In it's day, the Super Course was an entry-level racing or touring bike aimed at the serious cyclist on a budget. It was the least expensive model in Raleigh's bike boom lineup to feature an aluminum alloy wheelset, and the main triangle of the frame is constructed of straight-gauge Reynolds 531 steel. Adjusted for inflation, the bike sold for about $850 when new.
Determining the age of my Super Course was not quite as simple as referencing a serial number/production year list. As it happens, the serial on my bicycle's rear dropout does not follow with the numbering convention supposedly used by Raleigh in the 1970s.
However, thanks to Kurt Kramer's excellent site, I learned that the italicized "Raleigh" logo on my bike's downtube was first introduced in 1973. Further, vintage Raleigh sales catalogs indicate that 1973 was the last year the Super Course sported a cottered crankset and the only year So there we have it.
As with just about any older bike, I can expect to run into some compatibility issues should I ever try to replace or upgrade the bike's major components. Fortunately, however, my bike appears to be in pretty good shape except for the expected paint wear/chipping and some surface rust on the chromed steel parts.
In fact, the bike was ridden so little that it even came with its original handlebar wrap. This will be removed and replaced with shellacked cloth bar tape.
The bike also came with its original Brooks Champion Narrow B17 saddle. The saddle is, for the time being, hard as a rock, but there is absolutely no cracking. Not too shabby for a 39-year-old piece of leather!
So there we have it; I can't wait until my first ride!
Go to Part 2
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