Raleigh Randonneur / 21" / Reynolds 708

KatyCycles

Retro Newbie
A classic 1980s/90s touring bike in a very responsive steel alloy - £450

For sale again due to change in intended purchaser's personal circumstances.

This lovely bike was a lucky find secondhand in 1999, in south London (via Loot), on recommendation from my CTC group as a good off-the-shelf touring bike. It has been fantastic. I rode it regularly until 2008 (long summer day rides/light touring only, no commuting). It has been up big, steep hills with big loads, flown down big hills with big loads, and always a reassuring, steady ride. I’ve loaded it up so much that I can’t lift it off the ground, but it still rolls and rolls right up the hills. The ‘Lightweight tourer’ description is somewhat relative, but it always surprises people with its capacity to travel and its responsiveness (although it practically laughs if you try any heroism with the gears). Since 2008 it has only been used 2-4 times per year at most, mainly on 100mile + rides, due to children arriving, shorter rides, and other bikes. It’s been a ‘Sunday best’, as its strengths are all day rolling or on newly discovered hills (because I can guarantee it will get up them. Cleeve Hill, 25% for a kilometre, with a pannier with a bottle of cider brandy in it... say no more).

Features:
• Scarcely used Brooks B17 saddle (new 2013 or so)
• 3x21 Shimano Deore gears, (excellent low gears, and I personally have never run out at the top)
• Stronglight crankset
• Cantilever brakes
• Trademark spare spokes on left chainstay
• New seatpost (about a year or two ago, Condor Cycles, London)
• New bottom bracket and rear tyre (Arragon’s of Penrith, May 2019)
• shifters on the downtube, as I preferred this to the bar-end option that it came with
• Rear rack, mudguards (sadly not matching); rear mudguard has added classic spray flap very classily made from a squash bottle (this means you can ride in front in the rain)
• Pedals: I can’t find the originals; I must have given them to someone. If I find them, they’ll be included in the price.
• Please note that as well as never being thrashed on daily commutes, it has always been kept indoors, hung by its frame horizontally on two pegs.

Why am I selling? I had a bike fit, it’s just too big to be ideal, and I’m not using it enough. I’ve seen forum exchanges about fitting Campag parts to these bikes, so although I’d always been told by friends with Condors and Mercians that the Randonneur was too lowly, clearly you can spec it up if you want to. It rides as if you should – it’s been absolutely brilliant.

Now, please check the pictures.
 

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Re:

Reynolds really got it right with this tubeset. A truly excellent frameset that will take everything you throw at it.
 
Re: Re:

peetee":107lv18r said:
Reynolds really got it right with this tubeset. A truly excellent frameset that will take everything you throw at it.
Yes, I've been very lucky. I don't think I realised for a while how good it was - you don't unless you ride something else. For me it was finding that my quite reasonable hybrid swayed unpleasantly at the back under load, whereas the Randonneur/708 is like a rock. Loading immaterial to its capacity to eat miles and get up hills, too. I am not especially technical but it has what I can only describe as a spring when you want it to move along, and when you hear people talk about the forgiving nature of steel I think it has that in bucketloads as well over long days. Just not a great fit, and not getting those miles with me any more, and it's no good to anyone & a sad thing to be preserved in aspic (better than being left to rot outside, but there's not much difference in the end #JustGetOutAndRide !)
The strangest thing is how 708 was such a limited availability in the end. The bike has total class (slight sob, yes it's sold and those rides will be with me always!)
 
Re: Re:

KatyCycles":3ivd9frh said:
peetee":3ivd9frh said:
Reynolds really got it right with this tubeset. A truly excellent frameset that will take everything you throw at it.
The strangest thing is how 708 was such a limited availability in the end. The bike has total class (slight sob, yes it's sold and those rides will be with me always!)

Very strange indeed. I believe it was superseeded by 725 which is undeniably tough but stupidly heavy in comparison.
 
Re: Re:

peetee":2wu89d48 said:
KatyCycles":2wu89d48 said:
peetee":2wu89d48 said:
Reynolds really got it right with this tubeset. A truly excellent frameset that will take everything you throw at it.
The strangest thing is how 708 was such a limited availability in the end. The bike has total class (slight sob, yes it's sold and those rides will be with me always!)

Very strange indeed. I believe it was superseeded by 725 which is undeniably tough but stupidly heavy in comparison.
I wasn't aware of that. I don't remember having seen much 725 around! Cheers.
 
Re: Raleigh Randonneur / 21" / Reynolds 708 SOLD

Nice to see this sale went well.

I'd better get riding mine!
 
Sale fallen through due to change in intended purchaser's personal situation. The bike is for sale again, same price, collection only much preferred!
 
Re:

Lovely bike - GLWS.

I might be interested but I'm in NI, so collection probably not an option.
 
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