Raleigh Randonneur 708 (RSP) - fat tyre trad touring Welsh countryside botherer

So, having spent time and effort and money trying to make an early 90s skinny tyre road bike be comfortable, I’ve given up. Instead, I’ve decided to build myself the best traditional touring bike I can.

There’s only one frame I’d want to do this with: the mid-90s last gasp of Raleigh’s UK building that was the Randonneur. The first version was a nice but quite normal 531-framed canti-brake tourer, but they then went all out with the Reynolds 708 version. It reviewed very well at the time and has all sorts of nice details… and I’ve got myself one (badged as a Royal but it’s the same frame)

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It’s rusty as shit, but none of it seems too scary. Two dents in the top tube scared me a bit but I think they can be filled

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Agree with all the above, it's a great great frame

It’s got loads of cool details: oversized seatstay caps, pointy fork crown., a spoke holder, and space for 35mm tyres with mudguards.

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It’s pretty shagged, so will be stripping it right down. The rough plan is as follows:

1. Take it to Argos Cycles in Bristol so they can deal with the dents and the rust
   
2. Either get them to enamel it, or get it powder coated. Whichever I choose I’ll go metallic like the original paintwork, probably in the OG blue or red - this green is a little polite for my liking. I’ve never had a frame enamelled properly so I’d like to do it for once.
   
3. Build it up in a modern peak touring way - 3x9, big tyres, rack out back, and dynamo lighting. Stretch goal is a full SON setup (hub and both lights), and I already have some nice bits (Brooks Swift, Tubus stainless racks)
   
   

I’m gonna make this the nicest build I can, so it’s gonna take a while with the minimal disposable income I’ve got to hand. Once it’s on the road, I dream of roaming the tiny Welsh lanes near the house we’re about to finish buying in the valleys - Jack Thurston of Lost Lanes has a lot to answer for here.

Would love any input as I go, but I reckon it’s going to be sweet. I’ll also fill you in on some past tours I’ve done and stuff I’ve learned that’s gonna go into this build, cos I feel like sharing some of the dumb shit I’ve done.

Sub’d :)

And it has a single arm mudguard mount on the chainstay, cute

Following!

Nice

Fun!

Subbed. This is going to be lovely.

Noice. I've been slowly working on one of these for my partner, recently took it on a mini tour round Wales too! She loves it, albeit less excited by the spoke holder than I was. Lovely frames though. Hadn't realised it's actually a Randonneur, good info!

Oh wow, so that's what it should look like! Lovely build - apparently mine was set up with a flat bar like this when the original owner (not the seller) last rode it.

The Royal/Randonneur thing was a difference in build spec rather than frame, I believe - will do some more digging on that

Ah thanks :) Yeah I do like the look of the swept back bars on hers, but I think if it were mine I'd go with drops and down tube shifters. It's also gained a lovely old brooks saddle since that photo was taken, but still needs larger tyres, guards and a rando rack, when funds allow.

Interesting about the different models. I actually haven't done any research on the bike so I'd be keen to know what you find out!

The randonneur and royal was the same frame but the difference tends to be the non drive side chainstay spoke holders (driveside for the 531 model). With yours being a late frame maybe they just put them on all frames or maybe it was destined to be a randonneur all along?

or maybe passhunting was destined to be a randonneur all along?

:)

I've got a 25in Royal being dropped off this weekend so super interested in this build. Mines 531 after missing out on a 708 from FB marketplace.

No cantis on mine though so will be fitting deep drop dual pivot calipers.

Love the sound of this. Enamel sounds much more interesting than powder coat too, and it’ll retain the frame and lug details better no?

Agreed - I’ve stripped it down to frame and fork (more photos to follow) and powder coating it wouldn’t be right given all the details. Plus there’s a bunch of bonus rust problems I’ll need sorting, so may as well let Argos work their magic once I have the funds together

Some stripped down details - a little bit more rust has emerged, particularly around one of the rear canti pegs and the cool mudguard bridge thing. Both of these make me a little nervous, but I’m sure Argos will be able to do something - if I get away with just a thorough blast to get rid of the rust and some dent infills I’d be surprised.

Some cool things have emerged amidst the rust: sweet Raleigh branded dropouts, and original factory paint instructions on the steerer - more evidence the Royal (green) and Randonneur (blue) were the same frame

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The original paint seems to be a slightly fancier take on British racing green, which is not 100% to my taste. Argos offers this slightly brighter/more fun version that I think would look sick. It’s also more in line with the jazzier look of the Randonneur version from the same year

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Just polished off a quick draft build list for this too - will try to get what I can used or discounted over the coming months (if you have any of this hmu). I already have the Tubus racks, the Brooks saddle, the bar end shifters, the bottles cages, and the brake levers, so that eases a little bit of the budget pressure too. Will be funding this build through buying/selling stuff from car boot sales over the summer, as well as clearing out some parts I have in storage... it's gonna take a while!

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Why not hot pink with sparkles?

Fair question - simple answer is cos I've already got a sufficiently pink bike that may get pinker once I wreck the original (pretty thin) paintwork

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you might find it more economical to find something complete and secondhand and then just swap the frame? not sure - just a thought. Looks great anyway and keen to follow along