I found this gem in a dust pile at an estate sale and am trying to get it back on the road; I'd potentially like to use this as a future L'Eroica bike, but will be riding as my "farmers market" bike for now.
On the history side – I'm pretty sure that this is an early-1970's Raleigh Professional Mark II, but can anyone point me in the right direction to learn more about this particular frame? As background, this was found outside Ithaca, NY and belonged to the seller's father. The bike looks to be (very) lightly ridden, but the seller knew little about the bike. I've found Sheldon Brown's Retro Raleigh's (https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/professional.html) page, and a great blog post (https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/12/raleighs-bike-boom-flagship-raleigh.html?m=1), but am hoping to dig a bit deeper. For example, I keep seeing references to a classic "blue mink and silver" paint scheme…which this obviously is not. What's this color called (I'm calling it "mushy peas" atm)? Is this the standard kit (looks to be fully Campy), or have there been swaps over time?
On the restoration and rideability side, the bike only needed new tubes/tires and cables to make it rideable…but I could use help on era-appropriate tweaks (and where to shop). This is my first "restoration" project and I'd like to do things right! Specifically:
– on the restoration side, there's a bit of unsightly but non-disruptive rust on the seat rails and brake assemblies. What's the best way to remove the rust without damaging?
– on the rideability side, I'd like to tweak the reach. I'm between 54/56 in modern sizing (short legs, long torso and arms) and this frame would be more comfortable if it was just a bit longer. Should I be looking for "120mm quill stems" to replace the existing 3T Record stem, or is this more complicated?
– Less importantly – any recommendations for "vintage looking" platform pedals? I really dislike riding the current one-sided (no toe-clip) Campy's, but my studded MTB pedals would look terrible…
Thanks for the help!!
by PandaCalves