Commuter: Raleigh Pioneer vs Decathlon Riverside 120 vs Suggestions?

[philepo]

Hi all. I had my faithful 2010 Revolution Streetfinder bought new nicked a few weeks ago (a hybrid with v upright Dutch stylee riding position I like) and am struggling to find a replacement - budget a strict £250 and second hand seem not much cheaper than new after c2w discount. So, are the modern Raleighs any good? Is the Riverside (with added mudguards and rack) any better? I like a hybrid for derailleur gears and some speed but upright like a city bike. Any suggestions very welcome👍👍👍

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/pioneer/crossbar

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hybrid-bike-riverside-120-grey-2021/_/R-p-300806

PS A head stems are ugly and it would upset my asthetic sensibilities to move away from the elegant swan, but I'd live 😊

 

[Jameshow]

To me the Raleigh is a more complete bike with the 3x gears will suit hills, but weighs more (offset by the mudguards and 3x gears.

Decathlon will do the job on the flat and possibly less likely to get nicked??

 

[philepo]

I actually prefer 1x7 to 3x7. If it's that steep I walk, that fast I stop pedaling 😊. The Raleigh rack has no where to hook bungees which is annoying. But yes, has all the usual commuter bits. I think opportunistic theives nick anything

 

[Jameshow]

Where are you?
I have a Dawes discovery 201 need cables...

 

[philepo]

Sounds good 👍Gateshead area. You?

 

[albion]

Bike bargains are to be had now.
Go to bikebargains or check hotukdeals.

Better bikes start from £189.

 

[AndyRM]

I reckon you'd be able to get bungees on that rack, I'd go for the Raleigh.

 

[albion]

At 17kg weight it will only be ok if your commutes are flat.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

Decathalon says this about their own product The Riverside 120 is designed for occasional rides up to 20 km. Its hybrid.....

You will find similar statement throughout their site, a while back I was looking for panniers and one of theirs had a description of something like not suitable for touring.

It appears that they would rather not a make a sale than make a sale and then have warrenty claims from customers whose expectations for the product were too high.

To me Decathlon are saying that this bike isn't suitable for use as a commuter.

I once bought a used bike and the shop fitted those resin pedals that brands like Trek or Specialized fit to those bikes that they expect the rider to fit their own pedals to. The shop only had clipless in stock and I'm a Luddite, anyway these pedals lasted less than a few hundred miles, the ball bearings squashed or fractured and then split. The point being that some bike bits are of a very low quality.

Okay we are metric but notice that the occasional ride recommendation is 20 is km which about 13 miles, so it would be hard to say that's unexpected if it were to start falling apart when used as a commuter

Bye

Ian

 

[a.twiddler]

Well, I have no experience of the Raleigh or the Decathlon but the Pioneer looks more complete, and generally ready to go. It also looks to me at least, more aesthetically pleasing. It's nice to buy a bare bicycle, and fit your own choice of rack, mudguards, etc but unless you have a shed full of the parts that you need already it can soon add an unexpected amount to the original price. Gearing is a personal choice but the Raleigh gives a decent spread of gears to start with. A good range of sizes too. A complete bike for that price might have cut some corners in spec but as long as the main components give you what you want things like saddles, pedals and grips are things you might change anyway.

If a used bike could do the job, and I see that you have an offer of one, and some suggestions for budget new ones, it would be worth following up first.

 

[Cycleops]

I'd go for the Raleigh for many of the reasons given above.
I noticed that Decathlon charge you £20 more for the privilege of owning the blue/grey

 

[chris667]

I'd get something secondhand. New bikes are just too flash for their own good.

And you get a proper quill stem.

You can't give away a secondhand hybrid these days. Put a wanted ad up here.

Re: the occasional use statement - I think that's really more an admission that they aren't going to set the cheaper bikes up so well and upselling more expensive models. More expensive bits are better to a point, but actually cheaper steel components are more often tolerant of poor setup and have longer service life. Beyond a certain point you get lower weight and more polish.

 

[Jameshow]

Sounds good 👍Gateshead area. You?

Sorry I'm in West Yorkshire so a bit far tbh.

 

[philepo]

At 17kg weight it will only be ok if your commutes are flat.

Both the Raleigh and Decathlon are about 15 kg, so about the same as my Revolution. My commute is fairly flat otherwise I wouldn't bother 🤦☺️

 

[philepo]

I'd get something secondhand. New bikes are just too flash for their own good.

And you get a proper quill stem.

You can't give away a secondhand hybrid these days. Put a wanted ad up here.

Re: the occasional use statement - I think that's really more an admission that they aren't going to set the cheaper bikes up so well and upselling more expensive models. More expensive bits are better to a point, but actually cheaper steel components are more often tolerant of poor setup and have longer service life. Beyond a certain point you get lower weight and more polish.

Been scanning the usual places and prices seem high tbh 🤷