This Raleigh Rambler MX came to me through typically serendipitous means. Ill try to be concise.
I drop my daughter off for day 3 of basketball camp. Leaving, there is a church van up on blocks, with what looks like a columbia canti from a distance. I gotta see whats up, i drive over, and cant believe what im seeing. At this point, im sure whoever is lying under this van may be my new bff. This bike looks like a home brew klunker. Ive never seen anything like this in my area. So, I just start jabbering away at the van. "Hey man. I love your klunker. This bike is great" hes all "hi brother, who is that?" So he pops out, 80+ degrees and hes wearing denim and sweats with a knit hood. Hes a from Georgia, he bought this factory klunker at a yard sale, and hes been using it to go back and forth from this parking lot to walmart for parts and tools. Its probably 8ish miles one way with no considerations for bikes.
I ask if the bike would be available for sale or trade. He says "yea man, since you like it so much, ill let you tell me." I said id be back. I go to th e VZ Vault, and pick this up.
Not the trailer, just the white bike. Was my spring rider. Ive been holding onto it specifically to trade to someone whos commuting on a decidedly non commuter bike.
When I came back, he starts saying oh no, this is too much. V brakes, 21 speeds, aluminum hybrid, fresh from tune by ftom a pro. I got many "god bless you" and a happy ammount of hallelujah. He did get around to asking why the Raleigh was worth so much. He said he was into bikes, so i told him the Gary Fisher, Allen Bonds, Joe Breeze story. 80s bike made to look like a bike made in the 50s and rebuilt for dh racing in the late 70s. he liked the back story. He said he was going to write "Lucas" on the bb and bring it back to Georgia. He was happy.