Michael Angelo 

niliraga 

gosh, that '69 is tasty.

niliraga 

Another black sheep. Came to me as a $125 frame+fork off a local CL posting, with faded chrome and plenty of rust bubbling up under the paint. Built it up from the parts bin and it's proven to be a fantastic all-weather commuter/hauler, and all-day comfortable despite what seems to be an aggressive head tube angle. It deserves some better parts and yes, i will re-tension that chain.

USAZorro

Before:



After:



The other one:

rustystrings61 

Black sheep status attained! Remember the 1973 specimen that I bought and posted last year? It's now my multi-surface fg/ss bike. Meet De Selby, named for the mad scientist featured in Flann O'Brien/Brian O'Nolan's masterpiece The Third Policeman. It's set up currently with a Nervar Star crankset running 44/42T with a 17/19T Surly Dingle fixed cog for a 70-in pavement, 60-in dirt road gear. For the time being, I have a 17/19T Dos Eno freewheel on the other side, but I suspect I'll replace that with a 21 or 22T freewheel for gentle singletrack if I feel brave. The 35 mm Continental Cyclocross tires are a revelation - I've ridden a lot of this area's unpaved roads on 26-28 mm tires, and that extra little bit of rubber and air is wonderful. This bike rides dramatically better than I thought it would, managing to keep the things I like about the Competition - smooth, stable, but still responsive and reasonably quick - and fusing it with a dose of any-roads bravado.

motogeek 

Here's my 74 (I think). Can't seem to pin point an actual year but the code on the bottom bracket says -D5594. This is a really nice example with mostly original components and everything is in very good condition. Very good ones are out there but mostly they've been modified and ridden hard.

Can anyone tell me manufacture year just by going by that code on the BB?

non-fixie 

March 1975, would be my guess.

76SLT 

Here's my 71.

Narhay

Would you put a Nervar star, 3 arm TA professional, 50.4 TA Cyclotouriste triple, or stronglight 93 on a '73 Competition. Huret Jubilee running gear.

Or "other".

rustystrings61 

It depends. If I wanted historical accuracy, the 3-pin TA Professional. If I wanted flexibility, I would go with the T.A. Cyclotouriste triple - though I would be tempted to go with the Criterium chainring set, something like 45/52T. If I wanted super cool French hipness, I would go with the Stronglight 93. And if I wanted to go with cool but often overlooked and underrated, the Nervar Star would be my choice.

non-fixie 

The 3-arm TA has the most refined looks, IMO, and would suit the Jubilee ensemble nicely. Inner ring can be no smaller than 36T, but with a short cage Jubilee your chain wrap capacity will be limited anyway.

gmvelo

​​​​​​Here is mine, a springtime aquisition - a Competition GS - that I'm "gravelizing" with wider tires, flared bars, riser stem, the Sugino Mighty Tour crankset, wider range 5 speed freewheel, and the Suntour rear derailleur. I'm assuming the weinmann brakes are original. I couldn't believe my good luck when I found a set of the weinmann black hoods in one of my parts boxes, new in the package. I had bought them at a bike shop liquidation sale back in the late 90s when I was living in the twin cities. A reminder, not that I need it, that some parts are worth holding onto.
​​​Obviously it's still a work in progress. The 32 mm Paselas on there now are barely too wide. I came into this bike by stopping at the end of a ride at a free pile that included some bike pedals. I struck up a conversation with the homeowner who admired my road bike and pulled this one from his garage. He was ready to let go of it - too expensive to update. A very reasonable price was set, and I was home with it within the hour. It was equipped with the original GS rear derailleur, and the funky campy 3 bolt cranks. I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces after I get the finishing touches done.

schwinnderella

Large dent in the top tube, but I got it cheap and there are numerous good parts.

Pcampeau

Nice GS! It looks like there’s quite a bit of room in the dropouts to move the rear wheel back if you unscrew those adjusters. Those 32mm Paselas will likely between the stays if you do.

PilotFishBob 

My 1970 on today's ride.

JJU

Hi all,



I have a question that is related to a Raleigh Competition that I recently bought in the Netherlands.

The decals clearly indicate that it is a Raleigh Competition but I couldn’t find a bike with a similar colour (neither Instagram, other forums, catalogue etc.)

As I am refurbishing the bike I’d like to know if there is another colour that would be “historically correct” as I don’t like the greenish colour that much.

