Re: [Classicrendezvous] Egg on my face ...

(Example: Humor:John Pergolizzi)

From: "Peter" <prkbikes@erols.com>
To: "Russ Fitzgerald" <rfitzger@emeraldis.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [Classicrendezvous] Egg on my face ...
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 22:59:29 -0400


could it be an RRA?

Peter K. -----Original Message----- From: Russ Fitzgerald <rfitzger@emeraldis.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 9:01 PM Subject: [Classicrendezvous] Egg on my face ...


>My fellow classicists,
>
>I must now humbly bow my head and acknowledge that I have flunked this test
>of my abilities to decipher manufacturers from frame construction. I post
>this here in the hope that the more experienced souls on the list can gently
>assist me in correcting my errors!
>
>The mystery bike stumped me, but I suspected it was a product of Derby -
>until tonight, when I got curious and started gently scratching off the
>multiple layers of paint, hoping I'd find some fragments of a Mercian head
>tube decal.
>
>No dice. What I found instead were three holes from a headbadge. Three
>holes that match up perfectly with the familiar Raleigh heron headbadge -
>and I fished one out of my parts bin to be sure.
>
>So now I must turn to our Raleigh enthusiasts with a question - which
>Raleigh had these features (listed below)? Now I am truly puzzled.
>Consider - this bike has -
>
>Nervex Pro lugs - but no sign of the lugs ever having been chromed
>Forged, flat crown with epaulets - but no inner stiffeners, and again, no
>sign of chrome
>No signs of chrome on fork or stay tips
>Huret dropouts (amazing what you find when you scrape off layers of spray
>paint)
>27.2 seatpost size, English threaded BB
>Round section chain stays with a very fast taper to a very small
>cross-section
>
>Interesting notes - the headset (I know, might not be original) is devoid of
>all markings - steel, good chrome, and the lower race (above the fork crown
>race and lower bearings) has ten wrench flats (dexagonal? I dunno).
>
>The paint on the fork steerer, as well as the paint that seems closest to
>the metal, is white. The lugs are also white when you get down far enough.
>
>What the bike makes me think of is an International, but with Huret ends. I
>have a vague memory of an early version of the Competition coming with Huret
>ends and Nervex lugs, but weren't those all black? Back when we had a
>lively thread, it seems to me the earliest Comps came with Zeus cranks,
>Simplex derailleurs, etc. Then the Comp Mk. II, Comp GS, etc. - which this
>bike definitely isn't.
>
>I thank you for your indulgence, y'all!
>Russ Fitzgerald
>Greenwood SC
>rfitzger@emeraldis.com