The Competition joined Raleigh’s lineup of racing and sports bicycles in 1969 as an affordable alternative to their top-of-the-line Professional and International models.  This one is from 1976, built by Carlton and featuring a Reynolds 531 frame & fork with Huret dropouts.  It came equipped with Huret Jubilee derailleurs, which set world records as the lightest production derailleur ever made and which are now rare pieces of kit.  The derailleurs, matching Specialities T.A. Professional crankset, bottom bracket and headset are all original to this bike, which I recently restored.  Read on to learn more about the Raleigh Competition MK. II!

Above is a scan from the 1976 Raleigh catalog, showing the Competition.  The description reads:

A model specifically made with the younger racer or touring enthusiast in mind. Thoughtfully designed with many of the Pro Mk, IV features.  It provides an exceptionally good value along with superior performance. Reynolds 531 double butted tubing, stays, fork with sloping crown and chrome tips. HURET JUBILEE derailleurs, Weinmann center-pull brakes with brazed cable eyes, quick release alloy hubs, toe clips, Raleigh tubular tires and a leather saddle are some of the quality fittings.

According to the Headbadge website, from 1974 to 1976, the Competition featured Bocama lugs.  The lug set used on the Competition changed a number of times, so the Bocama set and the Huret dropouts were key to confirming the model year of this bike.  If you’re trying to identify the year of a Raleigh Competition, this Bikeforums thread has a lot of useful information and catalog scans.

This one came into my hands as part of a larger collection of Raleigh bicycles, and it was largely intact, minus the original wheelset, saddle, seat post, shifters and pedals.  I gave all the components a thorough scrubbing before reassembly.  I added a set of Simplex Criterium shifters, a lovely wheelset with Rigida alloy clincher rims, Maillard hubs, and a Suntour Winner Pro 6-speed freewheel (13-14-15-16-17-18), Olimpic 74 pedals, ANPI/Cortina 2-bolt seatpost in the Campagnolo style, an Ideale 39 leather saddle, and fresh cloth bar tape to top it off.  I tried to stay as close to the original spec as possible, to create an authentic period-correct restoration.

Size: It’s a medium, with a 55cm seat tube (measured center-to-center) and a 56cm top tube (also center-to-center).  Standover is 32 inches.  The GB stem is 90mm with matching GB 38cm-wide handlebars.  The fork clearance is 53mm and the rear clearance is 59mm, so it will fit wide tires or a 650B conversion.

This was a fairly easy restoration, given that I had all the parts on hand, original or replacements from my bins.  I’m hoping it finds a new home with a Raleigh fan who will ride it and enjoy it.  Check out the gallery below for more photos.