From: "kim klakow" <Akimbo71@gmx.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 7:03 AM
Subject: [CR]1981? Raleigh Pro - need help
>I just bought a Raleigh Pro which is said to date from 1983. I believe
it to be earlier, but cannot find a catalog to support that, seeing that
the 1983 catalog doesn't even list a Pro.
> The original date of purchase is 4.Feb.1983, so this might very well
be a 82 model or earlier, no?
> Please take a look at the wooljersey gallery and let me know your
thoughts.
> Thanks,
> kim
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Kims-bikes/RaleighPro/
> --
> Kim Klakow
Kim,
I just snagged the below off Sheldon Brown's site(which was down).
You can determine the age of the frame from the serial number.
I couldn't make out the numbers in the photos you posted.
>From the lettering style I wonder if that was originally sold in England
or Europe as I've never seen those graphics before.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/dating.html#1972
In 1974, an entirely different numbering system was introduced for the
higher end (531 and subsequently 753) Raleighs. Serial numbers should
begin with a "W", which stands for Worksop, the facility that produced
theses frames. This is followed by another alphabet. This alphabet
indicates the fortnight in which the frame was built (i.e. A = 1st
fortnight, B = 2nd, etc.). The third character is always a numeral.
It indicates the year of manufacture, the decade being assumed (i.e. "4"
could be '74 or '84; it is up to the interpretor to know enough to tell
if the frame is from the 70's or 80's). What then follows is a series
of numbers. At this point, these appear to be some sort of sequence,
but this has not been substantiated.