Flat bar riding position

[roadrash]

or consider second hand and you get more bang for your buck , theres usually plenty about after christmas

 

[HLaB]

Edit: actually I could stick a 39t small cog on the crankset without spoiling the old school looks - but I'm not sure it would give me quite enough to get up the hill in question. Plus I get on really well with the 42t for rolling/flat rides.

My old Sirrus had a 42t and I must admit that I quite like that gear too. A 39t and/ or a new freewheel/cassette will be your cheapest option but n+1 is always good

 

[mcshroom]

How about this one?

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/raleigh-royal-2013-touring-bike

 

[Peteaud]

If i had £300 i would buy the T3, take it to a LBS and get it greased properly.

Job done.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

You could look at changing your commute so you don't have to do the hill

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Edit: actually I could stick a 39t small cog on the crankset without spoiling the old school looks - but I'm not sure it would give me quite enough to get up the hill in question. Plus I get on really well with the 42t for rolling/flat rides.

Nearly all vintage 52/42 chainsets are 144 bcd, they won't take a 39T ring.

I think it is generally true that hybrids are cheaper than road bikes, if only because drop bar sti's are circa 3x more expensive for no obvious reason I can detect. However examples like the Triban's exist and are such amazing value for money that they become the exception to the rule. The problem of buying from Halford is you should factor in time/cost for checking and ensuring everything is set up properly. IME it is always worth checking new wheels from cheaper (i.e. under £700 say) bikes to ensure spoke tensions are adequately high and hub bearings are suitably preloaded and greased - they are usually the Achilles' heel of such bikes.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

is there anything worth getting with drop bars for £300? bearing in mind durability is what I'm going for here. a touring bike with wide ranged gears would be perfect, but well out of my current budget

Agree with peteaud Triban 3 is good vfm.

Would you look at second hand or consider a drivetrain upgrade on your current frame.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I'm reluctant to change the crankset on my current bike, since at the moment all the parts are 1950s/60s originals. Second hand is also a bit risky for me, since I'm not experienced enough to identify any flaws (unless they're really obvious!).

I'm going to have a go on the zelos and my friend's T3 - also maybe the raleigh touring bike (since it seems to come with mudguards and a rear rack it is just about in budget).

Then off to the LBS to get the hub bearings greased and the spokes checked out!

Thanks again for the advice

 

[ChrisEyles]

Raleigh royal is going for £360 on Amazon, which with mudguards and rear rack is really rather good. Plus I do prefer the styling of it to the flashier road bikes... need to find one to try out!

 

[jowwy]

Raleigh Royal - i am liking that

 

[vickster]

14.5kg so not too shabby either

 

[ChrisEyles]

it's certainly easy on the eyes!

 

[ChrisEyles]

Anyone have any info on the sizing guide for the raleigh royal?

The Raleigh official site suggests a 50cm frame for my build (5'9, 32" inside leg) - this seems very small compared to normal, is this just due to the sloping top tube?

 

[ChrisEyles]

The (cheapest) amazon supplier is only available in 55cm... normally I'd go with that, but the raleigh size guide would suggest otherwise!

 

[ChrisEyles]

Just been into town and quizzed a couple of my LBSs. They were both of the opinion that £360 is a really good deal on the Raleigh, and that I'm unlikely to do much better on my budget. I must say the steel frame and retro styling are big selling points for me compared to the Triban 3 or Carrera zelos that were my other main within-budget choices.

I got sized up on a similar geometry frame and a 55cm suited perfectly well, so I've just clicked the big shiny button on amazon.

Quite excited now

Thanks mcshroom for the suggestion! Don't know how I missed this bike in my earlier searching!

Can report back when I've had a ride around if anyone's interested.