I’ve been collecting a few items for this build since getting my hands on the frame in December last year. It’s been a bit of a stretch as Christmas has drained funds, but I now think I’ve got all the components needed to get this built. I’m not putting myself through the ordeal of going for a period correct team build. Instead, I’m going for all the things that I love in bikes and bike components. This means I will actually come close to team spec, but retain some freedom to tailor the build for the parts that I like and the overall look that I prefer.
SB8868 is a 1988 753R frame so Dura-Ace 7400 series was the only way I thought I could go with the build. The other option was Campagnolo C-Record, which was used by the team in 1989, but the build year of this frame and the fact that I’ve been looking for so long for an opportunity to do a Dura-Ace build means that there weren’t many sleepless nights debating the parts list!
I have a 7400/7402 group ready and waiting. I’ve been building with this Dura-Ace series since it was launched in the 1980s. The group I have is 8 speed with 7402 down tube gear levers, I prefer these to the slightly later STI lever. The 7402 levers were combined with the 7402 rear derailleur and 7402 rear hub, under the name of “Integrated 8 SIS”.
I’ve had to find a couple of Dura-Ace parts to complete the group. Up first was a Dura-Ace seat pin. There are a few of these available, but my frame is the thinner/lighter gauge of 753R which requires the harder to find 27.4 mm seat pin, but after a search, I tracked one down. Before I could source some pedals, I had to decide what to use, the 7400 clips and straps or 7401 clipless pedal? I finally decided to go clipless, and secured some PD-7401 pedals. During my search I noticed lots of these pedals had suffered a hard life, but the pair I have are ok, not perfect, but definately ok for this build. Everything about this build is ‘used’, so I’m not being hyper critical, and not looking for pristine condition.
One thing I have noticed in the few weeks that I’ve been researching this build is that there isn’t much original literature available for the Raleigh Banana team. There aren’t many original SB numbered bikes to look at either. I’ve seen a couple of restored bikes, and I look at them for reference, but I always like to research an original bike rather than a restored build, no matter how well they have been done.
There are some original Raleigh Banana team images available, but not many, and not many of these are detailed. In fact, there are so few, I couldn’t even find any that were high enough resolution to use in this blog post. The images I have found show various finishing options. All of these options fit in with the parts that I prefer to use. There are different colour Turbo saddles, different Cinelli stems, different bottle cages and different colour bar tape.
I’m pleased they spec’d Turbo saddles on these bikes as I prefer them over other period options, so I’ve gone for black; I’m just not a yellow saddle person! For a 1988 build I’ve seen both black and silver Cinelli stems; they were either Cinelli XA or 1R but I haven’t been able to make out the clamp detail on the images so I’m not 100% sure. However, I prefer the XA model so I’m using a black XA stem (too match the black saddle) and I’ll use a yellow XA insert in the stem, so the black and yellow stem will match the black and yellow frame colour. I’ve got some single groove 64-42 Cinelli bars which will fit the concealed cables of the 7402 Dura-Ace brake levers.
All the options for bar tape I’ve seen are black, yellow or yellow fading to white – but what I prefer is full white – so at the moment the plan is to fit white Ambrosio bike ribbon with black cables. That may change to yellow before the bike is built, I’m still pondering!
If I can, I prefer to use Vittoria tyres. I remember using Vittoria Flash M Kevlar tyres when they first came out and have used Vittoria whenever I could since then. I recently fitted some Vittoria Corsa G+ 23 mm tyres to SB3800 and like them so I’ve gone for the same on this build.
But before any parts touch this frame, I’ve had to do a little bit of work to the frame transfers. The paint is in excellent condition but some of the transfers had a few marks that I could easily remedy by fitting replacements. The stripes on the seat stays were not correct and all the ‘Banana’ transfers had been removed so I decided to fit a complete new set. The Reynolds 753R frame transfer has a few marks but this is staying in place; it is original and replacements are just not the same. Before I remove any transfers from a frame, I always take measurements so that the replacements can go back in the same place.
After some heat from a hair dryer, all the old transfers were off and the frame was masked up to repair some paint that was damaged or revealed when the transfers came off.
The frame came without the SBDU frame transfer so I have fitted a replacement. The different Raleigh Team colour schemes have placed the SBDU transfer(s) in different locations, and the Banana scheme places the SBDU transfer just below the point of the bottom head lug so that the transfer sits between the lug and the gear levers. This SBDU transfer does not have “Ilkeston” in the red band, to denote that this is a Nottingham built frame.
The frame also came with no “Banana” transfers; strange for a Banana frame – so I’ve re-fitted them to the fork blade and seat stay and fitted new “Banana The Energy Snack” top tube transfers after removing the “Dura-Ace” vinyl transfers that the frame came with.
After some paint and new transfers, the frame was looking much better.
These transfers need a covering of clear coat to help protect them, and that was the last bit of frame prep I needed to do. A couple of thin layers is all that is required, and the frame was done! All the correct frame transfers all in the correct locations, finished with a thin smooth covering of clear coat.
I’m really looking forward to seeing this bike built! I’ll blog the final build as soon as I can!
Full Specification of My Build
Frame Reynolds 753R SDC (0.7/0.4 Seat Tube) Forks Reynolds 753R with Cinelli SCA Fork Crown Rear Mech Dura-Ace 7402 8 Speed Rear Hub Dura-Ace 7402 8 Speed Uni Glide 36 Hole Gear Levers Dura-Ace 7402 8 Speed Front Mech Dura-Ace 7400 Braze On Fitting Front Hub Dura-Ace 7400 36 Hole Headset Dura-Ace 7400 Bottom Bracket Dura-Ace 7400 Chainset Dura-Ace 7402 170mm 39-52 Pedals Dura-Ace 7401 Brake Levers Dura-Ace 7402 Calipers Dura-Ace 7402 Single Pivot SLR Seat Pin Dura-Ace 7400-A 27.4 Chain Dura-Ace 7400 UG Cassette Dura-Ace 7400 8 Speed UG 13-26 Saddle Selle Italia Turbo (New Production) Handlebars Cinelli Giro D'Italia 64-42 Stem Cinelli XA 100mm Bar Tape Ambrosio Bike Ribbon Rims Campagnolo Omega 36 Hole Spokes DT Competition Stainless DB Tyres Vittoria Corsa G+
