Post by dracco on May 12, 2019 12:03:07 GMT
I was out on the road, this morning, on my "other" bike: a 1984 Raleigh Royal, when I was hailed by another cyclist who'd seen me, did a double-take and turned around and stopped me to ask about my bike.
It turned out that he had the exact same model sitting in his cellar, practically unridden and (apparently) in near-mint condition, and he wondered if I knew anyone who might be interested in buying it from him. It's apparently a 23.5" frame.
For anyone interested, the specifications are (should be, if absolutely original) as follows: Frame: Reynolds 531 double-butted main tubes, 18-23 stays; Frame angle 73 degrees parallel; Headset: Tange CMA60; Fork Reynolds 531, semi-chromed; Rims: Weinmann eyeleted alloy, 27" x1.25" laced to Atom hubs; Handlebars SR Road champion randonneur with foam grips; Stem SR; Brakes: Weinmann 610/750 centrepull with QR levers; Derailleur: SunTour cyclone II wide range (= Cyclone GT 3700 RD) with Suntour Power shifter levers; Freewheel: Maillard wide range 14-17-21-26-32; Chainset: Sugino DGT 50/36 (and this combination deals pretty well with most of what the Yorkshire Dales can throw at it). Colour "Magnum Grey" (go on...make my day).
My own experience of the Raleigh Royal is that it's a very nice touring bike, that gives a smooth ride and handles well.
If any one IS interested, then PM me and I'll pass on his contact details. (In my opinion his estimated sale price was a bit on the high side, but doubtless an experienced horse trader could knock him down a bit. As we got chatting, the conversation extended to Viscounts, and it tuned out that he - like so many others - had lost his cycling virginity on a 1970s Viscount Aerospace, back in the 1970s, acquired for about £100).