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Raleigh Road Bikes - any good?

Hi all



I'm new to triathlons and have signed up to do the olympic distance London Tri in August. I'm looking for a road bike - one that doesn't break the bank. I was looking second hand at first, but not knowing what I need makes it a bit tricky. I found a great bike shop and the guy has been really helpful. He has ordered a Raleigh Airlite 100 for me to look at - it should be in the shop this week. The cost is £300. All other bikes I have seen seem to start around £450. As I'm new to tri I don't want to splash a lot of cash on a new bike, but I still want something decent.



Has anyone any experience of the Raleigh Airlite 100? Is this a good entry level bike?



Thanks for any advice! [&:]

Comments

  • madnursemadnurse Posts: 782
    HI Cat - welcome to madness that is tri



    you asked about the raleigh - it seems a reasonable entry bike but you can get hold it cheaper than the guy at your shop is quoting .. look on ebay they a fair bit less than £300. triathlon is a wonderful place and shouldnt have to cost you mega pennies. You might give thought to borrowing a bike which would save cost or even (having identified your frame size from your local bike shop) look to buying one 2nd hand - saving you money for other stuff trisuit trainers helmet & celebratory beers. many people will be using mountain bikes for their 1st tri begged borrowed or acquired by other means .... have a look see on ebay you might be surpised also look around at tri shops online many have new years sales on last years stock. any bike you get should be roadworthy preferably not too heavy and be mechanically sound. brakes gearing etc are all needed but mudguards lights etc (for racing) arent. London is a good first race as it isnt hilly so dont be worried too much about gearing options. You will do well to find a loca ltriathlon club near you if you can - loads of support & useful training. maybe slot in a few sprint races before london



    keep us all posted on your progress & hope that some use



    mad
  • hound doghound dog Posts: 293
    Hi Catwoman, Id go along with madnurses answer, but would add if at all possible try and borrow a bike for your first tri as i can guarantee when you enter your second one (which you will[:D]) Youd have wished youd invested in something slightly superior.

    I went along the line you took and found it to be a false economy as i had to sell the cheaper model to buy my trek.

    Good luck!
  • Rich_CRich_C Posts: 152
    Hi,



    My training bike is a Raleigh Airlight 100. I bought it to save wear and tear on my race bike.



    I paid 219 pounds for it, new, from a dealer on ebay and personally I think its great for the money!!! DONT PAY MORE!!!



    The gears are basic shimano but do the Job fine and the frame and forks are of good quality and light enough to be a credible entry level bike for Triathlon. You get quality welds and a decent paint finish for the money too.



    21 speed (7 speed triple) gearings.



    The Airlight 300 is on ebay for 320 quid and thats better all round with Carbon forks, better gearing etc etc.



    The RRP of the Airlight 100 is about 320 and the Airlight 300 around 480 pounds so expect dealers to charge around this.



    To sum it all up, the bike is great if your paying what I paid but if your looking to spend around 300 pounds then there are discounted bargains of higher grade to be found.



    Hope this helps[:)]
  • Catwoman, don't do it. The Raleigh Airlite is not a proper racing bike. The gears are little more than toys, likewise the brakes. Shimano Sora is the minimum spec of groupset (gears & brakes) you should be looking for; Tiagra (the next standard up) is better still for many reasons. The bike is very heavy and has steel forks. Carbon forks are a minimum really for a bike you're going to enjoy training and racing on.



    If you only have £300 to spend, you can pick up a Giant OCR with Tiagra or even 105 groupsets on ebay for that, or you can get a brand new OCR 3 here for £329. It's basic but much, much better than the Raleigh. It has a carbon fork and the frame is lighter. The OCR 2 is a huge leap up in specification if you can find another £100. The OCR is good enough to make it worth keeping and upgrading as and when you need to. There is no point on upgrading parts on the Raleigh; it will always be heavy, dull and uncomforable to ride.



