At 02:32 PM 1/7/04 -0500, you wrote:
>Here is an interesting ZEUS equipped Raleigh that I am not familiar with and
>the posting doesn't tell a whole lot about the bike. Can anybody tell me the
>vintage year and where this sets in the hierarchy of Ralieghs at the time.
>Cheers,
>dave anderson
>cut bank mt
>
>
>http://ebay.com/<blah>
>
>
Looks legit to me, unless somebody has discovered a way to "distress" bike paint and decals the way people have done with antique furniture. Not going to pretend I agree with the price. Clincher wheels baffle me a bit, but it's always a possibility. Haven't seen one with Zeus ders either, but I haven't seen everything yet. Competition was below the International, but above the Gran Sport (barely) and the Super Course. If you can get a serial number from the seller, that would help pinpoint the year, maybe.
Below you will find some ancient, dusty responses to similar questions in the past.
Larry "never delete anything" Osborn Morgantown WV
Dale Brown wrote:
>That sounds like my first "good" bike!
>The blue, BTW. is "lagoon blue" which was Carlton's race colors.
>
>My Competition looked pretty much like the concurrent Gran Sport. Never
>understood how or why they were differentiated in the Raleigh line. It had a
>white main frame with blue head tube and band on seat tube. I think I bought
>it in 1972, brand new, but being the previous year's model and so I got it
>for $180.00. (List was $225.00?)
>Equipment:
>
>- Reynolds 531 full db set.
>- Zeus dropouts front and rear.
>- Chrome up 8" or so on forks & rear stays.
>- Integral full sloping fork crown.
>- Plain Bocama lugs.
>- GB stem & bar
>- White sort of linear pattern plastic bar tape.
>- Weinmann centerpull brakes
>- Simplex Competition (Delrin) derailleurs
>- Zeus crankset, (model "Criterium"?) with the narrow chain ring attachment
>ala' Stronglight 49.
>- Atom QR high flange hubs with 27" Weinmann dimpled aluminum rims.
>- Brook B-15 standard saddle/ plain straight aluminum seat post.
>- Hutchinson 27 x 1 1/4" tires
>
>Dale Brown
>Greensboro, NC
Significant difference between the earlier Gran Sport and Competition was usually just tubular tires on the Competition. Maybe AVA tubular rims. Somewhere after 1970 Raleigh went from Weinmanns to AVAs (or whatever else was handy). I don't know when. Take your pick. Not sure why the Competitions weren't always in the catalogs. Just one of those little Raleighisms that will baffle us for ever.
Could have also been blue with white trim, or white with blue trim. Your guess is as good as mine. 1970 there was a chrome model, with transparent olive green or brown trim available. 1969 there was a choice of black or forest green, with chromed fancy Nervex lugs a la International. In 73 or 74 there was a lavender w/purple trim, not in the catalog. That's just the way it is. Specifications incomplete. Specifications subject to change without notice. The catalogs are just guides, they are not commandments. Unless they speced full Campy, you could get anything. I long ago quit losing sleep over the variations I've found within model year, deviations from the official catalog specs. Lugs, dropouts, paint, chrome, components, , blah blah blah, even the serial number system has some kinks in it. Whatever Raleigh felt like doing on any given day.... Dale's list sounds close enough, even without tubulars.
Larry "Retro Raleighs Anonymous" Osborn
As with everything, depends on what year we're talking about. And I never
use the word "always" with Raleigh. 69, 70, 71, maybe 72,
Competitions and Gran Sports (still looking for a 72 catalog, I think the
one on R-R labelled a 72 is really a 71, but not certain), I see Zeus alloy
cranks, both in the catalogs and in my admittedly somewhat questionable
"real" world. Not certain both models were always available in the US in
every model year. My 69 catalog shows just the Pro and the Competition,
then a jump down to the Super Curse. Wheels on the 69 Competition may have
been clinchers. A remarkable lack of detailed information in the those
earlier catalogs, and the only intact 69 Comp I've seen had clinchers.
27-inchers back then.
Your memories may vary.
Osborn
WV