Factory Fresh

As the sun shines we get a chance to see some interesting and some shockers. This week we had a beauty!

This Raleigh Record Ace looks factory fresh. You can tell this bike has been loved and it doesn't need much to get it back on the road. Everything on this bike is original, I mean everything. You wouldn't believe that even tyres would still look this good, no cracks or splits, just some slight discolouration. 

The reason the bike is in with us is down to the fact that the wheels aren't really as tidy as the rest of the bike. The spokes are the only thing that really need changing and that's all in progress now. A simple rebuild with new spoke will get this lovely bike back on the road. 

There will be an update when the wheels are done - getting this bike back in the sun. Meanwhile the happy customer and his wife are riding around on some rather nice Ridgebacks while the Raleigh is in the workshop. 

Ritch@KR

No.1 Window Display

We have been thinking about the new window display heading towards the Jubilee weekend for some time now. But we never imagined it could look this good. 

Many thanks to Shannon Cree from Headmasters (also on Clemens Street). This display now looks awesome!

As you well know we have 2 windows and the other one is in progress but why not come down and have a look at the vintage themed window display.

Items in the window included items from Pashley, Brompton, Raleigh and Brooks.

Ritch@KR

John Tomac Carbon/Ti Raleigh

This has been the talking point for a lot of retro fans and its now back on display in John Atkins Cycles. 

This bike is very special. This is one of 4 known bikes that were made to replicate the bike Tomac rode for a short while. This particular bike was the housed at the UK Raleigh HQ on display in the main entrance as a proud display of Tomac-ness. Its short history ends with it being sold to John Atkins Cycles when Tomac moved on from Raleigh.

This bike is one of the 4 promo bikes made by Raleigh back in the day. 2 are thought to have stayed in the USA and one went to Europe. These 4 bikes had Titanium sections made by Merlin (rather than the 80 or so replicas made after by Litespeed) and have no frame numbers. There is just a small mark on the BB. 

The Tomac Raleigh has never been ridden and is all original. As you can see, some of the stickers are peeling and the original Rock Shox paint job is fading. To this day they tubes and tyres even hold air and the mold marks can still be seen. So overall its not doing too badly for its age. 

There is plenty of information (some more opinions than information) on the internet if you want to know more but otherwise the bike is here for you to drool over. So why don't you come on down and see it for yourself.

Ritch@KR