Re: [CR] Question ON Raleigh Pro & International

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:52:44 -0700
From: "verktyg" <verktyg@aol.com>
To: torup@sbcglobal.net, Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
References: <mailman.1937.1271221815.10037.classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> <F7B3C09C-06B0-4B3E-886C-86A5A18250B6@sbcglobal.net>
In-Reply-To:
Subject: Re: [CR] Question ON Raleigh Pro & International


The Raleigh Professional were marketed as full on all Campy racing bikes while the International was designed as a touring model with fender clearance and eyelets on the dropouts. For whatever reason a few Raleigh Pros were known to have had fender eyelets on the dropouts too, around 1972 or 73???.

If you took any group of at least 2 Raleigh Internationals you were highly likely to find drastic differences in their frame geometries. ;-)

Some Internationals handled great, others were like pushing a wheelbarrow especially in the smaller sizes.

There were deviations in the frame geometries in the early 70s Raleigh Pros too but less obvious than on the Internationals.

BTW, the first Campy drop bolt I ever saw was on a factory fresh Raleigh Pro.

Speaking of Campy brakes, there was a Raleigh dealer a few block away from our shop; I remember in 1974 they had 2-3 mink blue Raleigh Pros with Weinmann centerpull brakes.

These bikes had the exact same GB bars and stem with white plastic tape plus Weinmann levers with white plastic Carlton hoods that came on the Internationals.

The shop owner told me that Raleigh had problems getting Campy brakes so the subbed the Weinmanns. He also said that he could get Pros with Campy brakes but they were $100-$125 extra when available from Raleigh.

The bikes were most likely built in 1973 at the peak of the Bike Boom and Campy brakes were still scarce.

Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA

John wrote:
> George-
>
> The two bikes were indeed different. The Pro did change some so a direct
> comparison is time dependent.
> The International had a longer wheelbase, some from slacker angles and
> rake, some from longer chainstays.
> Bigger clearances, easy to mount fenders on an International.
> Every once in a while we sold an International with dealer installed
> Campagnolo side pulls, which also required a rear drop bolt, even with
> that they came in cheaper than a Pro, but rarely considered as a cross
> shopped bike.
>
> John Jorgensen
> Torrance Ca USA