I've love this thread! So much history . . . I hope someone is taking notes.
>From my own (U.S.) perspective - I became acquainted with Raleigh when the early 1970s "Bike Boom" hit Fayetteville, Arkansas. The year was 1972 and I was riding an entry-level Chiorda (lugged frame but basement-grade steel bits) when the owner of our town's first the recently-opened bike shop, was debating carry Raleighs. I bought my first "good bike" from Highroller Cyclery in Fayetteville (a Gitane Tour de France), but in 1977 traded-up for an all-Campy Nouvo Record equipped Raleigh Pro Mk. IV when I started racing Cat IV. Alas, the frame proved to be too big for me and I sold it about two years later but kept all the Campy bits which became part of my next bike. I recall the workmanship on my Pro being superior to my French-built Gitane and on-par with my two subsequent Austro Daimler fames, but decidedly inferior to my Ciocc San Cristobal which I built-up in 1986 - and still ride.
In the local USCF racing circuit the mid-to-late 1970s, I recall there being a bit of snobbery that favored riding Italian frames (e.g., Colnago et al).
Steve Whitting
"The Ciocc Cat"
Prairieville, Louisiana USA
Website at http://ciocc-cat.angelfire.com/
From: Greg Lone <gwlone@yahoo.ca> Subject: [CR] Dawes To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Sunday, February 7, 2010, 3:30 PM
Hi list, regarding the Dawes debate I think it is important to keep a sense of perspective. They were obviously not Colnago's or Gillott's or even close. In the 70's in rather Provincial British Columbia, Canada, they seemed a step up from the universal UO 8's, Apollos and Raleigh Firebirds of my friends. They provided a good starting point for a young cyclist who could then decide if a move up to a PX10 {Or International or Pro if you were a Raleigh fan} level bike was warranted . I found mine quite satisfactory once I replaced the rear dropouts with a pair of Campys, ditto the derailleurs for a pair of NR's and the crankset for a PX 10 surplus Stronglight setup. The wheels ; Campy tipo's, Fiame yellow label clinchers were from a otherwise clunky Crescent. All in all a reasonable bike with a budget price. And it was a good education on bike mechanics . I still own it , and still enjoy riding it. I even preferred it on casual rides to the Competition GS that replaced it as my "good" bike.
Greg Lone Langley B.C. Canada
__________________________________________________________________
The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Yahoo! Get it Now for Free! at http://downloads.yahoo.com/