1973/78 Raleigh Professional Track

In 1973, I was working at Klarsfeld's Schwinn Cyclery, in Albany, NY, which was also a large Raleigh Dealership. I was tossing empty bike boxes out the back door one day when I noticed that the box I was about to throw into the parking lot had not been opened. I set the box down and looked at the label on the end, wondering what kind of bike could possibly be so light. It was a Raleigh Pro Track and it was my size! I realized right then and there that I had to have the bike.

After peading with the boss, I setup a payment plan for the bike and soon was riding the streets of Albany on the perfect city bike. I learned to do track stands at traffic lights to keep from having to get in and out of the toeclips. I found that the light weight, short wheelbase and stiff frame made the bike accelerate quickly, allowing quick jumps from light to light. The short forkrake made the bike maneuverable to get around in traffic, and the single, direct-drive cog eliminated all shifting concerns. Today, it seems everyone knows about the benefits of single-speed for urban bikes, but it was a revalation in the early '70s.

For awhile, the track bike was my only ride. I commuted on it, used it for recreational riding and even did a century once--at night! All that road riding proved to be too much for the poor frame and the top tube eventually took a nasty twist, throwing off the alignment. The Raleigh salesman agreed that it was a defect and had the company send me a new frame. I was saddened to loose the classic red, white & blue paint job and I thought that the team colors were terribly gaudy, but I have gotten used to it over the years.

The rims on this bike have been replaced, as have the handlebars. It came with AVA road rims and GB "Map-of-England" road handlebars. Almost all the other components are the originals that came on the bike in '73.