Late 1970s Raleigh Super Course

[Ed Monton]

I have a 1978 (or perhaps 1979) Raleigh Super Course which has been sitting idle in storage for about 20 years.
I am too old to ride it and the area where I live is much too dangerous to ride a bike, even on the sidewalk. I see no hint that there will be any improvement in the attitude towards cyclists in my town in my lifetime.
My Carlton Super Course is exactly like the one in the Raleigh 1978 catalog except that mine is gold-coloured not red. Also, I upgraded the saddle to a Brooks Professional and added a light weight carrier. I think I may still have the original reflector.
To restore it to "original it would need new tires and new tape on the handlebars.
I used it for about 10 years to cycle around the University campus and environs.
It's a nice bike.
Does it have any value, or should I send it to scrap? I do not see myself ever riding it again.

 

[Steve_A]

Ed, It has some value for someone, it's just a matter of finding that someone. I'm not saying you'll get a lot of money for it, but you're ahead of game in not expecting much, right? Just from reading this very forum, it seems that there's a lot of interest in restoring and riding classic older bikes. I'm no historian, but I think that yours might have some kind of a good rep. I'd suggest eBay, or possibly the Classified section of this forum (I'm new here too, so I'm not too familiar with how that works). By all means don't put it in the trash! There are programs to donate bikes for needy people in other countries, maybe even youth racing teams. If all else fails, maybe a local bike shop would be interested in a donation. Related note: I had a Mercier road bike from the 60s-70s, which I sold to a former racer who owns a few restaurants, and sponsors a racing team in Washington DC. My bike is (as far as I know) still hanging over the bar at Coppi's in Washington DC. I miss the bike, but it's cool to think of where it ended up.

 

[Ed Monton]

Thanks Steve:
I do not plan to retire on the proceeds. Is it good enough to hang on to? Condition is very good except for a little surface rust on one front fork - no good keeping something if it is not one of the models that is of interest to collectors or retro types.
Further exploring on my part. It is a 1978 that I bought in spring of 1979. I may be able to find the invoice and the instructions - I saw them recently but I do not remember if I kept them or tossed them out since I have just moved to a much smaller place. Cannot keep everything.

Ed M.

 

[Steve_A]

I'll have to leave it to someone more expert in cycling history to see whether this is a desirable collectible bicycle. With this forum and other internet resources, you should be able to find out.

 

[kdelong]

This link will give you a lot of information about Raleighs in General. There is even a good bit about the Super Course. Retro Raleighs I own a couple of Raleighs, including a 1984 American Raleigh Super Course which hasattained Museum Status in my modest 6 bike collection, ie. I don't ride it because vintage spare parts for it are too scarce and outrageously expensive.

As far as your bike is concerned, it is a mass produced mid-range priced bike and as such is less collectible than the higher end bikes like the International or Professional. It does have a Carleton frame though, which improves its collectibilty a little. Carleton frames were valued for their overall superior quality and appearance. You may find a collector who wants it for an easy restore, and I am sure that there is someone out there who would snap it up to use it for a fixie conversion (which would really be a shame if it is in the good original condition that you say it is). If I were you, I would put it on eBay with a $50.00 reserve and see what offers you get.