At 09:21 PM 12/5/00 -0800, you wrote:
>
>
> Hi lightweight bike lovers! I just brought home a nice '71 Raleigh
>International. The bike's in very good original condition, but has an AVA
>handlebar stem (the one with the hollow top), and unmarked bars. Might
>this be the same stem and bars that I've heard horror stories about?
>Are these stems really an accident waiting to happen? No, I don't see any
>cracks yet, but should I be concerned? I'm guessing that this is the
>original/correct stem and bars for a '71, but I'm not sure, as my '74 Int.
>uses a GB. Anyone know? Thanks,
>
Duane
Sounds like the death stem to me. Be very afraid. As a survivor of a failed AVA stem on my 69/70 Raleigh Pro in heavy traffic in Chicago, shortly after a friend had a similar incident, I strongly advise you to deposit that particular item to the recycling bin. Kill it. Kill it now. Don't wait for warning signs. YOu probably won't get any. I was a hulking 120 pounder at the time, and not a hard rider and my friend was taller than I, but also a stick boy. The point being, neither of us was, or ever has been, thrashers of bike parts. Yes, it has survived this long. No, I wouldn't find ANY comfort in that fact. Any thoughts along the lines of treating it with great caution still may not save your head, or your shoulder, or whatever YOU happen to land on. Fortunately I bounced along a row of parked cars instead of careening out into traffic and was able to walk away.
Check the catalogs section of the Retro-Raleighs webpage. I don't think we have found a 71 catalog yet (but would very much like to borrow one from anyone who is willing to loan one out for a short time), but there is a 70 and a 72. Can't remember how detailed the info was for those years. Even if you put a GB on your 71, nobody can argue with you. If anybody does, give them the AVA. Eventually, you will win the argument.
Enjoy the Int
Larry "AVA-phobe" Osborn