... it's a bloody Europa. Bugger!
I was idly looking through the tempting bargains on ebay, mentally spending many thousands of pounds, when I saw a handsome team liveried bike with no bids and a 25 inch frame. The seller said the only writing she could make out on the frame was "Sachs" (I ignored this) and "Campa" (I hungrily assumed that this must indicate the presence of some exotic Campag bits and bobs). The bike was only in Blackburn! Like a deadly snake waiting to pounce, I waited and waited for the end of the auction... then bosh! The bike was mine.
I jumped in the car and raced up to Blackburn. I've seen the various other beautiful red and black Raleigh machines that have cropped up on here over the past few months, and I was looking forward to a dose myself.
And of course, "Campa" turned out to be a misreading of the worn "Europa" decal - so this is what I actually ended up with:
Doh!
Oh well. It weighs in at a respectable 11.75kg, and I've been wanting to try a 25 inch framed bike to see if it's more my seize than my low twenties sized Claud and Viking. It's a 1981 built frame - does anyone have anything similar / able to tell me what the original spec would have been?
Also, does anyone know what tubing Raleigh would have used? It clearly isn't Reynolds, but it's significantly lighter than the other Raleigh group products of similar vintage that I've owned, so some effort seems to have gone into it.
I was idly looking through the tempting bargains on ebay, mentally spending many thousands of pounds, when I saw a handsome team liveried bike with no bids and a 25 inch frame. The seller said the only writing she could make out on the frame was "Sachs" (I ignored this) and "Campa" (I hungrily assumed that this must indicate the presence of some exotic Campag bits and bobs). The bike was only in Blackburn! Like a deadly snake waiting to pounce, I waited and waited for the end of the auction... then bosh! The bike was mine.
I jumped in the car and raced up to Blackburn. I've seen the various other beautiful red and black Raleigh machines that have cropped up on here over the past few months, and I was looking forward to a dose myself.
And of course, "Campa" turned out to be a misreading of the worn "Europa" decal - so this is what I actually ended up with:
![DSC02572.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi260.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii16%2FGoldie_78%2FDSC02572.jpg&hash=24dbed7fac041fe55e8e8cac932d7084)
![DSC02573.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi260.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii16%2FGoldie_78%2FDSC02573.jpg&hash=03704a7a49c406ccd9575fb8fb602c27)
![DSC02574.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi260.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii16%2FGoldie_78%2FDSC02574.jpg&hash=4c0fa09d5c78e181ab7abffd5ddf0910)
Doh!
Oh well. It weighs in at a respectable 11.75kg, and I've been wanting to try a 25 inch framed bike to see if it's more my seize than my low twenties sized Claud and Viking. It's a 1981 built frame - does anyone have anything similar / able to tell me what the original spec would have been?
Also, does anyone know what tubing Raleigh would have used? It clearly isn't Reynolds, but it's significantly lighter than the other Raleigh group products of similar vintage that I've owned, so some effort seems to have gone into it.