A MAVIC Build Update – SB7393 Raleigh SBDU Ilkeston 1985 Reynolds 531 Professional

SB7393 is a 1985 Reynolds 531 Professional SBDU bike that I picked up last year. Since then I’ve slowly been putting together the missing pieces of the MAVIC puzzle to get this striking red and anthracite coloured Ilkeston bike back on the road.

I’m never in any hurry to complete a build. Building bikes is great but building bikes causes me a few headaches due to storage. So I keep the headaches at bay and more importantly, keep Karen happy, by storing everything as frames for as long as possible while slowly searching for the bits and pieces that I need. SB7393 came with a mix of MAVIC and Campagnolo and a small amount of Simplex. But the MAVIC components dominated the bike so I decided to try and seek out the missing parts to complete a full setup.

Building bikes can be expensive, and that is another great reason to keep things as frames! However, there is always an opportunity to mix parts across other builds or to trade and buy and sell with parts you have available. Most of the Campagnolo parts on SB7393 will be sold to finance the replacement MAVIC items. I’m going for a very light preservation on this bike while updating some components. I’m not going for ‘pristine’. I want replacement parts but they should fit in with the look of the bike. The look is ‘used’. I want everything to function but I don’t want to alter how this bike looks; it came to me as a good used bike and I want it to still be a good used bike.

The pedals and going to the parts bin. The salt has taken hold on the aluminium and is causing it to corrode. I like everything about these MAVIC 640 pedals including the styling and bearings, but they are splitting so I’m replacing them. If I can find replacement parts in the future then I’ll certainly re-use them on another build.

I’m replacing them with a clipless MAVIC (LOOK Patent) pedal. The MAVIC 645 LS is a MAVIC branded version of the LOOK Competition PP75.

The Campagnolo Record Brakes (levers and calipers) are going. They are in working order but don’t fit with the MAVIC build. I was told that it was originally fitted with a MAVIC rear derailleur so the Simplex SLJ 5500 rear derailleur is another part that is going to fund a replacement.

I’ve already sourced some replacement calipers. These are MAVIC 410/420? (Quite sure they are 420). All I need are some contemporary levers.

I re-used the Campagnolo Record headset on another frame in the collection. I already have the replacement, a MAVIC 305.

The MAVIC 510 hubs are definately staying. They are so simple but work so well. All I’m doing is updating the MA40 rims. In keeping with the preservation I’m doing, I’m replacing with some used but updated MA40s. The replacements are not as bad as the originals.

Also staying is the MAVIC 810 front derailleur and Simplex SLJ gear levers.

And one other item definately staying is the MAVIC 630 chainset; a lovely classic looking item. I need to find another bottom bracket after the previous item required a drill and hacksaw to remove.

I’ve never had a MAVIC equipped bike. SB7393 is part of my plan to not focus on Campagnolo equipped SBDU builds. For now the slow search for the final pieces continues. On my list is a later version MAVIC 801 rear derailleur and some form of brake lever, maybe the 410/420.

I really can’t wait to build this stunning frame but I also have lots of patience – so it won’t get built until everything is ready.

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