What are Raleigh like now?

[Plague]

I know this is perhaps the most repeated question on here - the old, 'what bike should I get' line. Ive seen it on here whilst doing my research and have been looking through brands and bikes that people have been suggesting.

Im also aware that this is going to be like joining a car enthusiasts club and saying to them "hey, I'm thinking about taking up driving, any views on the Nissan Micra?" However.....

Cost is the only thing (as with anything) that is motivating my decision making process. Ive set myself an upper limit of £300 as I know I just wont appreciate the benefit of anything more costly. Sure, Id go out and spend £999 on a Boardman for my 6 mile round trip to work and back each day but considering thats the only use Im going to be putting my bike (plus id like to start getting out on a weekend a bit I guess) then there really isnt much point in spending much more till I know its money well spent.

So.....Ive seen a few models, for something cheap but light and sturdy that I can use to get to work and back each day (plus I have a real downer on suspension at the moment - my last bike had it and it was like riding a float). They are : GT Transeo 5 (2009) - which is on offer for £250 at Evans, Kona Dew Plus (2009) which I've found for £299 on winstanleysbikes.co.uk or the Dawes Discovery 301 which I spotted for £237.99 at bikes2udirect.com. I have also however spotted a Raleigh Venture http://www.mailorderbikes.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s269p1898 which seems a steal at £159.95. I tend to think that cheap = rubbish but I always had a bit of a soft spot for Raleigh (wasnt informed or anything, just a soft spot!) so if this is a genuinely OK bike to start me off then I might be tempted to take the risk on a rather dubious looking website. Alternatively, I'm strongly edging towards the GT from Evans....

Penny for your thoughts?

EDIT - Just noticed the Raleigh's made of Steel. Big downer. It'll be heavier than my chocolate cake...

EDIT II - Also dont have a LBS other than one that sells quite frankly really expensive bikes that are just WAY to expensive for what I want.

 

[MLC]

Unfortunately cheap does normally equal rubbisher than what would be considered entry level to an enthusiast. . If you know what you are looking for and know your sizing then go second hand you'll get more bang for your buck.

Having said that it is horses for courses, if like me you didn't know whether you would like the sport or not then a Cheapie bike gets you out and about then get it but.....just be prepared for stuff to wear out quick.

Think of it as a disposable lighter compared to a Zippo (not a great analogy I know) getting a cheap bike (and I don't mean a £ 60 Tesco thingy more the price range you are looking at) will not save you money in the long run as you will be buying a cheap new bike every 3-6 months but it will if you decide you don't like it and give up then it would have been cost effective.

The former bikes out of your post will be the better than the Raleigh which will fall into the BSO type area. If you are spending 250+ on a hybrid type bike then you will be getting something OK ish

 

[Ivan Ardon]

Think of it as a disposable lighter compared to a Zippo (not a great analogy I know) getting a cheap bike (and I don't mean a £ 60 Tesco thingy more the price range you are looking at) will not save you money in the long run as you will be buying a cheap new bike every 3-6 months

Every 3-6 months!!!??? That's rather unlikely.

For a six mile commute, almost anything will do. Suitable gearing is worth having - for a short range commuter that doesn't necessarily mean that you need a lot of them. Hub gears are good as they require next to no looking after and chains last forever. Puncture resistant tyres are good, so are mudguards and a rack.

Halfords' Subway 8 gets good reviews, Raleigh's Chiltern 3 speed is good if you don't need many gears, the Giant Expression N3 also has drum brakes - virtually maintenance free.

 

[Plague]

Every 3-6 months!!!??? That's rather unlikely.

For a six mile commute, almost anything will do. Suitable gearing is worth having - for a short range commuter that doesn't necessarily mean that you need a lot of them. Hub gears are good as they require next to no looking after and chains last forever. Puncture resistant tyres are good, so are mudguards and a rack.

Halfords' Subway 8 gets good reviews, Raleigh's Chiltern 3 speed is good if you don't need many gears, the Giant Expression N3 also has drum brakes - virtually maintenance free.

