Baby pics- Meet Fern

**mayanorange** · 04-08-2009, 04:09 AM

I picked up this beauty last night! Fern is a 70s Raleigh Super Course. She's got the most beautiful lugs, I'll have to get pics of them. about half original components, about half shimano of the same age. I have to get a bit creative to trim the reach a bit- anyone know of short reach drop bars in 25.4 clamps? I found the Nitto 105 (65mm reach), but wasn't sure if maybe there's other options? Current bars are 110mm or so and I'm used to my FSA compacts on my Jamis, which are 80mm.

**sbctwin** · 04-08-2009, 04:13 AM

Wow, very nice find...

**Tri Girl** · 04-08-2009, 04:30 AM

oooooo- soooooo purty!

Close ups- we demand close up pictures!

**mayanorange** · 04-08-2009, 05:21 AM

I will take some close-ups tonight, I promise!

PS- on the bars, I'd consider moustaches maybe, but not sure what reaches and widths those come in? Seem to be a bit bigger. I might eventually go to barcons- we'll have to see how I get on with the downtubers. Haven't had downtube shifters since my 3rd bike- 10sp Ross 70s bike that I had for a few years- maybe when I was 11 or so!

**BleeckerSt_Girl** · 04-08-2009, 06:06 AM

Now that's a thing of beauty. Look at those lovely slender steel tubes....curvy fork....that rich green....oooohhhh......

**Biciclista** · 04-08-2009, 06:10 AM

Fern - what a great name. Yes we want to see some close ups.

**sgtiger** · 04-08-2009, 06:19 AM

mayanorange - Fern is a beauty. I love the contrast of that green with those chromed stays and lower fork.

**mayanorange** · 04-08-2009, 07:04 AM

She's not butted steel, but the main triangle is Reynolds 531 and she has aluminum wheels. You guys are going to love the lugs. She's so dainty compared to the OS modern tubing!

Plans are (once the handlebars are where they belong) a new saddle (well, maybe a vintage if the Middlemore one I scored on ebay is wide enough for me), hand-sewn leather bar covers (oh darn, I have some extra leather sitting around), then we move on to sweet chrome fenders and bottle rack (she's going to be a commuter BTW). Can't make her look too cute tho, or somebody will swipe her! But that goes against my design aesthetics.... *sigh*

**Aquila** · 04-08-2009, 02:41 PM

As much as I love riding my aluminum bike (with a few carbon parts), I have to admit that the old steel frames are so beautiful and clean looking.

And that green! That's just one extraordinarily beautiful bike!

(Close ups, please)

**mayanorange** · 04-09-2009, 04:00 PM

**Iris616** · 04-09-2009, 08:09 PM

Wow-I love the green! She is beautiful!

**mayanorange** · 04-10-2009, 06:45 AM

PS- that's not dirt, that's original handpainted gold accents highlighting her curvaceous lugs. And there's a trace of accents down the fork and at the green/chorme lines. Can't wait to get some sweet fenders on there and maybe a Brooks.

**DebW** · 04-10-2009, 02:29 PM

Very familiar. Even the R on the seat post bolt (which is English, not metric). I worked in a Raleigh shop in the 70s. What derailleurs does it have? Huret or Simplex?

**uforgot** · 04-10-2009, 02:42 PM

I have the Ritchey Biomax bars on my Nishiki. 75mm reach and 130mm drop. I think it's the term Biomax that is the shorter and shallower part. Mine are silver and I got them on ebay. Silver isn't as easy to find as black, but they ARE out there.

**Miranda** · 04-10-2009, 03:39 PM

Congrats! Fern is really beautiful

. I was in the grocery store parking today watching a couple commuters buzzing in and out. Most locked their bikes. One did not. I wasn't close enough to see what the bikes were. But, the unlocked guy I thought, man I hope it's still there buddy when you come out. I agree, unfortunately you have to keep her undercover a bit to help prevent theft. Hope you have many happy and safe miles together

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