Prowler 

I recently was lucky enough to purchase a Raleigh Professional that had been in the dark for a few years - YIKES I'm that lucky. Many mysteries and questions but C&V has been very helpful. YOU guys/gals are great!! I'll need more help but I wanted to just introduce the machine. 1976 frame in pretty great condition: straight, no dents, nothing stuck, nothing damaged. It's a frankenbike though. I'm getting more convinced that it was parted out as soon as it hit the US shores then languished in the loft, was repainted (looks like '78 Steel blue) the built back up around 1984 with good stuff from SR, Sugino and Araya. I'm learning all sorts of things. The components are about half Campy (ex: RD is NR Pat 76)

Is there anyone in eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia or the 'burbs) that has an original Mk IV I could visit? I need to inspect one, take photos and make measurements so I get this repaint right. I donno if I can PM yet since I'm a noob but please let me know. Thanks. This photo is just of the frameset. I took it down to the frame (except HS races and right BB cup) pretty quick to assess for any damage. I'll post other photos soon if you like.

Michael Angelo 

Looks good, needs a full restore. Paint job will be pricey, so will parts.

Wulf

I just bought a 74 with the same colors although my paint is not is such good shape. Also just a bare frame. I have been combing ebay and craigslist for parts. It looks that if I am willing to wait for deals, the parts wont be outrageous.

bikemig 

Frame looks good. I'd hunt around for a campy NR equipped bike that is reasonably beat up and use it as a donor bike. You can always sell the frame for some coin if it doesn't fit; if it does, you have a fixie project or whatever you feel like.

Prowler 

I seem to have confused folks: This bike has all the components it needs to fly. When I got it, I completed a couple of minor repairs and rode it enough to KNOW it's worth the effort. About half of the components are Campagnolo (pre and post CPSC) and the rest are good quality - SR, Sugino, Araya - from 1984. The Suntour "sealed bearing" hubs are in top shape after 30 years. No cleaning needed, just a bit of fresh grease. The Araya A20 rims needed almost NO truing. I have all the parts I need to get back on the road. I'm keeping my eye out for a few conversions back to Campy but I can wait for good deals. I need to focus on the paint. Aside from having NO decals anywhere the frame is rusted and the wrong color. Yup, after some careful archeology, I found the original Blue Mink/ silver under the top coat and primer. I've no idea why it was repainted. The photo shows the original color near the head tube. The other photo show the rust on the top tube: three places where the frame clips were. I hear that was not unusual. The original campy clips are long gone. My bike came with DA clips. I'm glad the frame was painted. I have no reason to worry about original patina. The chrome is in very nice shape - lucky me!

Prowler 

I'm curious: is yours actually a 74 per the serial number? I've seen numerous photos on line and they all say 74 for the Mk IVs. 74's are great but there were subtle differences from year to year and I'm real interested in what the '75 and'76 Professionals looked like. BTW my paint job looks better in the photo than in real life. Its actually shot and a respray. I have no reservations about stripping it and doing it right. This is a rider not a collection piece. There is no way to know what 'original' looked like and I'll never claim it is 'original'. I'd like it to be as beautiful as an original 76 though - last year for the Mk IV.

thanks for your note. Post photos. I could learn about the decals from those.

Wulf

Its a 74 according to the serial nbr. No eyelets on the drops.

Wulf

Its a 74 according to the serial nbr. No eyelets on the drops. Velocals has agreed to provide a white version instead of the Gold

Pars 

You could try hlloyd for the decals as well, they should have the correct ones.

https://www.hlloydcycles.com/page4.htm

CV-6 

A white version of what? Looking at VeloCals web page, I do not see the correct Pro markings for 74. What I see in your photo is correct. Cyclomondo has the correct markings as does (I think) H Lloyd, but the latter is difficult to determine due to how they are doing their catalog.


Be aware the serial is only for the frame and does not necessarily determine the model year of the bike. Color and equipment do that. After 74 it appears you had a choice of any color as long as it was mink/silver. There were minor differences in components from what I have read. I have a Mk IV with a 73 frame serial (AXXXX), but it is in silver and black, which is a 74 model. A 74 frame could well end up being sold as a 75 model, depending on what was on hand. But no one is saying you have to be absolutely correct in components. Read this for a nice overview of the Pros.

