Opinions please...
- Thread starter JAH
- Start date
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SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
For a tennner take it. It's an old MTN style bike from the 90's. Could possibly be a aluminum frame or oversized steel, if the former it'll be quite light. Can't see properly from your pic but the chain set looks worn, if so the chain and rear free wheel may also need replacement. Not too expensive. Check the tyres are not cracked, even if they are its a cheap replacement. What's on look like Schwalbe, a premium make with puncture protection.
The brakes are cantilever type, very effective if pads are good. Budget for new cables all round, about a tenner.
These are the bikes @SkipdiverJohn loves.
As @Cycleops has pointed out, the bike is worth a Tenner just for the Schwalbe tyres alone, irrespective whether it's a working bike or not. I suspect it could be a RINO model - a Raleigh In Name Only, with a Far-East imported frame given the huge size of the down tube. At that price, trivial details don't matter so long as it resembles a bike. Don't see why size should be an issue; a petite friend of mine who is only 5' 1" used to ride 5 miles each way to and from work on an old 26" MTB that size. So long as the frame size plus the crank arm length added together is no more than the rider's inside leg measurement, it will be rideable.
Thank you all. Have arranged to grab it in the morning before the vendor moves from Nottingham to Bristol.
I do have a soft spot for a Raleigh (and not because I'm in Nottingham - I'm not from here!), so hoping I can get it roadworthy. As a kid I use to ride quite seriously with my dad on my 5 speed Raleigh Sovereign. I even had a little write up in a national cycling magazine (title slips my mind now, although I'm sure I have a copy in my mum's attic somewhere!) for completing a 100km randonee event when I was about 10. We used to ride with Lincoln CTC. I went on to ride 200km and the 400km randonees soon after that, with my dad. Outgrew the Raleigh and got a Peugeot bike, which got stolen from our shed. My dad moved away at around the same time. So, no bike and no dad meant no more cycling then for me. What a shame!
Then, as happens, life took over. 35 years, a few stone, three kids and a career in teaching later and I have still not really cycled since.
Maybe that is about to change...
I do have a soft spot for a Raleigh (and not because I'm in Nottingham - I'm not from here!), so hoping I can get it roadworthy. As a kid I use to ride quite seriously with my dad on my 5 speed Raleigh Sovereign. I even had a little write up in a national cycling magazine (title slips my mind now, although I'm sure I have a copy in my mum's attic somewhere!) for completing a 100km randonee event when I was about 10. We used to ride with Lincoln CTC. I went on to ride 200km and the 400km randonees soon after that, with my dad. Outgrew the Raleigh and got a Peugeot bike, which got stolen from our shed. My dad moved away at around the same time. So, no bike and no dad meant no more cycling then for me. What a shame!
Then, as happens, life took over. 35 years, a few stone, three kids and a career in teaching later and I have still not really cycled since.
Maybe that is about to change...
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
What a nice piece of background JAH.
The bike will make a lovely project for you and you can learn all about bike maintenance along the way. Well be happy to answer any questions as you go.
Good luck.
The bike will make a lovely project for you and you can learn all about bike maintenance along the way. Well be happy to answer any questions as you go.
Good luck.
Morning...
I collected the bike this morning. It says Raleigh 'USA style' on the frame, along with 'max pro'.
The tyres say 'Panracer Crosstown' & something about puncture protection. They look in good shape. The wheels also look fine. 21 gears, which appear to work. Frame isn't rusted. Haven't ridden it yet as the tyres (or tires as they say on them!) are completely flat. The size is fine though.
Hopefully it won't take much to get it on the road, then I'll have got a bargain for a tenner!
Will let you know how it goes!
I collected the bike this morning. It says Raleigh 'USA style' on the frame, along with 'max pro'.
The tyres say 'Panracer Crosstown' & something about puncture protection. They look in good shape. The wheels also look fine. 21 gears, which appear to work. Frame isn't rusted. Haven't ridden it yet as the tyres (or tires as they say on them!) are completely flat. The size is fine though.
Hopefully it won't take much to get it on the road, then I'll have got a bargain for a tenner!
Will let you know how it goes!
vickster
Legendary Member
You could go along to this in a couple of weeks
http://www.nottinghambikeworks.org....d-education/community-projects/open-workshop/
Get a track pump for the tyres and a couple of inner tubes
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Sounds good. The tyres are Panaracer not Schwalbe but just as good. The wheels are true and spokes reasonably tight?