I should probably qualify myself a bit better in case I'm being misleading in my joviality. At present, I'd like to start off doing my 6 miles each day and then start building up at weekends - granted, works the main reason, but I'd like to get back into hitting the road of a weekend. I wanted something light which is why I was looking at the "hybrid" and I do need a lot if gears as lancasters terrain resembles a heart monitor - which is probably what is need if I tried to get round it without a good gear range. so I was in actual fact looking for that most elusive of things - something good for not a lot (just in case it did become an expensive fad - although I've always enjoyed my bikes and certainly upto the last 7-10 years, always had one)
think I'm pretty much certain on the GT though now, it seems to look the part and does everything that I want (and potentialy) do

 

[PaulSecteur]

Dare I mention the "C" word...?

Carrera?

Mountain bike style...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_518215_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

Commuter style...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_551203_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

I know you said you didnt want suspension but I have a carrera Kraken and although I can lock the suspension out, I dont find it too much different with it unlocked. I think its down to keeping a smooth pedeling technique. My first experience of suspension was on a £70 full suspension piece of cr@p, that would have put me off too!

 

[2Loose]

+1 for Carrera.
Solid bikes with a very good reputation for the money, despite the Halfords millstone.

 

[gbb]

Speaking generally, cheap usually does mean rubbish, but not always...

My last Raleigh, maybe 8 years ago was a Chimera roadbike. Absolutely brilliant for the money, i covered several thousand miles on it. Wheels stayed true till the day i sold it (for half of what i paid for it ), everything lasted well. The only things i had to do were replace the headset, relube and adjust the hubs, and replace the chain...in several thousand miles

Again, cheap isnt neccessarily rubbish...
One of the wifes hybrids, £125 say 5 years ago (Terrano i think)...was an extremely good bike for the money.

Both the above had steel frames, which does make them heavier.

Heavier is relative...you can feel it, but you won't neccessarily feel the difference riding. For example...my £250 (at the time) Raliegh Chimera and my Bianchi (£750 now)...when i compared times for my 40 ish mile rides, there's precious little difference overall. No denying the Bianchis a far better ride....but i didnt hate the Raleigh at the time, far from it..i was quite sad to see it go.

From the looks of it Plague, you've a choice. Lighter alloy frame for more money, heavier steel frame for less. The other componentry will probably be similar to both bikes...

 

[Plague]

Glad I came to the right place! Some great advice and I've had a look at the Halfords hybrid mentioned above and have to say it looks like it would be a good little bike for what I want it for at the moment!

think il take another piece of advice from here somewhere (another thread I think) and go and test a few of them this weekend. There's what I think to be quite a good Halfords in Lancaster (I realise it doesnt have the best of names on here from what I've read) but the guys down there do seem to know what they're doing and are if nothing else enthusiastic.

Cant get over the price of that Raleigh though, down £95, which, at full price would have put it in a decent starter price bracket - it does however seem a little too cheap, if that makes sense.

Yeah I know what you're saying about the suspension and to be honest, my experience of the full suspension does come from a full suspension mountain bike which is a friends (which to be fair, I have been allowed to borrow until I figure out what I want) but it is like riding a sea-saw, and you cant put any power at all through it - my other worry with suspension was that it would be heavier with it. Again, though, the last bike I owned properly was my old faithful Raleigh Activator which must be 15-20 years old now!

 

[Nick_B]

Does you're employer offer the Cycle 2 Work / Cyclescheme? If you don't pay VAT or income tax on your new bike, and pay over 12 months, your money will go a lot further.

 

[arallsopp]

For low cost of entry, very little beats a second hand bike. You buy it for half the new price. You ride it for a few months. If you like it, congrats! You got a half price bike.

If you don't like it, you re-list it for a few quid less than you paid. Congrats, you got an extended hire bike for £5.

That said, new bikes are oh so shiny.... must. resist...

 

[gaz]

I tested a £1,300 Carbon Raleigh, that was not a bad bike!