Re: [CR] Bill Koonce's plated Raleigh Gran Prix...

(Example: Framebuilders:Rene Herse)

Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:26:26 -0400
From: Marcus Coles <marcoles@ody.ca>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
References: <670349845.2241041276517818235.JavaMail.root@sz0035a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net>
In-Reply-To: <670349845.2241041276517818235.JavaMail.root@sz0035a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Bill Koonce's plated Raleigh Gran Prix...


On 14/06/10 08:16 AM, billydavid13@comcast.net wrote:
> Hi Harvey. I have a classic GP in my "collection" i.e. in a garbage bag under my back porch, which has English 1.37" x 24tpi threads. And i recently came across a Super Course [w/ the beautiful oval head badge] which had Raleigh 1.37" x 26tpi threads. Who knew? I think Sheldon suggests it's possible to "retap" a Raleigh threaded bb to English - same diameter, you're just kind of mashing/moving threads around. I actually tried this on a Sprite but never got around to building it. I'll dig it up sometime soon and report back. Typically a lot of the 26tpi bb shells are wider than the 68mm English shells, 71 or even 73mm, which complicates things. Personally i've never seen a GP w/ chrome beyond the bottom half of the fork blades. And of course both left and right cups on the GP are typically 26tpi w/ the right [fixed cup] being left hand thread. Salutations. I know you know that. Billy [fan of the low end bikes] Ketchum; Chicago, IL; USA
>

A few years ago I upgraded a 1968 Worksop made, Raleigh Grand Prix to a Sugino Maxy crank, it too had 24tpi BB cups, a pleasant surprise. I don't know if this was the standard BB thread was for Worksop produced bikes or just the luck of the draw. I believe all Grand Prix were produced at the Carlton factory until somewhere around 1970, when production was also added at the main Nottingham works and then later as the "bike boom" boomed to plants in the Netherlands, Ireland and in 1973? Canada. I have been told the Dutch and Irish production were 26tpi.

All Canadian made Raleigh Grand Prix I have encountered were BSC rather than "Raleigh thread", but I have no idea if they were all that way. Canadian made Grand Prix bikes have a Raleigh "Nottingham" headbadge, but a "Made in Canada" sticker on the bottom of the seat tube. Classic style GP's were produced in Canada at least until 1979 and they may have lingered on further than that.

Maybe the under the back porch Raleigh hopped the border from Canada.

Another thought, did the threading change when the Japanese made cranks were adopted in 1976?

Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada.