The oversize seatstay cap design was said to have originated from Jan LeGrand, team mechanic for Ti-Raloeigh and a frame builder in his own right (Presto). The design was first used at about SB1100 (1976) so time wise this is perfectly plausible. It was adopted for Team Replicas at Worksop certainly for 1977. The Record and Rapide European models never featured it as far as I know though for the most part they featured full 531 DB tubesets. They were distingushed from the Team Reps by larger clearances (suitable for guards) and dropouts with mudguard eyes. But there were other Worksop/Lightweight unit frames that used the oversize seatstay cap - the 1986 Road Ace did as did the high end 1988 531 frames and I believe the Comp GS from the late 70s too. I am sure that as in many things Raleigh at the time further exceptions can be found. The Team Reps were built to a much higher standard than the Records/Rapides - later on the Competition was built to a similar standard to the Team Reps. I think the Team Reps were built in small batches - the catalogues always warned of a longer delivery time - I think they suggested 12-16 weeks for Team Reps which would be accounted for by being built in a different manner to the other Worksop frames. The late Raleigh Pros (77 onwards) and Carlton Pros in the UK also featured the oversize cap but I suspect they were built on the production line rather than small batch...
Hilary Stone, Bristol, British Isles
> Yikes, lots of typos in my previous attempt, i shouldn't watch tv and
> write messages at the same time, sorry ... try again ...
>
> =======
>
> Seat stays - what can go wrong ...
>
> I have a 1970 Raleigh Super Course. A crack began to travel from the
> oval cap-area of the seat stay itself, and luckily it stopped at the
> vent hole on the back / top of the seat stay. With oval seat stay
> inserts, it is imho easier for these cracks to form and travel.
>
> I have 3 x 1974 Raleigh Internationals and ALL had stress cracks in
> the paint forming ALL AROUND the oval inserts at the top of the seat
> stays. These inserts are not structural, so it was not a problem, but
> it scared one list member enough that he had stripped some paint and
> was about to have the cap welded, before realizing it was of no
> consequence.
>
> At Ilkeston Raleigh was trying to create distinctive frames. Recall
> that very early Team Pros have a raised ridge in the middle of normal
> seatstay caps, to make the bikes distinctive.
>
> The later oversized caps may still allow cracks to form in the paint
> of TI Raleigh Team Pros, but any cracks (from flexion) would occur on
> the UNDERSIDE of the seat stay caps - out of sight, out of mind.
>
> So I think Raleigh used these oversized caps for BOTH reasons.
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA