Marc
Welcome to the RRA subcult. I think you will find your persistence is rewarded. Fun little bike. Very nice ride. The people who have them become very attached to them. Interesting mix of components, generally horrible quality construction. The kinks may have been worked out of yours by now, but maybe not. Several more of them in the group. Unfortunately you missed the unofficial temporary infestation of 73 RRAs at the Cirque a few years ago. The subcult is grown since then. Might be time to have another one.
See the RRA section of Retro Raleighs that I wrote for the original
incarnation of R-R.
http://retroraleighs.com/
Yours is the first one I've ever seen with the Carlton seattube decal. Just another whimsical moment at Raleigh I suspect. Would appreciate knowing the serial number. Morbid curiosity. And always enjoy comparing variations between individual examples of anything Raleigh.
I'm half way out the door, and already late, talk to you next week. Enjoy.
At 02:56 PM 5/27/2005, you wrote:
>Well this came up on craigslist here in chicago, that
>is a 1974 raleigh record ace. It was actually listed
>about a year ago as well, i believe for more money,
>the owner seemed irratated when I tried to haggle over
>the phone and I never got a chance to see it. Well it
>came up again just a few days ago and I went to see it
>yesterday and when I saw I knew I had to buy it.
>
>Here are some pics:
>http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marcgarcia80@ameritech.net/album?.dir=/a3c8&.src=ph
>
>It's in exactly my size, the paint is in really nice
>shape minus one or two touch up spots. Most of the
>decals are in nice shape as well, the only one that
>really isn't is the carlton cycles seat tube decal.
>The bike is about 90% original and he still had the
>original receipt from Turin here in chicago as well as
>service records and receipts. The only things not
>original are the derailleurs which as stated on the
>orginal bill of sale were switched to suntour gt and
>the rims. He gave me the receipt from around 1980 when
>he had the original hubs built up with mavic clincher
>rims. At first I was afraid they were 27 inch wheels
>but I was pleasantly suprised when I saw the 700c
>specialized tires that look so supple and could be
>NOS. The dark annodized rims look brand new as well.
>Everything else appears to be original down to the
>handle bar wrap.
>
>I'm really impressed and intrigued by the bike, the
>quality seems pretty high throughout. Can anyone shed
>more light on this model? I tried the archives but I
>really could find much out. How many of these bikes
>were made? were they ever listed in a cataloge? Was
>this the only bike that raleigh ever used vertical
>dropouts on? What is the general consensus on the the
>quality, and value of these bikes? I've read or was
>told that this bike was kind of created to get rid of
>some of raleigh's excess parts. To me that doesn't
>make sense. It just seems so nice, and if so why use
>the campy vertical dropouts? was this more of a failed
>experiment?
>
>To me, it almost seems to be raleigh's answer to or
>their version of peugeot's px-10. With silca pump and
>a a few other accessories the original owner paid
>360.00. That seems like a bargain to me. It seems to
>me that if raleigh had stuck with it they could have
>taken some customers away from peugeot. Comments?
>
>This is so close to be all original, it's exciting.
>Anyone have any simplex super lj derailleurs they want
>to trade or sell?
>
>Marc Garcia
>
>(Hoping the weather holds up so I can take my new
>prize for a spin)
>
>chicago IL