My bikes.

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I like Jo's bike it has proper bars seriously though thats a lovely bike she has.
The old Raleigh is in a class of its own and is very easy on the eye too, Im sure you'll get the niggles sorted out soon (if you havent already )

Jo's bike needs a nice set of headset spacers, lock on grips and cap heads in the rack, bottle cage mounting holes.
I've started on the second black Royal I bought recently so the Clubman is in the queue.

 

[widowmaker]

Bike is now home thanks to Mat. I've ridden it, saddle is surprisingly comfortable. Levers need moving up the bars. Mudguards are the noisiest I've got, toe straps are too small for my feet. Gear change front and rear is crap.
Not surprisingly it rides like a virtually new bike and is lovely in the flesh.
View attachment 986356

I have one of these, great bike

 

[Dicky71]

To reassure the Campagnolo lovers, I've no intention of changing the mechs for vastly superior Suntour or Shimano, because the bike is so original.

My first racing bike was a Raleigh Rapide from 1983. It had those Campagnolo gears and I would like to refer to them as bombproof.That bike was used alot but it didn't get alot of maintainance, as I just a wee lad who didn't know much about the importance of that kind of thing. I've actually still got the rear mech in a box. It's a kind of reminder of where it all began. I work with Shimano stuff all day long, yes it works but esthetically it's stone cold.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

My first racing bike was a Raleigh Rapide from 1983. It had those Campagnolo gears and I would like to refer to them as bombproof.That bike was used alot but it didn't get alot of maintainance, as I just a wee lad who didn't know much about the importance of that kind of thing. I've actually still got the rear mech in a box. It's a kind of reminder of where it all began. I work with Shimano stuff all day long, yes it works but esthetically it's stone cold.

Shimano and Suntour of that era were far superior in functionality, with the added bonus they looked nice. I like some Campagnolo and use it, the mechs of this era change like crap imo. The modern stuff for both is not as nice to my eyes as the classic stuff for both. I should sign off old and grumpy
It's very cool you still have the mech, I've nothing from where I started. Do you have any pictures of your Rapide?

 

[Dicky71]

Shimano and Suntour of that era were far superior in functionality, with the added bonus they looked nice. I like some Campagnolo and use it, the mechs of this era change like crap imo. The modern stuff for both is not as nice to my eyes as the classic stuff for both. I should sign off old and grumpy
It's very cool you still have the mech, I've nothing from where I started. Do you have any pictures of your Rapide?

No i don't have any photos. After about 3-4 years of using it, i got it pulver lackad red and used it as a winter bike. The issue i had with it was it was a size too big for me. I got it when I was 12, about 5ft 7 in old money and the frame was a 23 1/2. It was probably the only one left and the shop owner estimated that I would one day be roughly the same height as my Dad who was about 6ft tall. The other half of the equation was my Mum, who was about 5ft 2. I never got to 6ft, stopping at 5ft 10, on a good day, as I usually say. My frames are never bigger than 56cm after years of empirical studies.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

No i don't have any photos. After about 3-4 years of using it, i got it pulver lackad red and used it as a winter bike. The issue i had with it was it was a size too big for me. I got it when I was 12, about 5ft 7 in old money and the frame was a 23 1/2. It was probably the only one left and the shop owner estimated that I would one day be roughly the same height as my Dad who was about 6ft tall. The other half of the equation was my Mum, who was about 5ft 2. I never got to 6ft, stopping at 5ft 10, on a good day, as I usually say. My frames are never bigger than 56cm after years of empirical studies.

You'll grow into it I ride 56-58cm and I'm 5'11"
Sadly a 23.5" is just to close to my danglys for comfort

 

[Dicky71]

You'll grow into it I ride 56-58cm and I'm 5'11"
Sadly a 23.5" is just to close to my danglys for comfort

Claiming " you'll grow into it" should be made illigal and forbidden. I'm living proof that it's a myth. I would have been a lot more comfortable on a 22 1/2. I wouldn't be surprised if the cranks were 175mm either . A potential recipe for disaster. Dispite all these challenges, I battled on.