Raleigh Randonneur 708 1997

[bikeworkshop]

Any ideas on how to match the paint?

You can usually find a close match with a car touch-up kit. A decent car parts and accessories shop will have a rack and let you hold them against your paintwork.

 

[gerryattrick]

Thanks for that. I've been giving it a gentle service and I can't believe how fresh it is. There don't seem to be any issues and I think it's all original. One small scratch on the chainstay and a slightly peeling 'Randonneur' decal. Any ideas on how to match the paint?
It rides quite beautifully too. Happy cyclist here

I keep a few tins of Humbrol model paint in the shed. Even if there's not an exact match for a bike it's usually quite easy to mix a suitable colour.

 

[MarkRutherford]

I ordered three little pots of Humbrol paint that looks to be quite close matches, plus some clear varnish. Also some 'decal fixer'. Wish me luck!

Also just spotted that the wonderfully useable bar-end shifters can be switched from SIS to friction shifting. I prefer friction shifting so this is great news.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Try the indexing first you may be pleasantly surprised. I still use friction on the older bikes I have, as its what I started with. I'd never use it if indexing is available.

 

[bikeworkshop]

It's true!
Index is great if it's got the correct components and clean cables.
A lot of Frictionistas base their experience on mismatched and tired components - which Definitely work better on friction

Also the more speeds you have, the fiddlier the friction becomes.

Its ok if you've got a few spare minutes to trim every shift

Me? I'm in a hurry.
My journey is important!
Click click click
I have fish to fry

 

[MarkRutherford]

Re:

cont....

A few parts I’m really digging:

Microshift rear mech was peanuts and is light, discrete and well built -- it’s big brother Sun XCD was planned, but as the peerless Disraeligears put it - “[the xcd] has little to distinguish it from its, less-storied, microSHIFT bretheren except its sheer silveriness.” disraeli


Jack Brown tyres: these are a Grant Pederson [Rivbike] design knocked out by Panaracer and available here through Planet X. At 33.33333mm they are cushy even on wide mavic t-261 rims, and although I was sceptical about puncture resistance, they’ve somehow survived the dreaded hedge trimming [by which I mean industrial decimation with those massive flails that spew thorns far and wide] season. They also performed brilliantly in a massive downpour that I got caught in on my first audax.


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“Mashup” brake levers. I’ve had a few builds with drop levers and cantis, and while there are some good performing levers, they are usually too modern or aero. So initially I opted for dia compe Gran Compe 202s which look great, are non-aero and have groovy adjusters. But once fitted they were just a bit too flimsy and squishy - not as positive as some old Shimno 105s I’d used on an MTB drop bar build a few years ago (SLR cable pull and sprung levers). So I dug out the 105s cleaned off the logos, transferred the hoods and adjusters from the Gran Compes and voila: well sprung, nicely modulated and powerful when hooked up to proper wide-profile Tektro cr720s.


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Ride.

The more I ride this the better I like it. Its the balance between practicality and agility that stands out. The frame is comfy and responsive. It’s stiff enough not to feel noodly under power, and light enough to build into a quick bike that doesn’t hate hills. The steering is quick too. This is accentuated by the short stem and relatively narrow flared bar set up I have, and I considered using a wider Nitto Randonneur bar. But I love the BB1s and will just man up. It’s rock solid down hill too. Apart from an eventual upgrade to a dynamo hub wheelset, the only changes I’m considering are moving the shifters from the down tube to the stem steerer. This grieves me somewhat, but I have to acknowledger that on long rides I’m getting an old-man-ache-on-one-side from reaching down. Perhaps Yoga is the answer ….


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It would be great to build some more detail on these bikes, and in researching this I came across a snippett again from a Hilary Stone advert that mentions the build process:


[the 708 frames] were very carefully designed and very well built in Raleigh’s Special Products Division. We followed the building of one of these frames in Cycling Plus Issue 40 and there was a test of the complete bike C+36. I was very impressed – because the photography meant that the brazing torches were on for longer, they cut the frame up at the end as they thought the tubing might have been overheated… That was the sort of level of care Raleigh SPD took with their frames…

Let me know if you have a copy of Cycling Plus issues 36 and/or 40 [I think from 1995] I’ll pay good gold.

View attachment 472587

 

[MarkRutherford]

Hi Guinness, I've come to love the friction shifters on my Raleigh Rapide, so it really works for me on the Randonneur.

So exciting discovery...I ordered three different Humbrol paints to touch up a couple of minor chips on my frame (hoping a mix of them might come close). Well one is an absolutely perfect match for the 'Avio Blue' of the Randonneur. It's the 'No 52 Baltic Blue - Metallic - Tinlet No 1 (14ml). AA0566. Even the level of iridescence is perfect. Yours for Humbrol for the princely sum of £2.69!

May post pics if I get round to it.