Raleigh 1985
SBDU Team Panasonic

The Birth of the Specialist Bicycle Development Unit

The Carlton company had originally been acquired to furnish Raleigh with a small hand-building section. At the time of the Raleigh takeover Carlton were building 2500 machines a year, such was the popularity of Carlton cycles that by 1974 production had reached 2500 per week.

The bicycles were still hand built, but hand built in batches. Raleigh management decided something had to be done and Gerald O’Donovan; his family originally owned Carlton (and then worked for Raleigh), took over a small factory at Digby Street in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. In 1974 he created this new factory for making very small numbers of outstandingly high quality specialist frames and bicycles.  With only six specially selected expert frame builders from the Raleigh factory; these builders were also chosen for their inventive capability, as Gerald O’Donovan was very much focused on future innovative developments with his new unit.

During the first year (1975) the SBDU was producing about 30 frames a week, and was heavily involved in development work on the then new composite technologies and also components specification. It is estimated that the SBDU was building around a 1000 frames a year with four builders.

Av alla tävlingscyklar byggda i England är nog Raleigh’s cyklar byggda av deras Specialist Bicycle Development Unit i Ilkestone de mest berömda. Denna Raleig som om är producerad i Ilestone skall bli en kopia av de cyklar som Raleigh-Weinmann och Panasonic laget använde 1985.

Panasonic                                                                                              Raleigh-Weinmann

Ram / Gaffel: Raleigh SBDU i Reynolds 531 Pro                                Raleigh SBDU i Reynolds 531 Pro

Skick: Vita delen omlackad och nya dekaler                                      Vita delen omlackad och nya dekaler

Styrlager: Campa 4041 SR                                                                    Edco Competition

Styrtapp: Cinelli 1 Record                                                                    Cinelli 1 Record

Styre: Cinelli Giro de Italia                                                                    Cinelli Giro de Italia

Sadelstolpe: Campa 4051 SR                                                                Edco Competition

sadel: ISCA                                                                                              Selle Italia Turbo

Bromsar: Campa 4061 SR (v1)                                                               Weinmann Carerra 400

Fälgar: Mavic GP 4                                                                                  Mavic GP 4

Däck:

Nav: Campa 4014 SR                                                                              Edco Competition

Frihjul:

Bakväxel: Campa 4001 / SR 2:a gen                                                      Simplex Prestige 4000

Framväxel: Campa 1052 /SR                                                                  Simplex Prestige 422

Växelspakar:Campa 1013 / SR,                                                               Simplex PrestigeFladria

Vevparti: Campa 1049 /A Strada /SR 53-42                                            Edco Competition

Vevlager: Campa 4031 / SR 2:a gen. Solid Titanium axel                    Edco Competition

Pedaler: Campa 1037 SL / Record                                                         Mailard CXC 700
Vikt:

Utrustningen på cykelni i klassiskt Panasonic utförande är Campa. SR/ Cinelli / Mavic.
Nu har jag det på en del andra cyklar och tycker därför det vore roligare med en liten blandad mix. Det engelska Pro stallet Raleigh-Weinmann med bl.a Malcom Elliott i laget körde med lite annorlunda Mix. Därför kommer den att utrustas med Bl.a Edco / Simplex / Weinmann komponenter.

Raleigh-Weinmann

Ram  Raleigh SBDU i Reynolds 531 Pro

Skick: Vita delen omlackad och nya dekaler

Styrlager: Edco Competition

Styrtapp:   Cinelli 1 Record

Styre:  Cinelli Giro de Italia

Sadelstolpe:  Edco Competition

sadel:  Selle Italia Turbo

Bromsar: Weinmann Carerra 400

Fälgar:   Mavic GP 4

Däck:

Nav:   Edco Competition

Frihjul:

Bakväxel:   Simplex Prestige 4000

Framväxel:  Simplex Prestige 422

Växelspakar:  Simplex Prestige Fladria

Vevparti:  Edco Competition

Vevlager:  Edco Competition

Pedaler: Mailard CXC 700
Vikt: