Kevin J’s Raleigh USA Super Course

Posted

Ok, so I’ve already awarded George’s GS the “nicest of the week” award, so in fairness, Kevin J’s Raleigh Super Course deserves some distinction.  I suppose this is the “most unique Raleigh of the week”.  Aluminum tubing bonded to steel lugs will certainly help earn such a distinction.  I’m sure there is a story of catastrophic failure or some other ve(lo(re)) attributed to this frame, perhaps one of you Nottingheads can fill us in.

Raleigh Super Course

Raleigh Super CourseOriginal replacement steel fork.Svelte new crabon fibre fork with a 1Super Course, Super Dusty.

For your consideration is a late 1980’s Raleigh USA Super Course. I found it in the basement of Reverend Johnston Bike shop in Bowerston, Oh. He has no apparition of old ten speeds and gave it to me. It is a combination of Chrome Moly and Aluminum bonded together. The original fork had been replace with chrome Tange fork that looked totally out of place. I replace the fork with a threaded carbon fiber fork. Now it spans three generations of bicycle manufacture. Steel, Aluminum and Carbon fiber. Most parts are original except for the headset, and a NOS set of brakes.

Thanks

Kevin J

Scio Ohio

PS. Should add that Reverend Johnson is a really wonderful guy who loves old bikes and restores old old Schwins and also referusih bikes a gives them to local Kids.
Thanks Kevin

Thanks Kevin

Related posts:

  1. John K’s Green ’72 and Orange ’73 Schwinn Super Sports
  2. Jeff V’s Raleigh Grand Prix
  3. David W’s 1980 Carlton Super Course
  4. Jason’s Dawes Galaxy
  5. Paul H’s 1974 Windsor Carrera Sport
  • http://hughsbicycle.blogspot.com sprocket56

    Very cool. I noticed the frame construction of the two different metals described as bonded.That makes sense, I think because bonded implies that the two metals never make direct contact.I had a wheel set that had steel spokes and an aluminum rim. And each spoke nipple had a rubber o-ring that prevented these two metals from coming into contact. What I don`t know is why this is? I`m guessing someone out there in old ten speed land can tell me though.

  • Mark D.

    Been lurking some time; first post. Love the OTSG. Kevin, nice bike, nice story. You might find this recent (ended) ebay listing interesting:

    (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330364717046&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

    Same bike, $299 price tag. I recently picked one up myself (local Craigslist). When I take some pictures, I’ll post them to the gallery.

    Have heard rumors of frame failures, since this was an early experiment in aluminum/steel frame building, but I’m hoping that they are only rumors or that any frames that were going to fail have already done so. My looks fine, anyway. I think this bike might date from 1987, but I’m not sure.

    As for the separating of the two metals, I’m not sure. I know that some metals can react with each other, but I assumed these frames were epoxyed together because they could not be brazed like steel.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing. Ride on.

    Mark D.