HI David...
In the shop I worked at we were required to inspect each bike as it came out of the box. I saw a few, not many, poorly built frames. We'd send them back. We didn't sell a baike if the frame was defective. I'm sure not all shops are equally carefull. I remember we had run of Follis bikes we had issues with... The bad ones got sent back. We got replacements and all was cool... I'll bet some where some time a U08 an A08 or even a PX10 or two went through the same thing... We carried Zeus... They were OK...
I like English bikes... I like the handeling. I wouldn't be supprised if some were poorly made...
I'll bet most if not all mass manufactured bikes had issues at one time or another...
I admit I don't like plastic Simplex stuff... I just don't. I've got big fat feet and I break it off...
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 9:46 PM, David Snyder <dddd@pacbell.net> wrote:
>
> Your comments had me walking into the back room to look over my Grand
> Sports.
> Tubing is "butted tubes", not butted or 531 stays, and the brazing is
> nothing short
> of atrocious on mine.
> There's a 3/4" long section of the headtube/downtube lug that has a visible
> gap
>
> (missing brazing) extending down to the miter! That's a head tube breaking
> off waiting to happen. Incredibly hasty construction.
> The Zeus dropouts are so soft that I've bent the hanger while carefully
> changing a rear tire! The wheels are UO-8-quality, but with poorly-welded
> Nisi-Evian rims, and I've seen these singlewall alloy rims crack at the
> weld.
> The paint looks nice. The Simplex changers and shifters work well enough,
> but again, are shared with the UO-8 for a reason. The Weinmann brakes are
> good, as are the cranks, since I ditched the "chainring" guard and fitted a
> normal,
>
> more symmetrical spindle.
>
> I think the cranks, the frame tubing, the paint and the saddle were the
> features that got these bikes sold, it sure wasn't frame craftsmanship.
>
> It's a pretty low-end bike, all things considered. UO-8 frames were much
> better brazed imo.
>
>
>
> David Snyder
> Auburn, CA usa
>
>
> Jerry Moos wrote:
>
> >
> > > I beg to differ. The Grand Sport(s) was double butted 531 throughout,
> hardly what I would call "lower end". Granted, this may have been the least
> expensive full 531 DB Raleigh of the time, but besides the frame it had
> quality components, even including the Normandy Sport hubs, which were
> relatively inexpensive, but still one piece alloy bodies with QR's. The
> Grand Sport, like the Compertition and Super Tourer, were real bargains in
> 531 DB bikes with good components.
> > >
> > >
> > > John Wood <braxton72@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Great find Adam, she looks in great shape. Since this is a lower end,
> bike
> > > boom era bike of no historical significance, no problem in my book in
> > > striping her down and building it up the way you want. And then of
> course
> > > make sure your sister rides the heck out of it. It ought to be a great
> > > rider! If you have any pangs of guilt at all though, just toss the
> original
> > > parts in a box, label it, and store it away for possible later use. Have
> > > fun!