Post some pics of the bike to include the chain set if you can.
Post some pics of the bike to include the chain set if you can.
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
OP - this is a track pump - much easier to pump up tyres than a hand-held one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bicycle-...967&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bicycle-...967&pg=2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
(Nottingham bikeworks is not open on Mondays or I would go there - might still go there to get stuff done as I love the ethos).
Attachments
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
Nice bit of serendipity there. As said, a nominal check-up and adjustment's worth the investment, and away you go.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
I thought the chainset teeth looked worn in that first pic but it appears they are fine. Get that track pump and then you can ride it and see if the gears change all right, if they don't it probably just needs adjustment.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
So it IS a proper Nottingham-made Raleigh after all.... Nice result. One of the "Max" models they brought out around 1995 with the oversized frame tubes. The ones made from 2000 on have imported frames just rebadged as Raleighs. Panaracer tyres tend to be rather pricey, so as you seem to have got a functional, non-rusty British-built Raleigh with a pair of quality tyres fitted, all for £10 - I'd be well pleased with that and consider it a really good bargain
I'm happy! It actually says 'Max Ogre 21'. The vendor was a student who was leaving Nottingham this afternoon to take up her first job as a doctor in Bristol. I said that ten pounds didn't seem much, and she said that she was just glad she didn't have to leave it on the pavement outside her digs for the scrap metal van.
Morning...
I've taken my £10 bargain to the bike man today. Now I'm sad
as the verdict is:
cabling £40
tyres £50
chain and cassette £30 (this could be done later at a push)
+labour
Guy says he would budget at least £150 but hard to say for sure as with a bike that age that has been sitting for so long other things may become apparent once he starts working on it.
I wasn't really wanting to spend that much on it really, and with my luck it might end up being more. If it had cost even £120 in total, I'd have done it on the grounds that I'd be getting a decent bike for a chunk less than a new (if basic) one. But £150+ is getting close to the cost of a new one, that while not the best ever, would not be considered a BSO!
I didn't leave the bike with him, but said I would get back to him and let him know when I'd had a think.
Wonder if it's worth taking it to the 'Nottingham Bikeworks' (charity place) to get another opinion/price. Think the guy I went to was ok - he took his time to look it over while I was there, and didn't pressure me to have him do the work.
He also suggested I investigate the ride to work scheme as I work for Nottingham City Council so could be eligible - is this a good idea? I would probably not ride to work on any regular basis, although in theory it would be a good idea as it is 4.5 miles each way, so probably a good distance to commute!
I just want to get riding now - bored of the browsing! It is very time comsuming, and a week of the school holidays has already gone. I had planned to get riding sometime next week with my 10 year old. I realise I simply haven't the expertise to know if I'm getting a good deal.
It is making me consider, more seriously, the option of going up to the counter in Halfords and buying new...
I've taken my £10 bargain to the bike man today. Now I'm sad
as the verdict is:cabling £40
tyres £50
chain and cassette £30 (this could be done later at a push)
+labour
Guy says he would budget at least £150 but hard to say for sure as with a bike that age that has been sitting for so long other things may become apparent once he starts working on it.
I wasn't really wanting to spend that much on it really, and with my luck it might end up being more. If it had cost even £120 in total, I'd have done it on the grounds that I'd be getting a decent bike for a chunk less than a new (if basic) one. But £150+ is getting close to the cost of a new one, that while not the best ever, would not be considered a BSO!
I didn't leave the bike with him, but said I would get back to him and let him know when I'd had a think.
Wonder if it's worth taking it to the 'Nottingham Bikeworks' (charity place) to get another opinion/price. Think the guy I went to was ok - he took his time to look it over while I was there, and didn't pressure me to have him do the work.
He also suggested I investigate the ride to work scheme as I work for Nottingham City Council so could be eligible - is this a good idea? I would probably not ride to work on any regular basis, although in theory it would be a good idea as it is 4.5 miles each way, so probably a good distance to commute!
I just want to get riding now - bored of the browsing! It is very time comsuming, and a week of the school holidays has already gone. I had planned to get riding sometime next week with my 10 year old. I realise I simply haven't the expertise to know if I'm getting a good deal.
It is making me consider, more seriously, the option of going up to the counter in Halfords and buying new...