Here are some specs:



Frame: Reynolds 531 (WH8001493)

Size: 59 cm

Colour: green goldish

Front derailleur (2x): Suntour Cyclone

Derailleur (5x): Suntour Cyclone

Crankset: Raleigh

Freewheel: Atom Bte SGDG

Shift levers: Suntour Power

Brake lever: Weinmann

Brakes: Weinmann Carrera

Fork Reynolds 531 (partly chrome)

Handlebar Sakae Custom

Saddle: Arius Formula 1



Would be nice if anyone could advise if there is a catalogue or something that would match the above specs and a potential colour (otherwise is very likely that it’ll become black).



Thx in advance

P.S.: Just now I have recognised that I'm not allowed to post pics here as a newbie......... :-(

Splendidtutiona

Picked this up at an Auto Body shop in Newark NJ like, 4 years ago for $50. Started the resto, got busy, and then COVID hits and I have time! Repainted and new tires. Removed the ‘90’s shimano derailleurs and found some cheap Huret Competitions (probably take-offs from a Super Course) and here we are! Full write up elsewhere. It’s now my greasy weather adventure bike. I’m waiting for Eroica Maryland, if that ever happens.

Complete!

After removing the chemically welded original seatpost.

daka

If I've decoded the serial number correctly, the bike is from 1978. The Competition G.S offered in the US that year would have been either black or silver, so I'm suspecting you have a European market offering, even more likely since you are in the Netherlands. So, either black or silver would be catalog correct colors, at least for a US market bike, but to make it "catalog correct" then you would need to change the drivetrain to Campagnolo Gran Sport (hence the G.S.).

This link should take you to the US catalog page on Kurt Kamminer's Headbadge site: https://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_Raleigh_Cat_78_6.html

AZORCH

Hello, Zombie Thread! A couple months ago I picked up a straight, but fairly "put through the wringer" Competition frame and fork, as seen below. I built this up in true Black Sheep fashion, using a hodge podge of parts bin items. I think I have the price of one tube invested in this, my current leisure rider. It's got Huret drops in back, with sloping fork crown and half chrome forks (front only). The serial number is A6642, which is puzzling me. St. Sheldon says A+four digits indicates ca. 1966 frame, and the Competition wasn't introduced (I think) until '69. This is definitely not a '69 model, which would more closely resemble my '71 International with chromed lugs, et. al. With chrome only on the forks, I'm thinking '73-'74? (Am I wrong thinking '73 was only Capella lugs, though?) The serial number is also curious in how it is placed, running parallel to the crank as opposed to perpendicular like the examples I find on Google. Not that it makes a lot of difference, but I am curious about the year if anyone can shed further light on this one. Meanwhile, here's my black sheep Competition:



By the way, it's a stunningly comfortable ride.

Ged117 

Clear! *Zap* Beep, beep, beep. It's alive, it's alive!

I thought I'd wake this one up with a new bike day for me. I snuck into the "Are you looking for one of these??!!?" Canadian Edition thread, quite innocently I might add - just a little curious to see what was out there, and stumbled across a listing for a '75 Raleigh Competition in my size, AND within reasonable driving distance from Ottawa. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. I made pleasant contact with the seller, arranged to meet beneath the Golden Arches at a convenient highway stop, and then talked my wife into a short road trip with the promise of noodles from a great local place once we got back to the city. The bike surprised me at its originality - only the front Huret Jubilee derailleur is missing. I understand they cracked rather a lot. This is my second Raleigh - the first was a 1950 Superbe.

Here are some photos of the cycle as-bought:

It is a solid 10-footer. The wheels spin smoothly and true.
PXL_20220426_211348928

PXL_20220426_211731842

PXL_20220426_212116317

Original Carlton hoods and Weinmann levers.
PXL_20220426_211651120

Catalogue says tubulars standard (I know the caveats with 1970s Raleigh catalogues...) these are my first tubular wheels. Tires seem ancient.
PXL_20220426_211622245

Huret Jubilee. I've been absorbing all the BF reading material on these I can get the past day or two.
PXL_20220426_211617073.MP

TA three-pin crank:
PXL_20220426_211552318.MP

There is surface corrosion on the top tube.
PXL_20220426_211519419

Drive side 531 fork transfer surprisingly intact. The seat tube transfer is there in spirit for the most part.
PXL_20220426_211457851

I was up late last night taking a closer look at the Raleigh and this guy got curious and decided to pay me a visit downstairs:
PXL_20220426_015228373

52telecaster

different rear derailleurs on different days.

WongaTaa

Still trying to build my post count up so I can post photos. I've got a 73 (I think) with an "A" serial number. In fact, my serial number is shorter than my local police department registration number.

Supergeek9

Ditto, I have a 1975 Competition that I purchased used in 1976

Supergeek9

Very Nice!

Supergeek9

Beautiful!