'76 Raleigh Competition
 

https://i.imgur.com/Ujs0uzE.jpg


Came across this well preserved Raleigh at my local enabler's shop

I do not have any experience with machinery this old, but I do recognize some of the components from other builds I have seen on the boards here

I'm assuming the Campagnolo equipped Professional was top of the line, and the Competition model presented here is one rung on the ladder lower ----- looks like a 531 Reynolds decal , and bike is still wearing its tubulars - which I consider a plus

---- The shop was really busy yesterday and I was basically just out for a stroll, ----

Does this look roughly like a 53? And what is the top end value on this bike - I may ask about the price today as the condition of the bike intrigues me, -- and I have paid more in the past for bikes than the collective here thinks should be top end without batting an eye if I really wanted it, ----- but this machine doesn't really strike any chords of passion in me,- but it is fun to look at ---- I would ballpark the weight at around 22 -22.5 , -- I was shocked considering the heavy Brooks saddle








https://i.imgur.com/6SnKzXv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RkpIbwh.jpg

They come up here regular in the $400 range. Here's one...
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik...550477842.html

You aren't off by much on your weight guesstimate. Depending upon how you look at this list, the competition was 4th down on the list. I don't count the track bike for obvious reasons. Frame sizing was in inches as you can see and I'd go out on a limb and say maybe 22 1/2"? Could certainly be 21 1/2" but certainly not 23 1/2". I love those old Raleighs!

The Competition was 3rd in the line, below the Professional and International. It's Reynolds 531 DB, the full set. It not completely OEM, as the OEM Huret Jubilee rear derailleur has been replaced with a long cage version, likely to handle the freewheel,which appears to have been changed from a 24T to a 28T. The Jubilee is highly praised for its lightness and the long case version is more rare, so that's actually a bonus. The TA Pro cranks have a proprietary puller and the chainrings are getting rare, but fortunately the double sided park puller is TA compatible and the chainrings are in great condition. The brakes and wheels are good but nothing special. Regarding size, this appears to be the 22-1/2" version. I know that I could part this out and quite easily get in excess of $500 US.

Didn't realize they made that many "Race ready" models

Pretty cool bike --- never thought they'd spec one with a Brooks, but Brooks being an English company, it makes sense

Raleigh/Carlton made machines that were indeed "Race ready" out of the box, glue on the tubulars, line up w/ your Team/Pro/International or Competition and give it a go.
The International and Competition models were typical of the high-end British Club machines which were expected to have clearance for mudguards and be capable of carrying a self supported overnight load at pace on the rough secondary roads of the era for weekend club events and stripped of accessories with the sprint/tubular wheels fitted to contest TT and hill climb events the next. Highly versatile and practical machines they make for particularly good FG conversions in the British tradition as well.

PS: Pic looks to be a 22 1/2"

-Bandera

...what T-Mar said. The ones that come up here in the $400 price range are never that well preserved, and often missing the Huret derailleurs.
As often as not, whatever has been substituted has been wrongly installed, not taking into account the tab positioning.

@TugaDude, @T-Mar, @3alarmer, @Bandera

Thanks for the information on these --- I truly learn something new every day

For $250, --- I took it home --- its not quite my era of interest but I have already drummed up some requests to "facilitate" - so it will be going to another great home soon . T-Mar hit the nail on the head, -- that is a 28t cluster in back with a longish RDR cage

We never determined the exact size in Imperial units because we couldn't figure out how they came up with the measurements -- (straight up from the BB, or following the seat tube angle ) , but suffice to say, its a 56c .

Given that I ride modern 53 and 54c bikes, --- I think this would actually be pretty close on the fit for me with a traditional 1976 era saddle height , so I am definitely gonna ride it before it leaves my hands ! -- IT will be fun as the last week I have been spending time on a new Di2, disc brake S-Works Tarmac. I will be able to see the difference 40 years has really made ! A lot of my other "vintage" machines are early 90's, so they already have brifters and good brakes -- I can tell a difference in weight and performance between the newest stuff sure, -- but its hard to call "only" having 8 or 9 speeds a handicap with a straight face

Oh ---- and the answer to the ages old cycling question ----- 23.17 pounds -- with pedals, and with the Brooks -- Not bad, not bad at all and right in line with what the catalog says --- Cant say that about the new stuff --- the aforementioned S-Works weighs 15lb 6 oz, but without pedals ---- after I installed pedals and alloy bars and post (I'm a Clydesdale) - weight was 17 lbs

https://i.imgur.com/uSUbQlm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YPFXQQI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/04GKMD7.jpg

I purchased a 1977 Competition GS(first year for the Campy Competition) for $350 a couple of years ago. It had never been ridden and had a few little marks on it , but was still in new condition.I love the bike it is not the fastest bike I own but a solid bike I can take anywhere. It gets more compliments than anything i have ridden, I guess because it looks so nice in black and is in really good shape. They are great bikes, Joe

Sweet old roadie.

