 speed with a crankset from an old BikeE and the old 700c wheelset from my 90's era Cannondale. I reset the rear end to handle the wider spacing and redished the original 27" wheel. Later though I got tired of bent axles and switched to the 700c's with a cassette. No more bent axles.
The original brakes and derailers both work with the 3x7 gearing and the 700c wheels, although on the front derailer I could simply remove the travel stop adjustments. They're all the way out and that's just enough to shift through all three rings.
My biggest gripe about these old Raleighs are the crazy thread pitches. The pedal threads, bottom bracket threads, nipple threads and just about everything else require Raleigh's unique threads.
Comparing the ride to my Cannondale 2.8, it's not as fast, but it sure is a helluva lot more comfortable. After 20 miles on the Cannondale my back is screaming at me, but on the Raleigh I'm just a little tired. As a general purpose beater bike I really like it.
It's the same blue, white and chrome color scheme as many of the bikes pictured here, but it's not as pretty and I haven't even attempted to keep it stock. I'm currently running it as a 21 speed with a crankset from an old BikeE and the old 700c wheelset from my 90's era Cannondale. I reset the rear end to handle the wider spacing and redished the original 27" wheel. Later though I got tired of bent axles and switched to the 700c's with a cassette. No more bent axles.
The original brakes and derailers both work with the 3x7 gearing and the 700c wheels, although on the front derailer I could simply remove the travel stop adjustments. They're all the way out and that's just enough to shift through all three rings.
My biggest gripe about these old Raleighs are the crazy thread pitches. The pedal threads, bottom bracket threads, nipple threads and just about everything else require Raleigh's unique threads.
Comparing the ride to my Cannondale 2.8, it's not as fast, but it sure is a helluva lot more comfortable. After 20 miles on the Cannondale my back is screaming at me, but on the Raleigh I'm just a little tired. As a general purpose beater bike I really like it.
#86
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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#87
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I finished up the rebuild of my Grand Sports with the exception of a bottle cage. I made a few changes to it. I went with Suntour components from my parts bin including V-GT Luxe RD, 1st generation Cyclone FD and downtube shifters. I swapped out the 5 speed freewheel for a 6 speed. I wish I had taken some 'before' pictures because it was a bit rough. I figure I have about $75 into it.
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I finished up the rebuild of my Grand Sports with the exception of a bottle cage. I made a few changes to it. I went with Suntour components from my parts bin including V-GT Luxe RD, 1st generation Cyclone FD and downtube shifters. I swapped out the 5 speed freewheel for a 6 speed. I wish I had taken some 'before' pictures because it was a bit rough. I figure I have about $75 into it.
#89
Still learning
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^ Those are very subtle changes.
#91
Still learning
Exactly the point. My friend bought the bike about 40 years ago in Nutley NJ and has held onto it since high school. Biggest expense is changing the tubulars to Sun CR-18 clinchers on the Campy hubs. The rest of it is pretty much a standard overhaul with replacement of consumables. Pedal changes were nixed at the last minute so the old straps were saved.
#92
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don't have a current picture, but here she is when i brought her home!
rest of the pics here
my gran sport now..
rest of the pics here
my gran sport now..
Last edited by GordoTrek; 06-02-15 at 08:32 PM.
#94
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I picked one up a few weeks ago - transfers and paint scheme like what most folks are are showing as their '73s. I can't find any serial number anywhere on it though. Not on BB shell, or seat tube, or chainstay or dropout.
It needed some cleaning up, but is coming along pretty well. The CL seller depicted it with the Brooks saddle, but it was not on the bike when I got there. The price was fair, so I didn't make a stink. Front axle was nutted, but otherwise, it looks original, down to the cable housing and hood lever covers. Debating between setting it up as fixed gear, or a comfortable day rider. Pictures once I sort it all out.
It needed some cleaning up, but is coming along pretty well. The CL seller depicted it with the Brooks saddle, but it was not on the bike when I got there. The price was fair, so I didn't make a stink. Front axle was nutted, but otherwise, it looks original, down to the cable housing and hood lever covers. Debating between setting it up as fixed gear, or a comfortable day rider. Pictures once I sort it all out.
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#95
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@due ruote, awfully nice. What fenders, what crank?
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#96
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@due ruote, awfully nice. What fenders, what crank?
#97
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man, is there any color (or colour, if you wish) as beautiful as Lagoon Blue? It was the trademark color of Carlton Cycles, and the color that seemed to be reserved for the Gran Sport. Wonderful!
I bought my Gran Sport in 1976, I think, although it might have been a 1974 model. No idea what the serial number was, but it came with the plastic Simplex derailleurs, cheap wheels, pedals, etc. I ended up buying it from the local shop with only the Weinmann brakes and Stronglight cranks. For everything else, I used parts that I had or had purchased elsewhere. It was a fine bike, and I rode it for 14 years!
a picture from its glory days....
Steve K.
I bought my Gran Sport in 1976, I think, although it might have been a 1974 model. No idea what the serial number was, but it came with the plastic Simplex derailleurs, cheap wheels, pedals, etc. I ended up buying it from the local shop with only the Weinmann brakes and Stronglight cranks. For everything else, I used parts that I had or had purchased elsewhere. It was a fine bike, and I rode it for 14 years!
a picture from its glory days....
Steve K.
#98
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anybody know if the threading on the forks is standard? i have a campy record headset i'm thinking of using on my Gran sport
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Good to know, Professor. Saves me the trouble of worrying about it on mine.
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