Team Levi’s/Raleigh/Marinoni

[m_sasso]

Any of you old timers know any history about the team, the bikes or the bike Andy is riding in this picture?

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/31781_130882383597032_7588521_n.jpg?oh=9ad1511d99a 1ff6dfd8eb53f2e4d68a4&oe=54AC055F

Pondering this frame on Ebay says it's a 54cm, 58cm seat tube?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Team-Levi-Raleigh-58cm-Reynolds-531-frameset-serial-4771-/231372155749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35dedaeb65

Thanks!

[wallymann]

i thought andy was partial to slawta's work, regardless of paint/branding. and slawta apparently did the levis/raleigh torching.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=375002&postcount=15

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=27988&stc=1&d=1187131057
http://stevetilford.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/cc1052_levis_waving1986_large.jpg

[paredown]

The late and sorely missed Sheldon Brown--a Raleigh nut--has a letter posted (http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/racing-usa.html) that describes a number of the team bikes as made by Marinoni--a connection made because of Hugh Walton (Canadian) being on the team, although it sounds as if the bulk of the bikes were made in the UK.

It doesn't mention Hampsten though.

[m_sasso]

These look remarkable similar to my eye, imagination, coincidence or done deal?


http://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/honda-tech.com-vbulletin/505x505/80-raligh_76d34d07aca58035f7c593475905b472a40065e8.jp g


http://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/honda-tech.com-vbulletin/768x1024/80-picture_php_pictureid_98682_1da9ed4e91b115be69d3f4 932c78229b60b5278e.jpg

[hampco]

I think Andy raced for the team in 84 and 85 but he probably wasn't considered the star, for the most part, although that may have changed after winning a stage of the Giro in 1985 (riding for 7-Eleven just for that month). As I recall the team was pretty focused on doing the shorter US races which were not Andy's speciality.

My recollection from talking with him back then is that the team bikes came from Marinoni and the US-market frames were made in Japan.

[Fivethumbs]

I read an article that said Connie Carpenter's Levi's Raleigh was a Marinoni.

[DarkStar]

I was in the Marinoni shop back in 1983 ordering a bike for myself and spotted about a dozen or more Raleigh team frames hanging on the wall ready to be packed for shipping. I was told by Mrs. Marinoni that these bikes were for the American woman's Olympic team.