Raleigh Reynolds 501 equivalent today?

[baydreamer]

Hi.
Wandering if anyone can suggest a few bike choices?
Now in my mid 40's, I fondly remember the joys of owning a Raleigh road bike with Reynolds 501 frame.... boy it seemed light and fast! ( although I was only 16 and probably a lot fitter than today lol).
Now I'm wanting to return back to cycling again( though mainly for commuting on flat roads) and was hoping someone could suggest a few 'budget' bikes that could give the same thrill I remember?
I have had a mountain bike, but it feels far too heavy and slow.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Roadrider48]

It really depends how much you want to or can afford to spend.
There are some decent budget bikes around from the likes of Decathlon(Triban 3...popular here) or the Carrera from Halfords. Both are around the £300 mark and are great starter road bikes. I still have the Carrera TDF that i first started with. It was a great bike to ride and i still love it.

 

[Cycleops]

Why don't you go for a good secondhand? Then you could recapture the joy of your youth with a Reynolds 531 or 501 frame. There are plenty out there but you need to make sure it is still serviceable and not worn out. Try @biggs682 he usually has a few on the go. At least you would get a fair appraisal of the bike rather than taking chance on eBay etc.

 

[sidevalve]

+1 for both of the above but I can recomend the older second hand bikes as [if you'carefull] good choices. I only paid £50 for a dawes and it only needed [TBH] a good clean and new h/bar tape {although I fitted a brooks saddle - new tyres - new cables - but then we all like to play with our toys !]
Double butted 501 is pretty good stuff and often much cheaper than 531 which is usually put at silly prices by profiteers. Mine weighs in at just under 10kg which aint bad even by modern standards. I came back in my late fifties and the dawes is WAY better than anything I used to ride in my teens. IMHO it's better than the carrera too [felt"stiff" somehow] but each to his own on that one.

 

[biggs682]

@baydreamer as @Cycleops says i have a couple of retro 501 or 531 bikes for sale , where are you based ?

what size frame are you after ?