Raleigh Pros and Internationals from the early '70s look large. That is because the head tubes are longer--in part because the forks are shorter than those of 27"-wheeled bikes, and in the other part because the bottom brackets are considerably higher than those of most road racing bikes.

In '74 I bought an International. Since we didn't measure it I assumed it was a 24 or 24.5, and the dealer just went along with me, even writing the receipt for the assumed size. Weeks later I finally measured it and found it to be a 23.5. The slightly longer head tube had thrown me off. Not to worry, though, it fit fine.

I'm not crazy for these bikes because of their geometry, but they're interesting riders and remarkable for their durable finishes and decent workmanship. The slips that were hitting the lower models hadn't trickled up yet.