Peter,
I'm thoroughly confused about this, too. But that's because
by the time I really followed the Raleigh professional cycling
team it seemed to be based in the Nederlands. Or were there 2
distinct teams: one UK based and the other a basically a Dutch
team? One reason I ask is because I was under the impression
the Dutch Raleigh team bikes were built (in Amsterdam?) by
Peter Serier.
Best regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia
> I am thoroughly confused.
>
> Would that someone, anyone, would contribute a concise and
> authoratitive
> history of the Raleigh Team Professional! Either to the CR
> website or
> RetroRaleighs! I have done a thorough review of the CR List
> archives and
> whilst there has been a lot posted on the subject, it's more
> minutia than
> an overall sense of the model's history and development.
>
> >From what I've gleaned, the Ilkeston Special Build Unit was
> started in 1974
> and assumed all of the special custom frame making production
> formally done
> at Worksop by Carlton under Gerald Donovan. Recall that
> Raleigh acquired
> Carlton in '61 and marketed lightweights in the UK as
> Carltons and as
> Raleighs in the US (with the Carlton name as well). What came
> out of
> Ilkeston was 100 per cent Raleigh for both the UK and export
> with Donovan
> heading the new unit.
>
> I believe the TI Raleigh Team started in what 1972?? This
> took over from
> the Carlton team I believe. Previous postings by Richard
> Sachs prove that
> they were racing TI Raleigh Pros at the time which I assume
> were initially
> built at Worksop. Yellow rather than black headtubes as I
> recall. Fastback
> stays.
>
> The pioneering use of Reynolds 753 begin, I think, in late
> 1974, early '75.
> It's been my understanding that henceforth only 753 was used
> for
> Ilkeston-made frames and that this was a frame only
> production either for
> the Team or special orders. I've also been told that "real"
> team bikes
> often lacked the Reynolds frame transfers. All Ilkeston-made
> frames had
> "SB" prefixed serial numbers and that true team bikes made
> for specific
> riders were also so indicated on the bottom bracket. I think
> TI Team
> machines were all Super Record fitted. 3TTT stems and bars
> until the late
> '70s and then Cinelli.
>
> Now, the North American catalogues list "Raleigh Team
> Professionals". But
> were these ever built at Ilkeston?? Or were they the Worksop
> made Team Pros
> that prompted Eric Elman's original query? None of the
> catalogues c.
> 1973-75 show anything but Reynolds 531 frames with no mention
> of 753. Then
> the model disappears. Did this coincide with the move to 753
> frame sets
> only from Ilkeston? Were these Worksop Team Pros essentially
> then
> Professionals with SR rather than NR components and the team
> livery??
> Whereas the Ilkeston-made 753 frames were rather more
> special. And lots
> more money.
>
> This was certainly the case in the early 1980s when Raleigh
> Team Pro
> framesets were in the catalogue. I believe in 1983 Cycling
> Magazine
> (UK)nominated the machine as its top bike of the year.
>
> Anyway, I am sure there are folks here who know more and
> better than I.
> With the indulgence of people who couldn't give a toss about
> these
> machines, a few more exchanges might yield an outline of the
> real story and
> something that can be cobbled together into a useful and
> accurate history.
> So someone tell me I am full of crap and set the story
> straight once and
> for all. Please.
>
> Peter Kohler
> Washington DC USA
>
>
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