As my years advance and I grow less enamoured with CFRP / concerned with outright speed and more interested in steel, comfort, longevity and character, I've persuaded myself I "need" a nice unmolested tourer.
Raleigh's top-end offerings very much appeal, namely the Royal and Randonneur. I've done a bit of homework and have a rough idea of what I want but as always welcome the insight of the CC hivemind.
I'd like something from the late '80s as it seems like a nice balance-point between spec and retro-charm.. while apparently marking the beginning of the company's sad decline into the '90s.
I know the Royal has been around for the longest; with earlier models having 27" wheels, 5-speed cassettes and caliper brakes with a blue/chrome paint job on the later, pre-87 variants. I believe in 1987 they had a major facelift; getting 700c wheels, 6-speed cassettes, cantilever brakes and the Randonneur-esq paintjob of black or dark red with a silver head-tube. It seems that the Royal wasn't that much lower-specced than the Randonneur; with a few cheaper bits (saddle, headset, crankset etc) and slightly lower-specced frame materials in places (although retaining 531st in the main triangle).
The Randonneur was evidently introduced in 1987 at the same time as the Royal's facelift and was distinguised by the Brookes saddle, spare spokes on the chainstay and some other little refinements. Over the lifetime of these models (until maybe 1990 / 1991) they got little upgrades (such as a 7-speed cassette) but generally remained largely the same.
It seems that at some point in the early 1990s the Royal was discontinued and the Randonneur got a major facelift - getting an electric blue frame in the somewhat overlooked / mysterious Reynolds 708 tubing, bar-end shifters instead of those on the downtube of earlier models and a few more changes. I'm less interested in the '90s models (unless someone can tell me they're significantly superior to the earlier offerings / I can get one dirt-cheap) and not at all interested in any of the late'90s and beyond badge-engineered, non-uk-made models.
It seems that prices vary wildly - I've seen a few tatty Royals go on ebay recently for sub-£100, while there was a really nice Randonneur on there for a grand before it disappeared - presumably sold to someone with deep pockets for a bit less than the asking.
I'm not in a hurry and happy to bide my time, and in the meantime would very much like to learn more about these bikes please
Raleigh's top-end offerings very much appeal, namely the Royal and Randonneur. I've done a bit of homework and have a rough idea of what I want but as always welcome the insight of the CC hivemind.
I'd like something from the late '80s as it seems like a nice balance-point between spec and retro-charm.. while apparently marking the beginning of the company's sad decline into the '90s.
I know the Royal has been around for the longest; with earlier models having 27" wheels, 5-speed cassettes and caliper brakes with a blue/chrome paint job on the later, pre-87 variants. I believe in 1987 they had a major facelift; getting 700c wheels, 6-speed cassettes, cantilever brakes and the Randonneur-esq paintjob of black or dark red with a silver head-tube. It seems that the Royal wasn't that much lower-specced than the Randonneur; with a few cheaper bits (saddle, headset, crankset etc) and slightly lower-specced frame materials in places (although retaining 531st in the main triangle).
The Randonneur was evidently introduced in 1987 at the same time as the Royal's facelift and was distinguised by the Brookes saddle, spare spokes on the chainstay and some other little refinements. Over the lifetime of these models (until maybe 1990 / 1991) they got little upgrades (such as a 7-speed cassette) but generally remained largely the same.
It seems that at some point in the early 1990s the Royal was discontinued and the Randonneur got a major facelift - getting an electric blue frame in the somewhat overlooked / mysterious Reynolds 708 tubing, bar-end shifters instead of those on the downtube of earlier models and a few more changes. I'm less interested in the '90s models (unless someone can tell me they're significantly superior to the earlier offerings / I can get one dirt-cheap) and not at all interested in any of the late'90s and beyond badge-engineered, non-uk-made models.
It seems that prices vary wildly - I've seen a few tatty Royals go on ebay recently for sub-£100, while there was a really nice Randonneur on there for a grand before it disappeared - presumably sold to someone with deep pockets for a bit less than the asking.
I'm not in a hurry and happy to bide my time, and in the meantime would very much like to learn more about these bikes please
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