1973 Raleigh Super Course – $160 on Craig’s List

Many riders don’t starting thinking about their winter bikes until the rain begins to fall. That works as long as the bikes they buy do not need much time and effort to make road-ready. Most riders, when thinking about their winter bike, also think about the old steel racing bikes built during the 1970s bicycle boom. Brands like Bridgestone, Centurion, Motobecane, Peugeot and Raleigh are their favorites choices because they were made of the best lightweight tubing of the day.

When you decide that you want to get one of these old machines back on the road you have a choice to make: update or overhaul. The route you take could determine whether you want to buy a complete bike, or a frame-and-fork only. In Issue 273 of RoadBikeRider, Uncle Al makes the case for finding a bike in good condition and overhauling it using vintage components, and limiting updates to the wheel set. Most older bikes used 27-inch wheels and he recommends swapping these out for 700c to allow greater choices in tires. This is definitely the way to go if budget is an issue, and it is certainly the path of least resistance.

Many riders I know go the other route. They look for a lightweight, steel frame-and-fork and build-up a fixed-gear or single-speed, entirely with new components. This approach requires more time, more money, and a good relationship with your local bike shop (LBS). Putting new components on an old frame requires the ingenuity and experience of a seasoned cycle mechanic. Fitting each component to the frame is a step that requires thought, and the drill press.

I took both routes this fall. I found two Raleighs on Craig’s List. I paid $75 for a red and black, 1970s Grand Prix. I am overhauling it, adding fenders, and leaving the 27-inch tires on. My son Evan is taking it to school with him as primary around campus transportation.

Within a few days of finding the Grand Prix, I found a green 1973 Super Course and paid the owner $160. The bicycle was in remarkable condition. It still had the factory tires and tubes. There was not a spot of rust and only a few nicks in the paint and decals. I struggled for about two weeks with the idea of tearing it down and converting it to a winter training bike. But the Super Course was fourth in the Raleigh line, and even in good condition, it probably would not net more than $350 on eBay. It isn’t a collector’s bike. So I decided to stick to my plan.

The goal was to maintain the 1970s look while replacing every component with light-weight equivalents. The only problem was this: I wanted the maintenance benefits of a single-speed. But I wasn’t keen on the idea of riding a fixie into the Cascades or the Coast Range. I know riders who do it. Nate Armbrust rode the entire 2006 Oregon Brevet Series on a Kogswell fixed gear. I know it is supposed to make you stronger and improve your pedal stroke. But just between you and me, I am not up for the pain.

About this same time, there was a fair amount of chatter about winter bikes and fixed gear riding on the Seattle International Randonneurs (SIR) email list. It seems that some of the SIR riders, smitten with the Bianchi San Jose, rode these single-speeds on The Big Lebowski, a 600K end of season challenge ride organized by Oregon Randonneurs. The route retraced much of the Race Across Oregon (RAO) ultracycling course. RAO is a RAAM-qualfier and is considered one of the most difficult Ultras in the nation due to the relentless climbing.

Then, one of the riders sent out a link to an article by Sheldon Brown of Harris Cyclery in Massachusetts. The guys at Harris are converting the Bianchi San Jose to a geared bike, using the Shimano Nexus Inter 8, an internal geared 8-speed hub. Once again, Sheldon’s Web site proved to be a treasure chest of creative solutions to common road bike problems. I read the article on the converted San Jose and I thought I was sold.

But I wondered, “What is Sheldon riding?”I dug around his site and, as you might expect, Sheldon answers that question in great detail. I found that he has converted four old Raleighs to the Shimano Nexus 8. In classic Sheldon Brown style, he shared how he did it so his disciples could follow. What’s more, Sheldon has written a great deal about the issues confronting those who would dare convert a vintage Raleigh to modern components. This was the information I needed. I decided that I would tear down the Super Course (putting all the spare parts in a box, of course). I would rebuild using components that would maintain its retro look and feel, but with modern parts and equipment that would stand-up to the pounding this bike would surely get on the backroads of the wintery Pacific Northwest. For lack of another term, I have decided to call this approach retrotech.

I rode the Super Course out of the garage for the first time yesterday. Even though I haven’t dialed-in the adjustments, it rode like a thoroughbred. I will share the story of what it took to get to this point in a future installment. It is one that involved four online retailers, email support from Sheldon Browne, two local bike shops, and seven cheeseburgers with fries. (Note to Chris Carmichael – I ate only one of them!).

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