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New old bike - 80s Raleigh equipe

Hi guys first post on here

I bought a Raleigh Equipe (think it's from the 80s) at an auction at the weekend and now I'm wondering whether it's worth doing some work to it or trying to sell it on. Its in pretty good condition but does need some tlc. Although it is heavy I do like it but just wondering if anyone with more knowledge and experience can give me some advice?

Thanks

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8 comments

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Carson | 9 years ago
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Thanks to everyone for the responses! I probably should have gone into some more detail but I wasn't sure I would get so much advice. The equipe that I have is the later white/grey colour with some stickers (Raleigh Racing) that someone has put on after purchase I think and is 18-23 steel. I don't think I would be too confident doing work to it myself as it hasn't ended well in the past. The bike itself cost £30 and on taking it for a ride I think the the wheels are both not running straight.The frame on the Equipe is quite big which suits me as I am currently using my dad's base model trek from around 2008 which is far too small at 52cm and I am 183cm tall. The weight difference between the Raleigh and the Trek is not very much in my opinion. That said I am thinking about taking the bike to a LBS and maybe it will do until I can get something else as buying a new bike isn't an option at the minute.

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LarryDavidJr | 9 years ago
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Ah the equipe. My first experience of a "racing" bike. By the time I got mine from a friend, it was already well worn, suicide levers and all. I did my before school paper round on that beast for at least a couple of years, and it's rusty frame and bent up wheels (and bent fork) got dragged round a few 18 year old Sunday pub crawls before it finally ended up God knows where, probably the dump.

What was the question again?

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Tjuice replied to LarryDavidJr | 9 years ago
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LarryDavidJr wrote:

Ah the equipe. My first experience of a "racing" bike. By the time I got mine from a friend, it was already well worn, suicide levers and all.

Oh yes - the suicide levers!! I forgot those. I cut mine off with a hacksaw right at the brake lever body - really nice job - you could never tell there had ever been suicide levers there at all.

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Tjuice | 9 years ago
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Raleigh Equipe - the jade green and white one? I had one of those!

As others have said, the steel was nothing special, so quite heavy by today's standards, but it was a good bike. I rode mine into the ground over a number of years, with a few complete rebuilds (and a DIY respray - was okay but would never do it myself again) along the way. In the end, had to junk the frame because of a bent top tube and front fork resulting from someone turning right across the road straight across my path...

If you've got interest in fixed/singlespeed riding, it would make an excellent conversion. I have converted 3 old Peugeots with similar style frames, and at least as heavy as the Equipe. The results have been uniformly great (and very quick).

In the first instance, simply overhauling what you have (cleaning, regreasing, replacing broken cables, etc) will turn it into a perfectly good bike. Then if you are interested in going further, consider getting second hand bits and pieces to kit it out - keeps it cheap. Potential sources for these:
* Bike jumbles
* For Sale section on road.cc
* For sale on LFGSS
* eBay

Probably not worth kitting it out with a nice new 105 groupset or anything like that though!

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Teflon Shoulders | 9 years ago
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I love my 25 year old Raleigh Record Sprint. I know that I've spent way more money on it than I should but it's still feels nice to ride. I replaced the BB on mine for a sealed unit after it had stood for a couple of years. No real need to but it feels that little bit smoother now.

I enjoy riding with a couple of local clubs and manage to match their pace ..apart from the hills but that's probably down to me more than the weight of the bike.

It's good to ride something different to the crowd. Just admit to yourself that you aren't going to be the fastest rider out there and enjoy.

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matthewn5 | 9 years ago
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I fixed up my 40 year old Raleigh Record a couple of years ago, and it was remarkably easy. Basically you need to take it apart, clean, degrease and relube everything except the bottom bracket if you can avoid it, as those old cup and cone BBs are hard work best left to the LBS.

The bearings were full of old dried up grease which I cleaned out. The original balls were flawless under the magnifying glass so they went back in with new grease. Getting the cones adjusted right is tricky but those old Raleighs had a fixed lock nut which has to go on the right (important). Tighten that cone down onto it and only adjust the left cone.

I chose to replace the rusty rims with new alloy rims, It was a faff rebuilding the wheels but by taking it slowly and carefully I got them round and true to within 1mm which was good enough for me.

The mechs basically needed a dismantle/clean/degrease/lube and then new cables and housings, new tyres and tubes, and a bit of car polish to bring up the paintwork and a bit of metal polish on the chrome.

I ended up with a cheap bike that rides beautifully because of the steel frame and 28c tyres. They're not common anymore and will start more conversations than any new bike. I kept the downtube shifters too, they add a bit of range to the gearing though you get used to changing less than we do today.

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MKultra | 9 years ago
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It depends.

Raleigh made a few different models of the "Equipe" IIRC, the 531 and cheaper 501 steel versions are perfectly servicable and worth restoring or lightly upgrading

The bottom of the range hi-tensile steel version is OK as a very cheap fixed conversion but not much else

Rear spacing will be 126mm but to be honest a 130mm hub will go in with no major effort and it will do the frame no harm, Surly manufacture steel frames with inbetween OLN's. Cold setting was always over stated. I know a chap who stuffed a MTB hub in 126 OLN Galaxy frame and rode end to end on it.

Peugot did not in fact make that many usable/desirable frames in the 70's/80's most being Hi-tensile steel "Carbolite" frames that weigh a ton and had steel wheels. The few better quality frames in Columbus steel were rebadged Italian frames.

Do you have a picture?

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tbelcher72 | 9 years ago
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Hi Carson,

I used to really want one of those when I was a kid!

If you like the bike and all it needs it some TLC to make it right, I would suggest that if you are a tinkerer of bikes that you clean it up and just enjoy it. Retro Raleigh and especially Peugeot bikes are gaining a bit of a cult status (in particular with the fixed wheel/ Single Speed brigade).

However, I would not suggest spending too much money on it (unless it holds sentimental value) as the frame is not made of anything special as far as steel goes, and like you say is pretty heavy by modern standards, that does not mean that the bike will be slow or uncomfortable though.

Also you will find that the rear dropout spacing is likely to be 126mm and as such modern wheels & drive train will not fit the frame (unless you cold set it to 130mm). That said if the gears are non functional just turn it into a single speed.

Whatever you do it sounds like you have a cool project,I hope you keep the bike and enjoy it.

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