>From the Spring of 1978 through 1983 I was the Team Mechanic and Equipment Manager for the SRC Raleigh Team out of Ames, IA. This was THE National level team in the US at the time. All rode 753 Raleighs and the shop, Michael's Cyclery brought in hundreds over the years. They came directly from the small factory in batches of 20-30 at a time including road and cross framesets. I sometimes talked directly with the factory. No shop brought in more 753 frames.
LeMond rode one of our frames to his Junior World's win in 1979 in Argentina. When the frame came back to us it was put on the counter and later sold for $125 with an Advocet HS (junk).
I built them all into complete Team bikes or for regular retail. Shop cost for a while was $200 each for frameset w/headset. For a while Edco headsets did come with the frames but usually Campagnolo SR. A full Camagnolo SR, Cinelli, GP4 rims, DT 14g spokes with Vittoria CX tires was just about $1300. None came with a chrome right chain stay. We used TA steel bottel cages only. Weight for a complete machine was between 18.5-20.5 lbs depending on frame size. Sometimes I tied and soldered and corked the spoke holes for bullet proof wheels. Remember, these bikes did European and South American stage races as most team members wee on the U S National team. No time to play games with light equiment. The best frames were from 1981-1983.
Frames were measured from the cneter of the bb to the top of the seat lug which was 1/2 cm above the top tube. They came in 1/2 cm sizes and were available in the red, yellow, and black Team colors or a dark blue with black trim.
One year around 1982(?) the Team swithched to Shimano DA and AX. What junk! In 1983(?) they used Sun Tour which was almost as bad. I alwasys used Campagnolo cables and grease.
I never did get one of those frames for myself (damn) but I still have one or two orignial frame boxes in which I keep posters from the '70 and early '80's. I used Andy Hampstens bike when I taught bike race mechanic seminars for the USCF around the country in the early '80's. I have a photo somewhere of the bike.
Andy Bohlmann
Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.sandcreeksports.som
> This machine has been the object of some discussion on my Yahoo Group on
> Raleigh Team Pros. It's been suggested it is c. 1983.
>
> It's worth remembering, too, that 753 Raleighs were, to my knowledge,
> never sold as a complete bike. They were usually offered as a frameset
> (usually with Edco headsets) so there is really no such thing as "the
> specification" for components. So if someone wanted high flange hubs c.
> 1983, that's what the bike would have had.
>
> Transfers on the Special Build Unit bikes also varied.. my early '75
> Team Pro (531) has no Reynolds transfers and none of the SBU stickers on
> the chainstays. And never had them.
>
> Peter Kohler
> Washington DC USA