Well for anyone that was interested in my Raleigh 753 rsp for sale…

Turns out that I had something different in my possession and didn’t realise…

Firstly I owe the sincerest of thanks to Matt_Wood off of retrobike who turned up this evening to potentially buy my bike… you have actually just returned a little bit of my faith in people with that gesture of honesty and kindness…

I let Matt take it for a test spin and he had a good look at the bike whilst I left him to it… he realised I didn’t know what I had in my possession and rather than rip me off and make a profit chose to show me.

It appears I was a bit oblivious to the fact I own a Raleigh Castorama which was frame number 1 for team rider Laurent Fignon in 1990. A tour rider who actually won the tour in 1983 and 1984. He sadly died of cancer in June 2009.

Kind of gob smacked! Apparently not the original paint job either.

Funnily enough had I listened better at a point in time when this was passed on to me I might have known more about it.

I bought this off an old school friend who’s father had owned it. I’d done his dad a few favours in the past and as he’d hung up his riding boots (the father) due to being knocked off of his time trial bike he sold/practically gave this to me. I seem to remember my friend saying something about it being a tour bike… but thought he meant some sort of tour replica…. not that it had actually been round the tour!

Anyway. Photos of the frame serial number and campag lugs etc below.

I’m interested in knowing more about the history of these… and also an indication of what it might be worth to the right buyer?

I might ebay it but I’m also considering keeping it now as it’s got historic value. Any information and advice would be greatly appreciated

More pics below on link

http://www.pinkbike.com/u/chilled76/album/Classic-Raleigh-for-sale/

Now that is special. Keep it, at least for a while.

Wow.

You are so lucky to own that.
How about a resto?

Resto?

In all honesty I’m thinking it needs to go to an owner who will appreciate it.

Wow. Nice of him to explain.

Wow that’s absolutely brilliant! That bike is priceless, don’t sell it! I bet L’Equipe would do a double page spread on you and that bike. Contact cycling weekly, I bet they’d be interested.

L’Equipe?

I’m not into road bikes at all… would be mad.

Hilarious that I couldn’t get anyone to caugh up more than £300 for it last week. Blessing in disguise.

Jeez don’t restore it.

Get it in an article in a magazine, then flog it!

Fignon is(was) a cult hero, especially in France. He was still involved with the Tour and French TV right up to the year he died. His biography (translated in to English) is supposed to be a good read, it’s on my list to read.

Not in any way a criticism, or an attempt to deflate your enthusiasm, but pictures of Laurent Fignon in 1990 seem to suggest a bike with a taller headtube, and with a different version of Campagnolo groupset.

This in no way detracts from the frame itself, but does suggest that it might not be an actual Fignon frame, and has had a different groupset added later.

The frame number suggests that I might be wrong, but is certainly worth more investigation.

Anatomy of a Photo: 1990 Paris-Roubaix

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/laurent-fignon-remembered/138375

http://photos.grahamwatson.com/Print-Gallery/Laurent-Fignon/15291599_cjFzpP/1405024470_3NqWVjb#!i=1405024470&k=3NqWVjb

The combination of Campag Delta brakes and Campag Ergo levers also suggests some mismatching…

he’s a better man than me,..if i had that knowledge I’d have brought it off you as sold… just the way i am… skint!!

intrigued that he didn’t offer you something for it, or is he going away to mull it over?

maybe auction would be an idea in France?

Money is not evey thing keep and enjoy , but do use it ( bikes are for riding)
But please put some cable straw under the bb shell

He was buying it for a mate as a starter bike, then he had a turn of conscience I believe and had to tell me. I gave him a couple of beers, but I just can’t believe it!

Has seriously restored my faith in people.

As for the groupset, I think it is much newer isn’t it than 1990 campag? Clearly added later.

It’s deffo a team bike, the detailing on the lugs and rider tag etc make it obvious apparently.

Who is that beside Fignon in the first of Crikeys pics?
He is probably the coolest dude I’ve ever seen in my life 8)

That’s an excellent story on all fronts, cheers!

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-637871.html

More chat about frame numbers here..

The bike Fignon would have ridden at Roubaix and the bike he would have ridden at the Tour would probably have been completely different bikes. Less need for aero brakes on the Roubaix, less need for a taller head tube on the Tour.

Urs Freuler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urs_Freuler

Swiss SPOTY in 82 and 83!

The bike Fignon would have ridden at Roubaix and the bike he would have ridden at the Tour would probably have been completely different bikes. Less need for aero brakes on the Roubaix, less need for a taller head tube on the Tour.

The brakes were provided by the company in a sponsorship deal; you don’t get to pick and choose.

Frame size is/was like shoe size; you don’t change it.

Tour 1990:

how tall was fignon, looks my size?

A quick read through crikey’s link confirms that SB serial numbers were for pro team issue frames. Combined with the 90.1.LF the evidence builds up.

5′ 11″ and a half, apparently.

i think they were made by Cyfac in France . they are still building frames .

contact them and they will tell you if it is one of theirs and if it is genuine .

Any ideas what I should ask for £?

if it is a genuine Fignon bike , you are looking at a few thousands .

stick it on ebay with international postage .

You need to get one of the Veteran Cycle Club Raleigh marque experts to take a look. Sadly I am a member and can pass you contact details next week when I am back from cycling if you want.

i think they were made by Cyfac in France . they are still building frames .

contact them and they will tell you if it is one of theirs and if it is genuine .

I think it is a Raleigh frame built in Ilkeston in the UK,judging by the serial number.

One thing which does ring true is the race number braze on under the top tube….

Don’t sell it.
Give it a proper restoration and ride it.
A bike like that needs to be ridden

William Fotheringham translated his biog – probably a good place to start for some validation.

I’ve tweeted this link to him.

No the guy Matt (an enthusiast) came looking at it expecting an Ilkeston built special products Raleigh, he owns a Castarama and has had a few of the Ilkeston RSP frames already himself and spotted the differences on the frame welds immediately, quite different apparently to the Ilkeston built ones… hence he then flipped it over to look at the serial numbers.

I need to get in contact with my mates dad and find out where it came from. As I say, I vaguely remember him banging on about it’s tour history when he sold it me and not really paying attention to what he was saying.

To be honest if it needs to be ridden… selling it is the best thing. I’ve used it less than 10 times in 4 years!

David B… would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

You’ll never get another bike like that. Use it and cherish it.

This is the thing though, I was selling it because I don’t ride road and have used it 10 times or so in 4 years.

Might hang it on the wall in the lounge though 🙂

Ride it? Why would you ride it? You can buy a similr bike for £300 and ride that! If this is fignon’s bike then it is to be cherished as a piece of memorabilia, not put at risk on the road.

get some disc brake mounts welded on it and maybe open the stays a bit and take it cyclocrossing!

What a cool story.

OP – I like the fact that you’re being honest about not appreciating the significance of the bike. There’s probably a really passionate fan out there who’d be delighted to get their hands on it.

Just a thought – if you do end up getting a big pile of cash for it, it might be cool if some of it went to a cancer charity or a cycling charity.

I think it should be restored to ‘period correctness’ and used sparingly, like an old Ferrari.

I hope the bloke you bought it from can fill in some of its history – keep us posted.

One question nobody has asked: how does it feel to ride?