New classic look town bikes (Raleigh / town bike style)

[peten]

Hi there,

Would anyone be able to recommend any bike manufacturers that make new bikes in the style of Raleigh Chiltern / Sports / Esquire / Connoisseur / similar town bikes?

I cycle about 20-60 miles per day on my Raleigh and after having spent over £400 just so far this year in maintenance and repairs due to the heavy use I'm starting to come to terms with the fact I might be better off investing in something new that still has the classic style and feel to it.

Any suggestions or tips are much appreciated!

 

[vickster]

Pashley?

 

[raleighnut]

After spending that much on an old bike it should be a quite new bike by now.

 

[Doug.]

£400 spent, the bike should be in good shape ?

 

[mjr]

Pashley, Dawes, Gazelle, Azor, Dutchie, Highlander, …

I'd be surprised if the running costs were much less on them, though. What have you spent £400 on? Things likely to last years?

 

[Mrs M]

Pashley Poppy looks similar

 

[Mrs M]

 

[vickster]

Pashley Poppy looks similar

I’d guess an Esquire is a men’s model?

 

[Mrs M]

I’d guess an Esquire is a men’s model?

Oops
Found a Chiltern ladies bike like the Poppy
Men’s Esquire is like the Pashley Briton
Both very nice

 

[Alan O]

Pashley?

My LBS has a couple of Pashley Roadsters on display, one black and one green, and I really want one every time I see them.

 

[mjr]

My LBS has a couple of Pashley Roadsters on display, one black and one green, and I really want one every time I see them.

Lift them. They make my Dutch bike seem lightweight. Even for roadsters, Pashleys are heavy.

 

[Alan O]

Lift them. They make my Dutch bike seem lightweight. Even for roadsters, Pashleys are heavy.

Hehe, I'm never going to buy one, so maybe I won't test the weight and will just hold on to the idea that they look great

 

[gilespargiter]

If you have just spent that much on your bike, there can't be much left to go wrong, assuming it was reasonably well spent!

Bikes - try this - https://www.raleigh.co.uk/bikes/classic

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I cycle about 20-60 miles per day on my Raleigh and after having spent over £400 just so far this year in maintenance and repairs due to the heavy use I'm starting to come to terms with the fact I might be better off investing in something new that still has the classic style and feel to it

Let's go back to the beginning on this; you own a basic old 3-speed Raleigh light roadster. These bikes were built from quality parts, and the lifespan of the running gear is measured in decades not years. Given these bikes are essentially bomb-proof so long as they get occasional attention from an oil can and tub of grease, what on earth are you managing to spend £400 on in the first place? Sturmey Archer gears simply don't wear out, 3-speed chains last for years. The wheel rims are steel so they don't wear out either. Apart from the tyres, tubes, and brake blocks, there is virtually nothing on these bikes that could possibly need replacing within a year, and a pair of tyres and tubes is less than £30 all-in and you can get a set of brake blocks for a fiver. I cannot for the life of me see how you manage to spend so much on repairs, even given the fact you do cover quite a lot of miles.
No modern "classic" equivalent to these old 3-speeds is any better quality than an old Raleigh from the 1990's or earlier, so don't expect any new bike to be any more durable or any cheaper to maintain than your old one. I think you need to take a long hard look at exactly where all the money is going that you are spending on your current bike. In all the years I've owned an old 3-speed roadster (a Puch though, not a Raleigh but both are good quality) I will not have spent anything like £400 on maintenance/repairs in total - let alone over 1 year!.