I used to sell Raleighs in the late 70s/early 80s. The Carlton made Raleighs that were full butted Reynolds 531 with chromy bits were dream bikes that were ironically out of reach because I worked in a bike shop. My wages went up, and the price of these frames came down, but the dream of owning them never went away. Things have changed, I no longer want the gearing that came stock, I've made many concessions to comfort, more modern drive trains shift better, but the frames are as relevant as ever.
The Competition is now a Townie bike with 650b 38mm tires and upright handlebars. It has a Dura Ace triple drivetrain.
The International is a bike camping unit with 650b 38mm tires, a Stronglight 49D triple crank, Shimano XTR derailleurs and Suntour thumb shifters.
The Professional is a near stock racing bike with climbing gears for quick rides around the lakes in town here.
These were the first pages of the the Raleigh catalogs in their day, they started with the top of the line. It's a lot of fun and a privilege to own all of them.
by loonmn612