Raleigh launches classic Ti-Raleigh replica to celebrate 1980 Tour de France win

For its latest bike launch Raleigh has gone back in time, recreating a classic of the past and bringing back to life the 1980 Ti-Raleigh, the team bike of Ti-Raleigh-Creda.

Although Raleigh have done re-issues of this bike in the past, this version has some slight differences to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Joop Zoetemelk winning the 1980 Tour de France aboard a Ti-Raleigh. It was Joop’s first win in 7 attempts at the Tour, placing second in five of those. He won that year’s race by a margin of 7 minutes after Hinault abandoned with a knee injury. 

Here at Cycling Weekly we love a classic bike as much as a new one and couldn’t wait to bring you some more information on this reissue. 

Its frame is built from full Reynolds 753 Custom tubing that uses brazed lugs to join the different tubes together. Raleigh's previous commemorative issues have usually been constructed from the slightly lower end Reynolds 525 tubing – the lighter 753 is what Joop would have ridden in that year’s Tour.

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 In fact, Reynolds 753 tubing was something of a force for change in the cycling world in its own right. Officially introduced in 1976 it is, according to Reynolds at least, the first example of heat treated steel to be used in bicycle tubing, giving the bike much higher stiffness and strength. 753 steel bikes were common at the top of the sport at that time, being ridden by the likes of Bernard Hinault and Greg Lemond. 

The bike uses a more modern 10-speed Campagnolo Veloce groupset in a gorgeous silver colour way using a 53/39 crankset and a 13-29t cassette. It also uses Campagnolo Centaur brakes – a more recent update.

 Given that the Veloce groupset was launched in mid-noughties it’s a little too modern. Instead, Joop would have raced with a Campagnolo Super-Record groupset, originally launched in 1973. However, the down tube shifters remain in place.

The bike rolls on Mavic Open Pro C wheels matched with Challenge Open Tubular tyres (although traditionalists look away, these are in clincher form) in a suitably skinny 23mm width. The icing on the cake is the Selle Italia Turbo 1980 black leather saddle. 

For fans of a classic look the complete build bike will be on sale for £2500, but there will also be a frame only model available for £1500 should you fancy building up your own classic replica.