Well, it's here. It arrived today and in many ways it is better than I expected, but there are, as always, a couple of niggles.
First, a pic (there will be more):
View attachment 529471
Good bits first: it's very original. Paintwork is deep and shiny with only a few chips and blemishes - pretty good for 40 years old. Decals good. Mudguards, chainset protector and rack are present (on most I have seen these are missing and it's £££ to put them back). The rack looks very like the original, but I'm not 100% convinced. It's too good. They came from the factory with a brown suede saddle, and this looks like it might be the original one. It's getting binned asap, though, like I did with my first Corsair. It's horrid and uncomfy. Tyres are English-made Michelin Sports, 27x1.25. The front is newish, but I think the rear might be the original tyre. It's a gumwall, horrendously old, and the brown bits are melting and cracking everywhere. It's getting new tyres before I go anywhere. Bar tape is inevitably a replacement and will be changed. I'm wondering about Brooks leather bar tape to match the B17 the other end is getting - too much? Miraculously, no one has thought to 'upgrade' the Raleigh-branded front and rear mechs. However, the rear block is a 14-24, and I know my old bike was a 14-34. Has someone swapped it to make the bike racier, or is this how they were sold? I was expecting a nice 33" bottom gear and the 42x24 gives 47", which will bust my knees big time. We shall see. I might take up the challenge.
Less good bits? Someone has tried to touch in the paint in places and left things a bit rippley. Not very noticeable, though. The seat pin nut is chewed and was seized up. I have managed to free it and the bolt is fine, but it needs a new one. Thankfully, both seat pin and stem are free. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the front and rear brake cables were wrong way round. Took me about 10 minutes to put right, once I had remembered how centre-pull calipers work. Chain is slightly rusty and the cables are stiff. I think new consumables are in order, followed by a good strip and lube of everything that moves.
Finally, I rode it round the garden. I hadn't ridden a bike with toe straps for many years. Yes, I fell off.
More to come when I have had a better look in the morning. There are some small detail differences between my 80s Corsair and this one, which the seller says is 1979. If anyone has any knowledge of the history of this model, I'd be really interested to hear it.
. Only brogues should be brown lol.
