I have to start one of these teaser threads. I'll do a more comprehensive work up on this after the weekend.


I'll confess one detail, though. This bike was given to me yesterday.

Nice, have fun.

You stink.

-Kurt

wait, lemme guess. . . An International? a Raleight International? a RED Raleigh International?
huh? did I win? huh? did I ?

nice

Marty

Drooooool. Me like.

Yummie! Chromed Nervex Professionals!

Neddy want !

It fits me better than you. I'll PM you mailing instructions.

If my International had been that color, I'd have kept it!

Very nice!

No fair - I've only been given a cold this month.

I'm chromatically challenged
no, really I am.

As terrible as you all may think this sounds... an international is my ideal fixed gear. It would be an upgrade from my Jeunet and it would have nice simple english threads and long forged drop outs, no shifter braze-ons but yes brake cable braze-ons... it would already be spaced correctly and have enough clearance and eyelets for fenders, not to mention the chrome bling... it has everything I need in a fixed gear, not that my Jeunet doesn't, the raleigh just does it a little better, cleanier and prettier.

Me too. I'm always being corrected by the women in my house, when I name a color.

One eye Doc told me I was "color confused."

my fixie is a '78 competition. no braze ons were hurt in this conversion. and it's been a fixie since about 1983 or so. This is the first year that it has remained on the hook...it was just too cold and wet during fixie season.

I have been messing with this one. It is in really good shape...nothing more than a little retrofit back to where it began and a good cleaning. The original owner traded in the sewups when he bought it - it had high flange campy record hubs to begin with, but the set that he got were normandy (not luxe) and Mavic 27" rims. I guess that 27" tires were easier to get then? I don't remember. I had a wheelset with high flange campy hubs, but the rims are MA-40's. They look a little weird, but would have been a common enough upgrade back when this was SOA.

The seatpost and seat were (gone?, chucked?, in someone's basement?) and a sugino post and Avocet Racing II were installed. Another upgrade, I suppose. The original was a Campy Record and a Brooks Pro, small rivet version. I have a campy seat post, and a Pro, except that the Pro is kind of hammered. I'm gonna have to spring for a new one, I think. The placeholder saddle is sort of cool...the top is embossed: Irene & Fred. Kinda sweet. Well, sorta. Like, Fred sat on that. A lot.

There is a kind of cheesy world champion stripe in foil, on top of the stem. Was this something that one of the owners stuck on there, or was it installed at the factory? I don't want to pull it off if it is something significant...

The cable housings have been changed to white; I'm looking for white hoods for the weinmann brake levers; does anyone remember what the bar tape was in 1974? All I can tell is that it was white.

I have some white Carlton hoods.....if I can get them off the levers in one piece.

I just got some hoods, and a nos Pro saddle of the correct vintage. Still stuck on the tape, though. White plastic? I seem to remember that my Grand Prix of about the same vintage came with red tinted see through stuff...would that be the same kind of tape here? Or Benotto? Or cloth tape?

You can TNT them off and they'll stay in one piece.

-Kurt

eh? what is this TNT of which you speak? I think my kind of TNT might work, but the lever may suffer some collateral damage...

Dy-no-myte, by any other name. Sure, it will wreck the lever, but it'll get the hood off - and nothing short of a nuclear bomb could damage one of those Carlton hoods.

-Kurt

oh. I thought you had some wonder material that assured one piece removal. I am witcha now.

Anyway, its moot, as I got some. Well, Dia Compe some, but they're nearly identical, so I won't be a logo snob.

this time, anyway.

Ah, that's a nice catch. I really like my '71 International. It's set up as a 5-speed w/ one bar-end shifter, fairly narrow rando bars, a Stronglight 49D crankset w/ a 45-tooth ring, SunTour Cyclone RD, 700c clincher wheels and Grand Bois 30mm tires. It's comfortable and fast.

Neal

I have seen his bikes. He is.

Given!!!??? WOW!

You Americans are nice guys.

But colors are often too complex anyway.

---

It's purple.

"No, It's plum!"

Plum is a food, not a color.

---

Most men are more like old computers. 32 colors, max.

The females taste in colors, more akin to...

Wow, nice gift, and it looks like it is great condition! I was quoted a price on Grey campy cables...$60.00!! No way, that price is for fan boys! Plus I like the white cables, with some nice white tape and brake hoods.

-Matt