Raleigh Randonneur 708

Came across this for sale locally earlier in the week. I know little about tourers, but research suggests that it's a high pedigree frameset...

Reynolds 708 touristique tubing, Ritchey seatpost, crankset & headset, Cinelli bars/stem, Parralax hubs laced to Mavic module 4 rims, Shimano Deore LX brakes & front mech with a Sora rear mech. Bar-end shifters

The weather was warm enough (just about) to have a quick half hour with the bike last night - overall the frame is in OK condition, a few little rust spots but no dents/scratches. The seatpost seemed seized but I got it free thanks to good old WD40 and some elbowgrease. Removed the ill-fitting and broken mudguards and rack, inflated tyres and gave the tubes a quick wipe down.

Here's when I first got her earlier this week:









Here she is after a the removal of excess weight and a quick wipe down:



I think my plans are to strip down, deep clean, rebuild, possibly lose the granny ring and put back together with new cables and grease. It would be great to pop a Deore LX rear mech on as well to return it to standard.

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Looks great, those Ritchey chainsets are really nice.

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I picked one up last year, great do it all bike.

That’s a good find, wouldn’t mind one to ride to work on.

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I have the cyclocross version of this frame which is essentially identical but with vertical rear dropouts and no mudguard eyes or pannier bosses. It's one of the best frames I have ever owned and I believe 708 touristique is very nearly Reynolds finest. And that's saying something.

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These are really nice frames (check out the oversize seatstay caps, mudguard 'pip' [rather than full chainstay bridge] and spoke holders on the left side chainstays ). Had one, sold it; regrets.

(If for some reason it doesn't suit you, let me know.)

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What a find! Really nice colour to boot.

Nice find, what's the frame size? For some reason these only seem to turn up with 60 cm seat tubes or longer...

Thanks all! If time permits this weekend I think I will strip it down, bag the components up and treat the frame to a deep clean and a closer inspection

Gorgeous frames, a pal of mine used to ride 15,000 miles a year on his. A really nice, purposeful audax bike. The mudguards look right on it - otherwise the frame looks gappy. It's also far more comfortable this time of the year with no cold wet feet; plus your drivetrain and headset will last far longer.