# 1974 Raleigh International



## comet (Aug 18, 2020)

Just picked this up today, about an hour away. Found it on FB marketplace. I bought it from the original owner who got it new when he started high school. I don't think he rode it much. He mentioned it had sew-ups and he did not like that at all, so he had new clincher rims built with the original hubs. It came with the side-pull Wienmanns instead of center-pulls like the catalog shows. I asked the owner and he said it came this way. But if you look at the brake hoods and freewheel there is hardly any use. I plan on taking it apart, clean and regrease everything and ride it. It's 22 1/2" frame so a little small for me. So I may sell it then. Serial number WH4003631. Tther's a lot of useful info in this owners manual. Where should I post it?


----------



## Freqman1 (Aug 18, 2020)

If you want to sell list in the complete bikes for sale section with pics/price/location. V/r Shawn


----------



## 1motime (Aug 18, 2020)

comet said:


> Just picked this up today, about an hour away. Found it on FB marketplace. I bought it from the original owner who got it new when he started high school. I don't think he rode it much. He mentioned it had sew-ups and he did not like that at all, so he had new clincher rims built with the original hubs. It came with the side-pull Wienmanns instead of center-pulls like the catalog shows. I asked the owner and he said it came this way. But if you look at the brake hoods and freewheel there is hardly any use. I plan on taking it apart, clean and regrease everything and ride it. It's 22 1/2" frame so a little small for me. So I may sell it then. Serial number WH4003631. Tther's a lot of useful info in this owners manual. Where should I post it?
> 
> View attachment 1250253
> 
> ...


----------



## 1motime (Aug 18, 2020)

That is actually a great 10 speed.  Cleaned up with all that alloy polished and the gold would be beautiful


----------



## comet (Aug 18, 2020)

Freqman1 said:


> If you want to sell list in the complete bikes for sale section with pics/price/location. V/r Shawn



I may sell it. From what I've read it has a longer wheelbase than normal. I just measured it. About 40" Same as my Italvega, Bob Jackson, Centurian, and Motobecone. I guess the catalog was comparing it to the model above, their top of the line Raleigh Professional. I was hoping the longer wheelbase might make it work.   Is there any way to edit it? I'm sorry I don't even like fish.


----------



## HARPO (Aug 19, 2020)

Nice find! To bad it isn't your size, especially if you got a good deal on it.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Sep 1, 2020)

You might be surprised by the value of that bike, especially right now.
It's Raleigh's flagship sport tour, and one of only 3 bikes Raleigh sold with low-trail fork (front load).
4 years ago, I paid $400 for a bare frame to replace my wrecked and bent Grand Prix frame on this Living Bike.
The light, lively triangles and no-crimp oval chainstays are a joy for climbing.



Yeah, I know, it looks more French than The Last Great English Club Racer


----------



## sykerocker (Sep 18, 2020)

comet said:


> I may sell it. From what I've read it has a longer wheelbase than normal. I just measured it. About 40" Same as my Italvega, Bob Jackson, Centurian, and Motobecone. I guess the catalog was comparing it to the model above, their top of the line Raleigh Professional. I was hoping the longer wheelbase might make it work.   Is there any way to edit it? I'm sorry I don't even like fish.



 Back then the Professional was the road racing bike, the International was aimed more at a touring crowd.  Although offering only sewups in 1974 was an odd choice.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Sep 19, 2020)

how many people buying bikes are actual road racers - don't worry, rhetorical question.

The International really counts as the Raleigh flagship, and with its geometry, it truly counts as the last great English Club Racer, in the spirit of Lenton and Record Ace.
A bike to live with daily, Bluemels for the rain, turn out for sprints and leave the fenders at home (if you're really serious, have 2 wheelsets).

(Albert Finney leaving work at the Raleigh plant, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and yes, Arthur and Bert going fishing)


 



International frame is made for response, and will not safely carry a rear load (see Grand Prix if you want a rear load).  If International competes with any market it's Alex Singer.
If you know anything about the quality of clincher tires available, it would be at least 10 years before any decent ones were offered, and 35 years until any great ones were made.

In my case, long limbs and comparatively short torso, Carlton geometry fits me like custom, and a 24" International frame is as good as a $3000 frame - ok, except the paint.
All those Italian bikes, btw, copied Carlton geometry.  Short top tube, matching head/seat angles (where the French widely varied head and seat angles).
The International gets its long wheelbase in the low trail fork - Raleigh offered the same fork geometry on Grand Prix and Gran Sport.


----------



## sykerocker (Sep 19, 2020)

Definitely agree with your comment regarding clincher tires back in the Seventies.  Back then, my touring mount (and I'm talking 3-7 day rides while camping) was an opaque blue World Voyageur running sewup rims on the stock Shimano hubs and Blumel Popular fenders, plus a rack for rear panniers.  I was kind of odd in the Presque Isle Bicycle Club as being the one guy who ran almost nothing but sewups, but my experiences convinced some of the other guys to try them.

And, if you look in my bicycle barn right now, I only have one serious road bike with clinchers (it's the bike I ride during the winter, I refuse to deal with rim cement in under 45 degree weather), any of my other clincher equipped road bikes are vintage built to the original catalog specs.

Happiness is finding a production frame that fits like a custom.  In my case it's the Rossin RL from the mid-80's in 56cm size.  I have three of them on the road now.


----------

