Raleigh Team Banana

dgibby
dgibby Posts: 662
edited June 2007 in Road beginners
Found an old Raleigh team Banana bike in my dad's shed. Think it's late 1980's and not been used since but has been kept in good storage. Anyone got one of these still? Don't need another bike but have been thinking it could be brought back to life with all of my not being used SORA/TIAGRA bits that I have lying around in my garage and use it for a "hack" bike. Would like to know if anyone has such a bike in use. If I remember right, I did a Duathlon a while back and someone was competing on one but I didn't get a chance to have a proper look...

Comments

  • hot rod
    hot rod Posts: 412
    i got a team banana falcon
    thinking of making it my single speed commute bike
    might be worth putting this in Special interests
    http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9651/imgp0156es9.jpg
  • Phil Russell
    Phil Russell Posts: 1,736
    My son had a Raleigh banana bike but it may not be the same as yours ... this was a black frame (nothing fancy) with some yellow on it. Standard 10 (or 12?) spd downtube shift gears, 700C wheels with very narrow tyres (19mm?)and standard side pull brakes by Wenmann(I think).
    It did him well.
    I think there was a true team replica in 531 db tubing ... my son's was not that one.
    Cheers, Phil
  • alecstilleyedye
    alecstilleyedye Posts: 1,170
    recently did up a reynolds 531 frame with bits left over from upgraded other bike. really nice ride, if you can get yours up and running do so, it'll be worth it.

    if i had a better signature, i'd use that instead
    riding on my bicycle, i saw a motorcrash…
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    kncok it into a single speed - how big are the dropouts?
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  • dgibby
    dgibby Posts: 662
    Thanks for the replies chaps. Phil R - sounds just like the one in my dad's shed. Had a look at ebay earlier and found this
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=012
    This is what it looks like (though not as shiny and clean)
    Will have to check the frame when I see it next but if I remember right it was bought from Halfords (though about œ180 which with inflation would be a fortune now?!) so can't be a 531 right? Or can it? Hmmmmm - making it a fixed could be fun! Join the dark side!?
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    Does it have "18-23 Controlled Carbon Steel Tubing" on the frame ? If so it's the lower end of the two Banana bikes.

    I wouldn't bother changing the gears if the original stuff works ok. Looking at your location I wouldn't change it to single speed either [;)]

    Danger ! Men at work
  • AlbionLass
    AlbionLass Posts: 3
    That photo is going to give me nitemares, brought back a long supressed memory of having a job lot of about 3 dozen of those, all 25" frames come into the shop where I worked and having to set them up one afternoon. *shudder*

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