Raleigh Randonneur 708

[MartinB123]

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.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

Re:

Looks great, those Ritchey chainsets are really nice.

 

[AndyMart]

Re:

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

 

[fignonFlyer]

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

 

[peetee]

Re:

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.

 

[doctor-bond]

Re:

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.)

 

[fiveSixteenths]

Re:

What a find! Really nice colour to boot.

 

[ThomasElliott]

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

 

[MartinB123]

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

 

[hamster]

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.