This bike is a Raleigh International that was originally sold as a 10-speed light touring bike way back in 1970. There’s a great article from Sheldon Brown here that includes some images of the original advertisements for this model. 

I’ve had it for about 10 years now, and I originally got it as a gift from a friend in college. Before it came to me it had been sitting in a barn for a decade, so it was still in pretty good shape with almost all original parts. To the horror of a few restoration enthusiasts, I have torn the bike apart several times and swapped this or that in my quest to make it comfortable and useful. 

I love the frame on this bike and it gets a lot of compliments between the sun-faded green paint job and the chromed lugs, and part of the challenge for me over the years has been finding modern components that don’t spoil that vintage charm. Velo Orange and Rivendell Bicycle Works are two bike companies that have done amazing work to keep silver components alive and available in the current bike industry, and they were a huge inspiration to me along the way.

Now it’s sporting an upright riding position, cushy 38mm tires, a clean 1x drivetrain, and our silver Temper kit, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I ride it whenever I’m not carrying as much cargo, and it is equally comfortable on leisurely picnic rides or on a quick zip across town. At 35lbs this is lighter than almost any e-bike on the market that isn’t made of carbon, and it does it without stripping down on utility or comfort. Not too shabby for a 50 year old bike.

-Will