I've just bought a 2nd hand Raleigh RSP Titanium frame (with carbon fork). Not really a touring bike I know but I plan to use it for some day rides next summer.
I plan to fit it out with some Shimano 105 parts that I have - STI shifters, brake calipers, rear & front derailleur. Chainset will be a compact FSA with 34 / 50T rings (I may reduce the outer to 46T later?), with a 12-30 10 speed cassette.
The frame seems pretty lightweight, no idea on stiffness yet but the geometry seems quite sporty - short chain stays etc.
No room for standard type mudguards though - not really needed for summer I suppose.
I can't find much about these frames on line - only that they were made of Titanium from Mig fighter aircraft and were welded in Siberia (well Nottingham anyway). Has anyone got any info about these frames?
Any tips on caring for the Ti frame?
I read somewhere that scratches can be rubbed out with a brillo pad? Will this work / damage the surface?
Raleigh RSP Ti
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
pickerd1 wrote:Any tips on caring for the Ti frame?
I read somewhere that scratches can be rubbed out with a brillo pad? Will this work / damage the surface?
Clean with water & soap.
If the frame is blasted (which it likely is) the scratches cannot be rubbed out, only brushed can be rubbed.
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
I have always assumed these were made with the CP2 (commercially pure) titanium that 'sister' company Reynolds was marketing at the time.
I should coco.
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Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
A non woven abrasive like 3M scotchbrite green may be better than a brillo pad. A green kitchen scourer is quite similar. For fine or rougher brushing you can get different grades of the stuff.
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
hi,If it is the welded one not the frame which was fixed by advanced chemical adhesion you will likely have a great machine.. some years ago I read I think in cycling weekly that some of their teck guys had offered one of these as the bench mark ,Testing against many of the top steel, carbon and alloy frames of the day, we're talking maybe 12/13 years ago and it had the strongest torsional or lozenge strength of any of those tested. likely someone on here read the same as me and will perhaps comment more fully and perhaps more accurately.. Anyway i bought one from a hard riding South Yorks cyclist from memory in 2002/3.. built it up, cleaned the surface as he had a fancy paint job on it , reverting it to raw titan finish and it was a fine machine, a year later sold it to my Lawyer who tried hard to break it!! then he gave it to his son maybe 2 years later who used it for a couple of years and had it stolen 4 Christmases ago in Dublin where he was at Uni.. maybe a pic or two would help..I badged mine as Torelli.. will
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
Mine is the oval tube welded version. Must say I'm pretty pleased with it and the comments so far here and on the Web increase my eggernees to build it and ride it.
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
Being stuck in the Dark Ages through the 80s and 90s, I can't imagine that Raleigh actually made these frames. Raleigh stuck with their brazing just like sister company Reynolds stuck with their Mang-Moly tubing which is/was unsuitable for Tig welding.
I should coco.
Re: Raleigh RSP Ti
I had one of these and so regret selling it. Even had an expensive paint job done at Mercian then sold it on a whim to get an aluminium frame. Rode well, fairly stiff, and not at all heavy. A good bike. Pic shows mine after first build before I cut the forks down.
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