I have to disagree with Bill Silverman Here :
> Don't do it! I strongly suspect the frameset offered is something
> other than a genuine Team Raleigh.
The frame under consideration is a Worksop Team Pro, ebay item :
These frames are very nice, if you strip away the paint you will find the equivalent in the USA of a 1977-1981 Raleigh Pro, in the U.K. it's known as a Carlton Pro, down beneath. I have a Carlton Pro(77), Raleigh Pro(74), and Ilkeston(SB310, 1975) Pro. The brazing on all 3 is very very good. The Worksop 531 bikes have the same details as the Ilkeston 531 bikes, except for the following differences :
ilkeston team pro's typically have 6-hole drillium dropouts worksop team pro's have huge bottom bracket cutouts are are lighter
I would caution however that there were some raleigh-competition class frames painted in team colors, you can identify these quickly from the following traits :
no Haden brake bridge with center barrel on back end no brake-bridge reinforcements on seat stays no bottom-bracket cutouts no oversized seatstay caps
I have also witnessed a Carlton Pro made with 531 professional tubing, so at some late date it was possible to get a Reynolds 753-class bicycle from Worksop / Carlton.
I also have to disagree with Peter Kohler on one minor issue :
> What makes a real Raleigh Team bike is the SB serial number denoting
> a SBDU Ilkeston-built frame. They made frames in 531 and 753 (these
> were only available as framesets) and they have nothing in common with
> the Worksop W-prefixed frames.
Except, perhaps, that MOST ILKESTON BUILDERS CAME FROM CARLTON/WORKSOP.
- Don "Carlton Forver" Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA