Raleigh Zenith Classic Ladies Eroica Bike 1980s

Not only is the Raleigh one of the oldest cycling brands of the world, it also is popular for its racing heritage. At the peak of sportive triumph stood the Dutch cycling Team TI Raleigh which was extremely successful from the 1970s to the 1980s. Many famous champions rode in this équipe, among them Joop Zoetemelk, Jan Raas, Gerrie Knetemann, Hennie Kuiper, Dave Lloyd, Urs Freuler, Johan van der Velde and Didi Thurau.

Despite their engagement in professional cycling, the sportive amateur bike remained the backbone of their line, and the Zenith was one of them.
The elegant ladies racer was built using light Reynolds 501 tubing in the classic 'anglais form'.
Being a very versatile machine, it has some special feature, not obvious at first glance: the chainset is an early 'compcat' model, meaning that it uses rather small chainrings which allow pedaling at higher cadences as well as an easier conquest of climbs. The corresponding freewheel in the back supports this feature with a large 28 teeth cog.

If you are looking for a bike which helps you ease the pain, which hilly 'strade bianche' might cause, this ist just the thing! Checked and adjusted, ready to hit the road.