Originally Posted by
bassogap
I'm usually not a negative person, and I hate to rain on others' parade, but why are old Raleighs so revered?
I worked in a Raleigh store in 1974, and the quality of the bikes was abysmal! Remember, that was a dark era for England with the brown-outs and multiple strikes. Almost every Raleigh we assembled had some sort of issue. The common ones were having to shim the seat post to get it tight or having to add a spacer behind the freewheel because of frame misalignment. So today, even though I love looking at old Raleighs, my past experience with them colors my opinion of them. Has anyone else noticed many flaws with mid 70s Raleighs?
There was certainly a decline in attention to detail from the mid-1960s onward at Raleigh. My 1970s Raleighs are not quite as well-finished all around as the 1940s-50s ones I have owned. However, the '70s bikes have been very reliable and good riders. A 1974 Sports I bought for $30 second hand was my main mode of transportation in college. I still have a '78 DL-1 that is not a bad bike either. I don't fret over the edges of lugs if I like the ride.