>My fellow classicists,
>
>I must now humbly bow my head and acknowledge that I have flunked this test
>of my abilities to decipher manufacturers from frame construction. I post
>this here in the hope that the more experienced souls on the list can gently
>assist me in correcting my errors!
>So now I must turn to our Raleigh enthusiasts with a question - which
>Raleigh had these features (listed below)? Now I am truly puzzled.
>Consider - this bike has -
Russ
My first guess was along the same lines as Greg Parker. Perhaps a late 60s
Gran Sport. I've not seen one that I recall, but the same vintage
Competition had chromed Nervex lugs, forks and stays (not sure about the
stays, I have to dig back into some photos over the weekend) and came in
either black or forest green. The GSs would probably have been a different
color. Probably Huret dropouts but again, I have to dig back into the
archives. Not trusting MY memory for a minute! Not today. However, the
73/74 RRAs as suggested by Peter K would have a "CC" cutout in the bb
shell, Campy vertical dropouts on the rear, and no bridge for a rear
centerpull brake.
>
>Nervex Pro lugs - but no sign of the lugs ever having been chromed
>Forged, flat crown with epaulets - but no inner stiffeners, and again, no
>sign of chrome
Some of this makes sense but I'm not sure about fork blade stiffeners on the Comps/GSs. Absense of chrome is a stumper. What does the rear brake bridge look like? Not sure what you meant by "solid".
>No signs of chrome on fork or stay tips
>Huret dropouts (amazing what you find when you scrape off layers of spray
>paint)
>27.2 seatpost size, English threaded BB
>Round section chain stays with a very fast taper to a very small
>cross-section
>
>Interesting notes - the headset (I know, might not be original) is devoid of
>all markings - steel, good chrome, and the lower race (above the fork crown
>race and lower bearings) has ten wrench flats (dexagonal? I dunno).
The 10-flat no-name headsets were standard Raleigh issue. Not sure if it's
Brampton or some other brand, or what other makes of bike they may have
appeared on. I accidentally found a couple of these new at T-town but they
turned out to be French threading. I'll find a way to make them work or
just steal parts out of them.
>
>The paint on the fork steerer, as well as the paint that seems closest to
>the metal, is white. The lugs are also white when you get down far enough.
>
>What the bike makes me think of is an International, but with Huret ends. I
>have a vague memory of an early version of the Competition coming with Huret
>ends and Nervex lugs, but weren't those all black? Back when we had a
>lively thread, it seems to me the earliest Comps came with Zeus cranks,
>Simplex derailleurs, etc. Then the Comp Mk. II, Comp GS, etc. - which this
>bike definitely isn't.
Keep scraping the paint off the bb shell and try to find a serial number. Should be a letter followed by four numbers if it's something like an early Comp/Gran Sport.
Gotta go Larry "All answers questioned" Osborn