Michael Angelo 

Bare frame should look like this.

daf1009

GREAT article on the Professional...thanks for sharing...

Prowler 

Thanks Wulf. I'm not sure your paint has suffered mor than mine. Overall about the same. I'm sure you are excited too. I see you also have the rust bands along the TT where the cable clips were. I also suspect that my PO had the Pro on his trainer and was seriously training but did not cover the top tube with any towel or nuttin.

Otherwise you frame looks just like mine. Q: are the bands on the ST painted on or decals? How about the gold lining - decal or hand painted? I've heard 'reports' of both ways.

BTW: when I got my Pro the cranks would hardly turn. WD-40 freed them up for a day but they froze again. When I opened and removed the BB all was well but I'd never seen old grease so much like Elmers glue. Pisser to get it all cleaned off but its a nice BB now. Part of the fun, eh?

Prowler 

THAT is interesting as that's where my Pro must go on its journey. And it points out the subtle differences we see from year to year. My Pro and Wulf's do not have dimpled chain stays but yours does. I then wonder if the chain stay diameter is the same or greater. On mine they are 23mm diameter and round at the BB and taper straight to 12mm at the dropout braze.

Also your's has fender braze-ons on the rear dropouts: British or Canadian market? Mine's surely a US market bike.

Prowler 

So true and I have also scoured Peter's site and learned a tonne. Whats challenging about my Pro is it has an August 1976 SN - last year for the Mk IV so it could not be sold as a Mk V (new fork crown and seat cluster were selling points). But it seems to have the Mk V Steel Blue painted over the original Blue Mink. I'd like to stand my frame next to an original Mk V somewhere. Mine still has the Davis sloped fork crown, Victor Fastback seat cluster, and only one braze on etc. So it's a Mk IV from 76 fer sure.

Yes, this is going a bit overboard but its interesting and its winter and another 3 - 5 inches is coming down so I have the time to wonder about these things. I appreciate what you experts have to say.

CV-6 

I thought the color remained the same from Mk IV to Mk V. I have a 78 Mk V that is blue mink/silver.

Who said you were going overboard?

Prowler 

As I wander thru the various images of Mk IV and Mk V I find the colors 'look' different but I cannot trust what I'm seeing due to photography, lighting and computer monitor differences. There are some very well done photos here on C&V that look like a bit 'deeper' blue on the Mk Vs. But when I wander thru the posted catalogs (ex Sheldon's RetroRaleigh site) I see thru the Mk IV years the bikes are called Blue Mink. 1977 still says Blue Mink and 1978 calls their frames "Blue Steel". I've not seen a 79 or later catalog. BUT what is truth?

This is really a good time of year to go overboard on such details. I do so on my vintage Beemers too so I'm good at obsessing.

Michael Angelo 

Mine is a 1972 Carlton Professional. Basically the same frameset.

Prowler 

I surely agree about needing a full spec/correct component set. As this will be a rider and never passed off as original (I'll bet THAT has been done at least once). Right now I'm not too fussy about full Campagnolo groupo. And I have time to source the bits and bobs I want while I'm pushing miles-n-miles under the BB.

I may not ever want some of the proper things. Ex: I have a nice pair of SR SP100BL pedals/clips/straps in very nice shape - but not the spec'd Campy pedals. I was recently reminded, though, that if I did have the Campy pedals I would take them off and shelve em to preserve them (keep them from getting buggered out there in the world) and go find a nice pair of SR SP100BL pedals or MKS's.

Another example could be the crankset. Over on CampyOnly there is indication that the NR DS crank arms had issues with cracks forming at the joint tween the arm and the spider, an area where the metal was too thin. My Sugino VT cranks are much sturdier (like the later Campy Victory crank arms) and should serve me just fine out on the hills of Berks County. I may just squint my eyes and not notice the lack of a Campy NR crankset.

BTW: nice to learn things about the PO (previous owner). My pedals are in nice shape but the left pedal was scraped up some and the right pedal was not. NICE to see that the PO always lay this bike down on the left side to protect the drive train - never lay it down on the right side. Good to know the PO understood such things, eh?