Dear CR list,
I would have to agree with Lewis Ting and his great advice to check out
Mark Bulgier's website where he has put up the catalogs under ''Retro -
Raleighs".
SEE MARKS WEBSITE AT:
http://bulgier.net/
http://bulgier.net/
Jeff Potter asked how old his Raleigh was 60's or 70's. Lewis feels the bicycle is a 1973 Super Course. But JEFF'S own links to his website show a similar Raleigh Super Sport but it is "sporting" a "SHIMANO CRANE GS" rear derailleiur on the bicycle Jeff is trying to gauge the age of the bicycle Sheldon Brown's site on Shimano states that the CRANE GS first appeared in 1973. The real question becomes did Raleigh use Shimano parts during the "BIKE BOOM" OF THE EARLY 70'S in order to ship bicycles to the STATES. My 1972 Raleigh Super Course according to the pictures on Mark Bulgiers website is shown with HURET DERAILLEURS AND DT SHIFTERS (and that is what my bicycle has) yet the SPECIFICATIONS PAGE IN THE REAR OF THE CATALOG states that the 1972 Super Course has SIMPLEX DERAILLEURS AND DT SHIFTERS.
I'm of the opinion that Raleigh used whatever parts that they felt were suitable replacements. I'd have to say Jeff that you've come out way ahead getting the 1973 (or later) SHIMANO CRANE GS, and most likely you bicycle is a 1973 RALEIGH SUPER COURSE AS LEWIS STATES.
Does anyone know for how many years the SHIMANO CRANE GS was made?
Yours truly,
Marty Walsh in Vienna,VA