RALEIGH EQUINOX
Hurrah! At last I own a 531 bicycle and it came out of the blue! I saw it in an online selling site and made an offer as it was pretty low for a 531c with high spec Shimano RX100 groupset, Campagnolo rims and little rust only on the surface. The seller said it had suffered worn threads on the derailleur hanger and the bike shop brazed another over it much to his dismay. I said I'd pass on this but then something told me to look at it as it was only 20 miles away. So I planned to see it and boy was I surprised. I took it for a quick spin and at once it felt light, tight, very responsive and super smooth. It did need some fine tuning but I just handed him the very modest asking price without flinching or trying to barter as I knew this was a gem and he was happy it was going to a good home. The serial number dates this frame to 1994.
The Equinox as I got it.
A new RX100 chain set was bought during restoration by the owner
Shimano RX100 and 8 Speed Cassette, indexed of course!
RX100 Brakes
The famous Raleigh badge
Lambda to be more precise
Raleigh bars and nondescript stem
Shimano RX rear hub
Tasty Vittoria Zaffiro tyres
Badly worn Equinox decal
Aah the nostalgia of the golden age of steel bicyles!
So, the Equinox needs a little makeover, it's a little shabby in parts but feels great on the road. I took my hands off the bars and it ran true without a slight wobble. It's a very nice machine and I plan a complete overhaul soon!
