Mark Manley
Raleigh Fan
This was my first bike after a 20 year break during which any two wheeler had to have an engine, I bought this new around 1996 as it was as close to my last bicycle, a 10 speed racer owned in the late 1970s as I could find.
I quickly realised I wanted something with some off road capabilities and a more upright riding position, something that is a feature of every bike I own so instead of buying a more suitable bike set about modifying this one. Eventually just about everything got changed including having V brake bosses welded onto the frame, I cannot find any photos of the bike in original condition but it got used for everything both on and off road including some longer trips such as Eastbourne back to Devon mostly along The South Downs Way and back from North Wales including getting half way up Snowdon and the highest pass in Wales which I did not know about at the time or I would have taken another route.
It eventually pulled the derailleur into the rear wheel tearing it off and damaging the frame leaving me to push it 5 miles home putting me off that particular gear system for life, this was about the same time as I found out about Rohloff hubs and realising I had become something of a serious cyclist took myself off to Croydon to be fitted up for a Roberts Roughstuff, a fantastic bike that is far more suited to my purposes.
I have only just come across these photos that somehow missed being put into my usually well organised albums and thought I would share, even if it is not quite the usual thing on here.
I quickly realised I wanted something with some off road capabilities and a more upright riding position, something that is a feature of every bike I own so instead of buying a more suitable bike set about modifying this one. Eventually just about everything got changed including having V brake bosses welded onto the frame, I cannot find any photos of the bike in original condition but it got used for everything both on and off road including some longer trips such as Eastbourne back to Devon mostly along The South Downs Way and back from North Wales including getting half way up Snowdon and the highest pass in Wales which I did not know about at the time or I would have taken another route.
It eventually pulled the derailleur into the rear wheel tearing it off and damaging the frame leaving me to push it 5 miles home putting me off that particular gear system for life, this was about the same time as I found out about Rohloff hubs and realising I had become something of a serious cyclist took myself off to Croydon to be fitted up for a Roberts Roughstuff, a fantastic bike that is far more suited to my purposes.
I have only just come across these photos that somehow missed being put into my usually well organised albums and thought I would share, even if it is not quite the usual thing on here.