Love those three pin TA cranks and Jubilee Mechs! It always surprises me the variation of components that were used on Competitions. One year , IIRC, had gold anodized Stronglight 93 cranks instead of the three pin TA.s. Other years had a Campagnolo three pin Gran Sport crank set. In any case, these were well equipped models that could be upgraded.

The Raleigh Competition frames with the sloping crown and the rapid-taper chainstays are chameleons. This one is in exquisite condition with almost all the stock bits, and should be preserved as such, I think. On the other hand, when you find one in roached-out condition, they make GREAT mad scientist bikes for modification. Our forum's gugie has modified many into 650B rando bikes; as mentioned before, they also make great fixed-gears. My take was to build up a very neglected example into an all-roads kinda bike using 42/44T chainrings with a 17/19T Surly Dingle fixed cog on one side of the flip-flop hub, and a 20/22T White Industries Dos Eno freewheel on the other. The result is a 70-in pavement and a 60-in gravel set of fixed gears I can switch over within 30 seconds, or if I run the freewheel side I get a 60-in general purpose, 51-in gentle singletrack set of gears. There's lots of clearance for 35 mm cyclocross tires with room to spare, and it's still surprisingly light feeling.

That is the original MK1 if you like, as the Mark II has Competition GS mk II written on the top tube, i just picked one up from 1982 last year in Black in a tall guy size, it rides fantastic, i really like it and have no plans to sell it, i paid $500, and mine came with a NR campy rear mech ( they were specced with Gran Sport) but he upgraded from new, i also got the original bill of sale the owners manual and two sets of pedal cages and nary a scratch on it... what a lovely bike...

G

:thumb: Freakin Raleigh cool, FTW. ;)

Never going to understand how so many can bash Raleigh when they churned out 1000's like this and better, Pro's, International' these and SC's too. :50:

Raleigh built some very cool bikes; they also got really sloppy at times, especially c.1973. That was the peak year of the boom, and all sorts of substandard stuff happened. It's also the year Raleigh didn't use Nervex Professional lugs on the International, Super Course and Competition Mk. II models, as (according to someone who was allegedly THERE) a shop renovation led to the uncovering of a large quantity of forgotten Carlton Capella lugs. The Capellas don't look like they are easy to braze well, and many frames built with them show zero file work. My '73 Competition, which I love, has lug work that makes my '71 Gitane look positively refined. 70pmooney, who posts on the single-speed/fixed-gear forum, has on several times told the tale of his Raleigh Competition that had been tacked, painted, sold - but never actually BRAZED. QC that year was dodgy. Carlton-built Raleighs leading up into the boom, and after the boom, are usually better put together.

Here's the lower headlug on my '73 - note how the tip of the lug is "proud."

You did well ,IMHO. In 2016 , I bought my 77 for 350 and it was not ridden much( the Brooks Pro saddle was not even broken in). The original owner bought new it for his wife at a Cupertino bike shop and she hated it so it just sat in the garage for decades. The only issue I ever had with the bike was the original RD cage came apart when I was down shifting at an intersection. This threw the chain into the area behind the FW and gouging the drive side spokes. I replaced the spokes , repaired the derailleur , and put a NR unit on the bike.I have the original derailleur in a case . I could not believe that Campagnolo used a stamped metal cage for the Gran Sport mech. The bike shifts a bit quicker with the NR in my observation , not that it is THAT important , but when they come apart it isn't fun!

Yep agreed, however they were also cranking out more bikes and frames than almost anybody else, nothing short of amazing, 10,000 531 frames in 1979 alone, 30,000 bikes in 1896 and millions in between.

Those kind of production numbers and mindset are always going to come with some shortfalls especially in the long run.

I've seen several of the tacked ones that were only held together by that and paint that went a lifetime before being crashed or repainted before anybody realized it.

Never personally seen or know of any that actually failed, a minor miracle considering how many there probably were.

Plenty of dodgy QC throughout Raleigh's history, most others as well too.

All that being said there are a staggering number of them that are damn fine bicycles. ;)

Like I said, "freakin Raleigh cool".

2017 Leroica, I took Merz TW189 as I did this year. Also took my son and his 76? Raleigh Super Course and while he didn't do the big ride with me as I should have made happen, we did take it to the concourse and leaned it against a tree at the outskirts.

It got more attention than the Merz all day long. :twitchy:

At the motel, they were both leaning against the wall outside, almost everybody stopped to look at it, half didn't even comment on the Merz. :wtf:

Here's a pic of Merz with the Merz

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c8f1beedaa.jpg

And the SC that we rebuilt from the frame up with him doing much of the hands on for the first time.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cdb447424b.jpg