On the bike/frame itself I can see the decal issue (I didn't I must admit until it was pointed out) but now I can't unsee it although I do still think that it's a bit of a side issue compared to the quality of the bike itself.
That all goes for me too, Allen. But I'm going to carry on sounding off about this seat tube decal. Because it is a bit of a weird situation.
On the face of it, as far as I can extrapolate, we have an 'original' transfer that probably was originally designed by simply separating the letters of the down tube transfer and stacking them. Then we have a 'reproduction' transfer that presumably started out the same way, but then somewhere along the design process somebody decided that the letters should lose some degrees of italicisation, either for reasons of aesthetics, or legibility.
The fact that this tinkering seems to have passed beneath the notice (or in many cases, the care) of apparently devoted Raleigh-philes, including one with a fifty-odd collection who has meticulously catalogued the 'authentic' format, dimensions and frame position of every little transfer you would expect on a SBDU frame, perhaps bears testament to the quality and subtlety of this re-design.
These re-designed seat tube transfers seem to emanate from a well respected transfer supplier who are, in their small way, in the small world of racing bike enthusiasts, just as much of a venerable institution as Raleigh, and seem to supply their transfers to most of the well respected professional re-finishers of bicycle frames.
The fact that an alternative seat tube transfer with one letter returned to it's original degree of italicisation has apparently become available from some source suggests that at some point in forty-odd years someone has made some noise about the disparity between the existing reproduction transfer and the original, and someone has made a half-hearted attempt to humour them.
At any rate, I flatter myself that I have done most of what a bod can do with pencil and paper towards offering an 'alternative' seat tube transfer that will not offend the sensibilities of anybody who can not in good conscience apply or consent to the application of the existing reproduction transfers to the seat tube of a bicycle frame. The letters are 20mm high, each seperated by 3mm. From the top of the 'R' to the bottom of the 'H' thus measures nominally 158mm, and the panel in which the letters are placed measures 195mm. These two measures, perhaps coincidentally, correspond to the diameters of 42 and 52 tooth chainrings, minus the teeth themselves.
Edit: Since this picture was taken I have looked at a few more bikes, and as a consequence I have leaned the 'A' a little further to the right, making the right edge of the 'A' vertical- ie at 90degrees to the base of the letter.
Any constructive feedback welcome:
... but it's in the wrong bloody colour.. :? 
