obuckler

My international took its first ride last Saturday (45 miles). The Maiden Voyage (except for a tuneup ride after the build completion the night before). This is a bike I bought from a guy who found it in a box at CycleArt and sometime in the early 90s (if I remember right) he had his LBS build it and it hung on their shop wall until I bought it (so I guess since it was built up it was not NOS technically). Rides exceptional and compared to my other one (I have two 74s) exactly the same except this one has perfect balance (when riding no hands). Have to figure that out on the other one. I rode this one with the same wheelset (still have to finish putting the wheels back together) so it is a frame to frame comparison. Garnered lots of attention on our greater dallas bicyclists airport ride...sorta stood out.

3speedslow

That's quite something ! Looks like a time capsule even if it is not NOS.

Do you catch yourself singing tunes from that time period as well ?

Kactus

We're gonna' need a lot more photos than that!

Great find... 41 year old 'new' bike.

USAZorro

Wow! Gorgeous bike.


The size I would be looking for too.

bikemig 

+ 100 on this. More pics please.

obuckler

First to start, let me say I do not know how some of you guys find time! My builds take forever, and even finding time to post the same, so I do promise better photos than my iphone later, but to hurry up with some now here's what I got. I will go through and show the bike as I got it and also point out some details on why it was probably at Cyclart to start with.
Everything original including silca pump (not shown)

Had some paint issues--looks like in production a work tag of some sort draped the fresh paint and sucked the ink into the paint, not on top

Luckily being an artist with an airbrush and finding a paint to match (hard part) I could fix that.

Anyway, I am very happy to have the bike, eventually my son get the other 74 with more patina. That one looks like someone rode it no more that a few hundred miles but did not store it well, very very little component wear.

obuckler

This shows the fork/down tube lug before cleanup, just general dust build up...easiest clean up and shine I will ever have for a 40 year old bike. As yes as 3speedslow says, this dates from my college years, so there are old songs still in my head.

daf1009

Jealous!

Kactus

Beautiful.

thumpism 

I would check the fork alignment on the one that does not track straight when riding hands off. For example, if it pulls to the right I expect the fork blades will need to be moved to the right. Pulls left, correct left. You'll probably need to put it into a fork jig to be able to see the difference and to correct it properly but I've just yanked them over sometimes and had that work.

Drillium Dude 

You should've charged admission on that particular group ride - those guys were a part of history being made

What a beauty! A long time coming, that ride. No longer NOS is a good thing!

I love the weird paint thing - I wouldn't change it. Part of the bike's originality. Keep it real.

DD

SteveP223

Great find! Enjoy.

lostarchitect 

Fantastic time capsule. Awesome.

I agree with DD, leave the paint as-is.

obuckler

You know I spent a lot of time on the more patina-ed bike, the string method of the frame and homegrown methods on the fork, so I know now that was not good enough, need to find a shop has a fork alignment tool--I put in on a drafting board and meticulously drew parallel lines off the post and extended them down past the dropouts, an imperfect method for sure...it does ride with no hands but with a slight constant pull to the left, just enough that you always have to concentrate on staying hands free, this new one I could ride all day no hands.

obuckler

Yes, I knew touching up the paint imperfections would bring out differing view points. Also same with updating some components. All take offs are stored in a box: Speedplay pedals for the Record with Christophe toe clips (have a camp pedal box--and have the original bike box, too), SRAM PC870 chain for the original (it just runs quieter), new cabling, and Kool Stop dura brake pads (like the ease of adjustment), and Fizik bar tape (like the comfort--original carefully removed and stored).

Wulf

Great job, Now go find some proper pedals!

obuckler

Got them on five bikes!

Ed.

For the front fork: lay it on something dead flat so the crown and tips are all, hopefully, touching the surface. If both sides of the crown are flat on the surface, and one tip is off, use a rubber mallet to whack the apex of the curve of the tip that's touching the surface. Repeat as required until both tips touch.

This was a fairly common problem.

bertinjim 

obuckler-

Thumpism may well be right about fork alignment but check as well the fork dropout depth. I have seen Raleighs where the wheel sits just a millimeter or two different from one blade to the other resulting in a pull to one side when riding no hands.

obuckler

I tried this ((the FLAT SURFACE THUMP METHOD) and did find one tip off, I now remember I got tired of trying unsuccessfully to get both tips down and both sides of the crown down...thanks for reminder I am going to go back to this. I think I also remembered you should support the fork before thumping so it does not bend at the crown only where it could fail.

After that I will check depth better!

I tend to really be a perfectionist, and with the nos bike it is just about that for alignment--so I have tasted what is could/should be.

Bandera

Yep, several Raleigh/Carltons we built "back when" had the fork in the jig and the frame on the flat table.
That being said alignment was usually better than the Italian "artisan" frames that always went on the flat table & fork jig.

It does take the proper tools & technique to get alignment correct, especially after a few decades of use.

Enjoy both.

-Bandera

shelbyfv

Nice looking kitchen as well!

steelbikeguy

Nicely done!

Glad to see the white brake hoods, white bar tape, and white bar plugs. It's kinda hard to find all of that stuff, isn't it?

The copper "flamboyant" paint just glows in sunlight and is a joy to look at! Here's a shot of me riding my '74 copper International...


Steve

obuckler

Nice shot. You have me out-vintaged with those pedals. I cannot switch back and forth from clipless to toe clips. Tried and almost killed myself. Too many instinctive moves mounting and dismounting and in an unexpected occasion I found myself getting it backwards.

Yes the color has a deep glow. I drive an orange car too. Just a tad darker.

Flog00

So nice. The old Raleigh bikes are so interesting.