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Retro Raleighs/The RRA
Original article: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/rra.html on sheldonbrown.com
- Reproduced with the permission of John Allen and Harriet Fell — all rights reserved. The version on sheldonbrown.com is authoritative.
- Mirrored: 2026-10-07 · Last update of the original: see original
The Raleigh RRA (Raleigh Record Ace)
1930's RRA
This is the Raleigh Record Ace at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The serial number is: AD 94979. It is a 3 spd, with Strumey-Archer shifter marked "Trigger Control" with Patent Applied For stamped on the shifter as well. No window or indicator of any kind on shifter body. The front hub is a DynoHub and is stamped with "MK II". The rear hub is stamped "Sturmey Archer AW-9". The bike is equipped with Bluemels "Noweight" mudguards, the rear one is in pretty sad shape (unfortunate because it has a lovely Raleigh logo decal on it). The headlamp is marked DynoHub and has two bulbs, with a rotary switch for dim, bright, off, etc.
White 1973 RRAs
A3963 and G8721 serial numbers.
- The revived RRA was available in 1973 only, although the name gets recycled.
- Overall white with mustard yellow headtube and 5 1-inch wide bands on seattube, black pinstriping outlining head lugs, seat cluster lug, and fork crown.
- Slanted block lettering "RALEIGH" on downtube and chainstays, "RRA" on toptube.
- Letters are gold with black line centers.
- Reynolds 531 butted throughout, sticker at top of downtube and on each fork blade.
- Carlton "triangular" sticker at bottom of seattube.
- Nervex lugs.
- Conventional flat fork crown, triangular epaulets on top (as on International), with 2-inch long stiffening tangs on inside face of fork blades.
- Flat seat stay caps, stays reinforced at brake bridge.
- Chainstays dimpled at BB, both sides on right stay, inside of left stay. 1 brazed on cable guide/stop for rear der cable on top of right stay.
- "CC" cutout in bottom bracket.
- Campy dropouts without eyelets; rears are vertical.
- Top tube clamps for rear brake cable.
- Stronglight 93 crankset & BB, 52 & 42T ring, 170 mm arms.
- Stronglight headset.
- Simplex Super LJ alloy derailers & shifters (very good alloy ones, no plastic).
- Drop parallelogram rear.
- Simplex downtube shifters, steel with black plastic lever tips.
- Simplex steel & black plastic downtube/BB shift cable guide clamp. Clamp can handle bare cable or cable housing.
- Simplex seatpost with a "Simplex" badge rivet on at top, brass lettering on a blue background.
- Weinmann 500 sidepull brakes. Perforated brake levers with quick release mechanism (as on International).
- Black or white plastic hoods with
- "Carlton" in molding.
- Regina 6 spd freewheel.
- Maillard 700 high flange hubs.
- AVA or Mavic tubular rims.
- Atom pedals.
- TTT record stem, probably both recessed allen on clamp and expander hardware.
- GB engraved bars, 38cm.
- Brooks B-17 saddle.
- Notes: The early Simplex Super LJ front derailers used on this bike had a built-in cable housing stop at the clamp hinge, and the cable was routed through the clamp hinge.
- "Simplex" on front arm was black lettering on a gold background. "S" star stamped/cast on cage and clamp arm. Cage was chromed, and front edge of outer cage was flat. Cable clamp and throw arm were on the front of the derailer.
- Newer versions lacked the cable housing stop.
- The throw arm and cable clamp were on the rear of the derailer.
- "Simplex" on front arm was black lettering on a silver background.
- "S" star appeared only on the clamp, not on the cage. The front edge of the cage was rounded over and has a stainless steel appearance, not chromed.
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Sorry, I can't recall who sent this to me...
