Should I ride it

[biggs682]

I bought it to keep, couldn't resist it, neighbours house clearance. I love it, but it is slightly too small for me, but I think I can get away with it.

Looks like a 22/3" so just my size , it deserves to be ridden.
As for value I would think if you find the right person £300 - 400 but without that person £150-250

 

[Spiderweb]

Wow that is lovely👍
You’ve got to ride it, pick dry days and look after it.

 

[biggs682]

Just goes to show unicorns are real

 

[Illaveago]

I feel that it was meant to be ridden. It is in unbelievable condition.

So that's what my bike is supposed to look like!
I was out on mine last night . They ride well .
I bought mine a year or so ago for £60. It wasn't in bad condition but everything was covered in thick sandy goo!

 

[Illaveago]

This is what yours could have looked like after 40 years of use.

 

[Drago]

Ride it, but maintain it to the n'th degree. It wihkd be a shame if youngsters never got to see or appprieciate older stuff.

 

[fossyant]

Ride it, both of my road bikes are over 30 years old, and ridden regularly - I don't tend to take them out in the rain - I use my equally old MTB with guards for that (I commute on it). Just look after it. It's in fabulous condition.

 

[chris667]

It's qorqeous but not special. You'd be surprised how little it is worth, not that much more than an average one.

But that doesn't matter at all! You own a really special bike. Look after it, and it will look after you.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

Sometimes it is easy to get too nostalgic, says the bloke with one of the 40th aniversary Raleigh frames, so I am going to be a little bit negative on the selling it front.

I love steel, I ride a new steel frame with 2x8 DT, but I don't love 2x6. For me 8 speed was the cut off point for more sprockets being useful so 6 Speed is a step backwards that I wouldn't pay much to take.

I love steel, but plain carbon steel is functional and for me aluminium trounces it. 531 main tubes only with carbon steel forks and stays is very much a step in the right direction, but only a step. Again I wouldn't pay much to take that step.

But I am frequently wrong and it may fly off ebay within a couple of days for a fortune.

There is this being sold as unridden, 531 Competition would be tubes, forks and stays, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334974295740

For a short while I rode an 11-32 8 speed cassette, 11,13,15,18,21,24,28,32 and found that I was forever swapping between 15,18 and 21 as I had become so used to the closer 15,17,19,21.

6 speed brings that gap back or a too small for me large sprocket meaning more chain ring changes.

It's definitely a bike to ride all year round and if it rusts so be it.

Bye

Ian

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Nice pic's. Nice bike!

 

[cookie2]

Ride it, both of my road bikes are over 30 years old, and ridden regularly - I don't tend to take them out in the rain - I use my equally old MTB with guards for that (I commute on it). Just look after it. It's in fabulous condition.

I have a 20 year old galaxy that I use regularly, andis in goodcondition. But the condition of this one makes me wonder, it is exceptional, part of me wants to keep it like this, part wants to ride it. Then there are parts that will wear out

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Your choice what you do. The answer does no lie in the responses here.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rkdYSRoqRM

 

[Andrew1971]

If you do ride it don't forget to do all grease points with new grease the old may dried out

 

[cookie2]

I suppose one way to look at it is - it's like new, if I was to buy a new bike today I wouldn't be worried about it. I would just ride it, so in a way, what's the difference

 

[Hover Fly]

Ride.