OP
OP
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Chinese cromo or Reynolds 531. I know what I'd rather have.
Must admit i agree
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Must admit i agree
Boon 51
Veteran
- Location
- Deal. Kent.
I've got to get rid of a couple of bikes now so I can buy some more but you have loads more than me..
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
I don't know. Is a hand built frame better than high-tec machine build? I'd like a go on something like the Planet X steel frame to see or feel any difference. They have pretty good reviews. I have a number of bikes and my most used is a cheap Ali framed road bike. It's even got any Ally fork. Done 80 mile club runs on it's fine and perfectly comfortable. Brooks saddle though. I did a weeks touring from a fixed base on it last year. I'm pretty heavy so probably absorb any road shock anyway. Yes I can tell the difference if I hop from one bike to another, but once in the saddle for a few hours, I think I just get on with whatever I'm riding.Chinese cromo or Reynolds 531. I know what I'd rather have.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Having said that and having had both my go to bike is a Specialized with a cro-mo frame and forks and I have no complaints. I think maybe I have more confidence in Reynolds or maybe it's more of a nostalgia thing.
OP
OP
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
It's amazing how much difference there is between two identical bikes and yes once you have been pedaling along for a while you just get on with it
Must admit my ally Tec Road bike is also very comfy to use as well
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
biggs682 said:
Once out of the factory gate, and are often fitted with different tyres set to different pressures and are adjusted slightly differently mechanically, they are no more than similar even if they have identical liveries.
If I was to grab one of my pair of 23 1/2" Raleigh Pioneers out of a dark storeroom and go out and ride it in the dark (so I could not identify the bike just from it's colour), I would still immediately be able to tell which one I was on from it's feel..
OP
OP
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
If you were looking for a quality touring machine and were happy with the equipment as fitted, then it is probably worth the money to you. Can you buy that sort of quality now for less than £1000 new? I doubt it will fetch that price though as the marketplace rules.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
At the end of the day though, all these bikes listed on auction sites are secondhand, therefore they are not in new condition and have a degree Of wear & tear and/or replacement of parts with ones not to original spec. Like any new vehicle, once a bike has left the supplying dealers and turned a wheel on tarmac, it's market value takes a big hit since it is no longer new.
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
This particular one is as new, totally original though so the comparison has merit. My own Royal had only been used once for ten miles. Then stored. It was a new bike IMO. No wear and tear and therefore original spec. My Ali framed road bike was off the bay. Advertised as excellent condition. When I went to pick it up it was still in the original packaging and tags. Had never seen daylight. I take your point about market value as I mentioned earlier.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Having just joined the merry band of Royal owners, but not yet reassembled it, I was idly wondering when they changed to a full 531ST tube set?
Mine is apparently March 1985 by the frame number, and the stickers seem to indicate the main tubes are standard 531 ("butted frame tubes" on the seat post), a 50th anniversary one on the down tube, plus 531 forks sticker. Would there be any noticeable difference between one of these and a full 531ST version? Presumably the non-ST frame has more give in it.
Mine is apparently March 1985 by the frame number, and the stickers seem to indicate the main tubes are standard 531 ("butted frame tubes" on the seat post), a 50th anniversary one on the down tube, plus 531 forks sticker. Would there be any noticeable difference between one of these and a full 531ST version? Presumably the non-ST frame has more give in it.
OP
OP
biggs682
Touch it up and ride it
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I think they moved to st when the later cantilever ones came along but i could be wrong
@SkipdiverJohn they are a nice gentle pootling machine rather than one of those machines that make you want to go as fast as you can
@SkipdiverJohn they are a nice gentle pootling machine rather than one of those machines that make you want to go as fast as you can
bigjim
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester. UK
Yes they went full 531 with the canti equipped bike. I think it was to pitch it against the Galaxy. A backward step IMO as I never thought it was a heavyweight tourer like the Galaxy. I don,t like cantis anyway. I've had/have both Royals and I have the Galaxy. The early Galaxy did not have Cantis either. I find the Royal to be much racier than the Galaxy, laden or unladen and more of an Audax machine than a heavy tourer.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I'm not really a speed merchant anyway so a relaxed pootle machine will suit me fine. My Dawes Jaguar is quite lively though, not a full-on racer, but quite nippy handling. Not the best of bikes for rough tarmac with only 28mm tyres, can be a filling rattler if ridden hard on a bad road.. Hopefully the Royal will take at least 1 1/4" or 32mm rubber and give a bit more comfort. If it rides anything like my 531 Raleigh Gemini hybrid I will like it, since those were built using Raleigh touring geometry frames.
I've only ever had a fairly short ride on a lightly laden canti-braked 531ST Galaxy and I would describe it as relaxed but very "solid". Nothing racy about it at all. Quite looking forward to riding the Royal, might not be until next week now since it looks like I'm working all weekend. Was hoping to put it back together by Saturday and give it a good run. I also reckon it might just about take 700's in place of the 27" wheels.
