Mitch's Raleigh Mixte

Bought this bike from the original owner near Manchester, UK. It was in almost unridden condition, having hung in the garage for 20+ years. My wife rode it around London every day and toured the countryside with it. Came to the U.S. with us in a Delta airliner hold.

Once here it needed some low gears for the steep canyon rides we have, so it got this DX crank (but would look better with that new crank from Pauls Components ;-). The rear der is a Campy Veloce I had in the shop that handles the range, and the front der is a deerhead Deore from the early or mid eighties. Narrow cage needs too much trimming for her riding style so a newer-fashioned der will replace it sometime. The shifters are Deore thumbies. All friction, although the cassette is Shimano from the same era as the shifters so it might index.

Also needed more stem rise so on went the Riv dirt drop Nitto stem. The bar is the original Sakae Road Champion. It's very different than the Dove bar she has on another bike, and she rode this bike with each bar before she decided what she liked best.

It also inherited this pair of light 700 wheels I built for her. Shimano 600 hubs, 32 by 15g, 3x, alternating green and red alloy nipples--sad, I know. Ruffy Tuffys. Huge clearance. Those are the original fenders, sorry mudguards, but my wife is eyeing some aluminum ones (and dreaming about a Son dyno hub). For now these are wearing the Gilles Bertoud leather mudflap.

The brakes are Raleigh-branded Weinman, and the levers Weinman flat bar style, much more solid and robust than I'd have expected. Looked all around for the brown cable housing my wife requested, but I'm still looking for a long enough piece to run cable further down between the double laterals.

Pedals and half clips were original to the bike, the first clips my wife's tried that work with clogs. Raleigh-branded pump works well, although I haven't figured out where to put a water bottle. Chromed rack was original to the bike and is light for steel at 14 ounces. My wife is looking for a basket, maybe a Wald to sit on the rack.

--Mitch

mitch.harris@gmail.com