Straight from Wisconsin Craigslist ...
I just got a lagoon blue & white Raleigh Gran Prix 24 for my sons to try out. It's a little-known bike because whomever scanned the 1972 Raleigh Catalog failed to scan the page with this junior racing bike. Sheldon brown doesn't even cover these 'junior racing bikes' on the retro-raleighs website.
Filet brazed, vagner fork crown (no epaulets, an 60's fork crown) 24" steel rims (nutted), weinmann 500 brakes, junior steel cottered cranks (maybe Nicklin 150mm, i'll have to measure), and it even has the original brooks plastic saddle - UNPADDED ! No wonder they discontinued the bike in 1973, and offered a record 24 instead! Color is lagoon blue & white panels, just like the Carlton Pro of 1972. The seat tube has the giant heron bird, like a track pro.
One thing I never knew was there are "red accents" added to the grouppo! Perhaps this is Raleigh's first pantographed bike ?? The Chrome Raleigh 501 pedals have red on the dust caps and red on the rear pedal plates. The simplex prestige shifters have the side windows filled with red paint. The saddle clamp is also red, but I'm unsure if it's original or an after-market thing. And of course, red C-nuts on the wheels, and red C-nuts on the seat cluster and cotters.
The simplex prestige gears as expected. The rear was snapped off, replaced by SRAM, and the front had split in half, taking the shifter cage with it but leaving some delrin clamped to the tube!
I am going to put SX410 derailleurs on this bike. Does anyone know if SX410 came in a short-cage model? I have long-cage rear, and both front and rear are early 'starburst' logo'd SX410'd.
I might also upgrade the brakes to weinmann 610's if they can be made to fit the bike. I have some late 70's weinmann junior levers and Carlton hoods or soft white hoods that would improve upon the cheesy 3-speed lever bodies and weirdo curved road levers of this bike.
Can anyone suggest a source for these items?
1. Alloy 24" narrow rims 2. 24" gumwall tires.
Sources?
Also, are bikes like this still available (non-custom) ?? I've been telling my kids how rare and unusual this bike is, and I'd hate to be B.S.'ing them ...
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA, USA