Paint my ride

itboffin

I just can't make up my mind which colour to paint my 1980s Raleigh frame.

After a brief spell as a 7 speed tourer and then a couple of years and my single speed commuter I finally got around to stripping the frame.





Not only did I find the original shop decals but also what could be the original paint job, egg shell blue. At some point it had been painted yellow then red, I do like red and black, I also like the brushed metal look.

Damn it's so hard to choose, I'm planning a single speed with cross knobbly tyres for winter then 7 speed with slicks in the summer, both set up will be Campagnolo (silver).

Should I go with brushed steel or a gloss paint job?

Oh I've also fitted carbon forks & seat post

rolf_f

This perhaps: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/catalogs/1976/pages/07-76-gran-sport.html. Mind you, that ones a bit early and the 80s Gran Sports seem to be mainly an orangy metallic.

I'd go period - pale blue is a bit different these days. But I'd keep the original forks - I never find them a problem but then I'm not too fussed about the weight of my old bikes anyway.

fleshtuxedo

I believe it was called caramel.

This is it - I think it looks superb (more so on a better proportioned frame like yours)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97652170@N ... 352572797/

Squillinossett

Candy apple green?

itboffin

Hmmm I like that pale blue look, should look nice with the 2004 Centaur groupset

secretsam

ITB - hi there - the Gran Sport was Caramel or (if supplied with Tubs) in Raleigh's team colours (I'm sad enough to have an old brochure knocking around somewhere.

The caramel should be fine to do but the full team regalia might be a challenge, although Argos do have one on their site and it looks fab.

Is this a DIY job? If so, how are you doing it, as my aged 531 needs some TLC of the paint kind?

rolf_f

It might not be a Gran Sport - I was just guessing that it had the look of one. As I commonly talk cobblers, there is a strong possibility that I was talking cobblers here!

Incidentally, I note that it has the brake cable routed under the top tube. My RRA and the Gran Sports I have seen have the cable routed along the top. On the other hand, the Carlton Corsair I am doing up has the cable routed under the top tube. So, could it be a Carlton. The Corsair has a Suntour groupset branded Raleigh so, with the paint job lost, and stickered head badges, would look like a headbadgeless Raleigh. Forks are certainly different to the Carlton ones though.

itboffin

I'm not really sure which model it is but when I stripped the last owners hand paint job I found marks from "Dave Quinn" they used to badge their own Raleigh's I think, anyway I've own several old steel bikes now including a Mercian and this one defo feels special, it rides like it was made for me, it's so smooth I just can't bring myself to sell it, so a full modern rebuild is in order, well sort of modern.

This is going to be my winter sportive bike, my winter commuter is too heavy and harsh for 5-7 hours in the saddle.