Raleigh Panasonic Team Replica 12 restoration
24/10/2020
After expanding my search radius, I also found a Team Replica 12 on Craigslist, but this one was in Sandy Hook, New Jersey and had very few original parts. In fact, as the seller remarked in the description, it was now a “mutant road bike” and had big, wide cruiser-style handlebars. The asking price was $625. I contacted the seller and asked him to take a few additional photographs, which he kindly did. To be honest, I hadn’t expected to find myself with two frame possibilities after only a couple of weeks of looking. Mr Robinson had quoted me $166 for shipping and said he would sell me his, but hoped I would leave it exactly as it was. A couple of things were weighing on my mind, the biggest of which was the frame sizes.
The Sandy Hook frame was 56cm and the La Brea frame was 59cm and while that doesn’t sound like a big difference, if I was going to a) spend this much and b) do this thing exactly the way I wanted, then I wanted to have it set up with smaller frame and a raised seat post, to create a more aerodynamic racing position. Just look at all the bikes in the Tour de France, granted all the bikes are now carbon fiber, but the frames are all as small as possible to eliminate drag. Plus it looks way more cool. Yes, the La Brea bike had all the original components, but I would probably sell them to recoup some of the money spent because I wanted “brand new old stock” as it’s called. So it was $691 for La Brea, or potentially $685 for Sandy Hook, if I couldn’t barter him down a bit.
The 56cm 531c Team Replica 12 bike on sale in Sandy Hook, New Jersey
In a vain effort to gain some insight, I visited the only bike shop local to the area where I live, Grove Street Bicycles. My intention was sit on a few different sized frames and get an idea of what 56cm and a 59cm frame would feel like. To be perfectly honest, I’ve had issues with this bike store in the past. When I brought my Montague mountain bike over from England I had them service it they didn’t even notice that a couple of teeth had been broken off the chain ring in transit. All in all, it wasn’t quite the quality of inspection I’d hoped for. Then, not too long ago, I took my beloved bicycle in for a bit more work only to find upon collection that not everything had been done. Yes, I know they’re very busy right now…and stock is in short supply. But somehow, when I inquired, they suddenly seemed to be able to find parts that would fit and completed an improvised solution while I waited (I was only supposed to be collecting it). Plus of course, they only stock one brand of bikes and accessories (Giant), so if you need something made by a different manufacturer, you could be out of luck. In short, the service in the shop is usually really good – but the mechanics at the back often seem half-hearted about their work.
Sadly however, this is the only bike shop within a reasonable distance, so it’s this place…or a train ride. I spoke to one of the guys there and told him the whole story so far and wouldn’t you know it, he was desperately trying to convince me to complete the restoration and then just hang it on a wall, worship it like a two-wheeled totem, or something, but certainly never, ever use it. Then he tried to sell me a Giant road bike.
The serial number is quite weathered, but looks like WA4 then 01646
I asked my neighbour to drive me down to Sandy Hook to have a look at the bicycle. This is a part of New Jersey I’d never been to before, so it was a fun day out. Mr Robinson, coincidentally, had sent me an email that very same morning asking me what my intentions were…and honestly, I hadn’t made up my mind. I know he had kindly already boxed it up for me, but I also owed it to myself to check out this other frame. I had $92 in cash already on me, so we stopped on the way and I optimistically only took out another $500. We met Alistair – for t’was the gentleman’s name – and he turned out to be Irish, so it was nice to meet and talk to someone from near home. He’d actually been living in the US since the 80s.
The big test was the frame size. I sat on Alistair’s bike…and the size was perfect. I didn’t even bother to go for a ride on it. Now came the bartering. I asked if he would take $500 and he said he’d turned down $585. I offered him $600…and he agreed. Except of course, I was $8 short, but he didn’t seem to mind. It actually had a pretty decent Shimano rear derailleur and brake calipers, plus Campagnolo front derailleur, headset and chainset, so hopefully I might be able to sell those and get a few bucks back. Total cost so far $1063.71
