Re: [CR] Raleigh Professional 1968 mystery frame

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:58:12 -0800
From: "P.C. Kohler" <kohl57@yahoo.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <5732.86545.qm@web110615.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Raleigh Professional 1968 mystery frame


This is... intriguing.

The serial no. indicates Carlton/Raleigh (not sure about the extra three digits no.) as do the Zeus drop-outs and that clunky "girder" style centre pull brake cable stop braze on (the early "white Raleigh Professionals" had these. So very much on target for '67-68 here.

The block lettering "RALEIGH" indicates a factory repaint or custom frame; this was never used on publically marketed machines after the early 1950s. You see lots of factory repainted RRAs with this and my custom made RRA Moderne has this, too. So did Reg Harris's and Ray Booty's for that matter. The repainting shop never bothered to stock the zillions of fancy model or year specific transfers, you got a bike redone or special ordered, and this is what you got.

The Raleigh badge looks clearly factory riveted BUT for this era, it would normally have been the Raleigh oval anniversary one but again I suspect anything repainted or special ordered probably defaulted to the Heron crest.

The paint/livery is clearly Raleigh racing livery of that era, even the seat tube bands have that pearlscent look the early white Pros have. Not sure about the light blue underneath; that and the chromed lugs say Carlton to me as lagoon blue was their racing livery. So...

I think this was a factory special order for some unknown reason OR, more likely, a special request to have a Carlton repainted, at the factory, as a Raleigh and so badged. The special order department probably used the Heron badge anyway. And would that extra three digit no. represent a special order??

What's the center to top measurement on this? Now you've got me interested...

Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA