1978 Raleigh Professional MKV

I bought this as a frame and fork a while back with the intention of building it up as it would’ve been built originally . This was the best of the Raleigh Professional bikes to come out of the Carlton factory according to most folks who have owned or ridden them. I , personally , like the look of  all the Pro’s but this is the only one I have ridden or owned so I cannot make any claims as to which is the best . The Mink blue , or Steel blue of the MKV , is truly iconic of this model even though they were available in at least one other color. Most folks , when they imagine a Raleigh Pro , think of Mink Blue and Silver bands.

This is how the frame came to me . It seems it was neglected but not abused , the paint shows plenty of chips and surface rust but both the headset and bottom bracket were good , just in need of service and adjustment. The size is perfect for my LONG legs . It is a 25″ or 64cm frame so a bit better fit than my Raleigh Competition GS that is rideable but not ideal at 60cm.

The serial # shows that it is indeed a 1978 Worksop built Carlton frame with the cut outs in the shell.

I spent a few months gathering components that were somewhat period correct for a 1978 Raleigh Professional . I also had quite a bit of spares that were used . This bike would have come with a full Campagnolo group which I pretty much adhered to . The date stamps are not the exact year but I didn’t want to spend more than needed on the build. I found the Brooks Team Pro saddle with the oversized copper rivets . The wheel set I chose was from a donor bike that I found that was cheaper than any period correct 700c wheelset I could find . The 27″ wheels that I was going to use with nice Campagnolo High Flange Record hubs was a no go as this frame does not have enough clearance for the slightly larger 27″ diameter rims. The bike came originally with low flange Campy Record hubs and probably tubular rims.

So, I ended up with a nice set of Mavic G40 rims laced to early Phil Woods hubs and stainless steel spokes(x36) and Campagnolo Record skewers

This is the second bike I have with these hubs and they are very smooth, and , maintenence free!

I think it turned out rather well for a bike that started out as just a frame and fork . The build is pretty much correct . I used a GB forged stem and GB British Isles bars , Campagnolo Nuovo Record headset , bottom bracket , seat post , brakes and levers, crankset with 52/42 rings, and front and rear derailleurs/shifters. I put a nice set of Campagnolo Superleggeri pedals with Christophe traps and straps as spec’d from original print ad.

A picture from “behind bars” as I enjoy a cool climb up one of our local canyons. It climbs nicely and handles the down hill with ease and no bad behavior at all . The turns are very controlled for a bike that is basically a race bike. I have put many miles on it since I completed the build with no trouble but a flat that my patch kit took care of.

I was originally concerned that it would be a duplicate of the Competition GS that I have been riding off and on for the last 6-7 years ,but it is not , probably due to the size of the frame. I am sure there will be many adventures ahead for this bike as well as my other bikes as I pedal around on my classic steeds. Ride on ……Joe