    Another thing - I don't know who your bike shop is but if they're stocking and recommending Raleigh bikes then I would suggest that they're not a serious road bike dealer; they probably cater more for kids and commuters than for athletes. Get to a real bike shop for some real advice. Remember - when you are budgeting, you will need helmet, gloves, bottle & cage, pump and multitool too! You can always do your first race in trainers and on flat pedals with clips, but if you're serious then you will eventually need clipless pedals and cycling shoes.
  • Rich_CRich_C Posts: 152
    Arrh, Ive been doing my training on a joke bike with toy gears.[:(]



    Ive my first triathlon Just around the corner in May and im told that the bike course is a bit tricky compared to the average triathlon course.



    I should have learned more before I 'jumped in' [:o]
  • madnursemadnurse Posts: 782
    Rich_C wrote:


    Arrh, Ive been doing my training on a joke bike with toy gears.[:(]



    Ive my first triathlon Just around the corner in May and im told that the bike course is a bit tricky compared to the average triathlon course.



    I should have learned more before I 'jumped in' [:o]



    good job its only Lanzarote .. imagine if it was a really hard one ... ???
  • Rich C, sorry, I meant no offence to you with my comments. OK you find the Raleigh all right to train on, but I still wouldn't recommend that a beginner buy one as a race bike, for the reasons I stated. It's false economy in my opinion.



    If you do Lanzarote on your Raleigh Airlite 100 then I take my hat off to you sir [:D]

  • Thanks everyone for the feedback and advice.



    Another question - I've been looking at the GIANT OCRs - the OCR 4 is in budget but is only 14 speed. Cycling is probably my weakest discipline. Should I be looking for 21/24 speed or could I manage on 14?
  • Catwoman, you do not need the triple chainset which allows you to have 21/24/27/30 gears. Two chainrings on the front and 7/8/9/10 sprockets on the rear are absolutely fine, giving you a 14,16,18 or 20 gear bike. Have a look at elite/professional cyclists and triathletes. None of them have triple chainrings. That's because the extra chainring just adds extra weight and complexity to the bike for a set of gears you will not use.



    If you can possibly afford it, I would strongly recommend you go for the OCR 3 instead or the OCR 4. The OCR 3 has carbon forks, an extra sprocket on the back (8 in total), and a higher specification of components. It's a large step up in quality for a small step up in price. If you're intending to invest in this one bike and keep it for a period of time, I really really would recommend carbon forks.





  • Thanks IronJohn - you've been really helpful.



    I did click on the link in you last posting for the OCR 3 for £329 - but they've sold out. I'll do some more research and see what I can find.



    Thanks again!
  • Rich_CRich_C Posts: 152
    IronJohn wrote:


    Rich C, sorry, I meant no offence to you with my comments. OK you find the Raleigh all right to train on, but I still wouldn't recommend that a beginner buy one as a race bike, for the reasons I stated. It's false economy in my opinion.



    If you do Lanzarote on your Raleigh Airlite 100 then I take my hat off to you sir [:D]





    No offence taken.



    At the end of the day it comes down to the person doing the riding of the bike and not just the bike.[;)]







  • Ironjohn speak much good sense. You would be better of spending the money on a much better second hand bike than the new Raleigh. Don't be fooled by transfers that look like carbon fibre. However if you do decide to do Lanzarote on it, please put your experience on the forum, I would love to read it.
  • hound doghound dog Posts: 293
    Catwoman, Out of curiousity let us know what you bought. Im hoping to buy a bike for use next winter and upgrade my racing bike (trek 1000). In fact anyone who has any suggestions what I should do ie a good cheap winter bike, feel free to comment.
  • Hi Hound dog. I still haven't bought a bike. I started looking at the Giant SCR 3 but thought I would wait and see what was on show at the TCR Exhibition on Sunday. I was slightly disappointed in that most of the bikes I looked at were over £1000 - whereas my budget is definitely below £400. I think I will probably get the SCR 3 - I just need to get to a place that has it in stock in my size - and at a good price...!
  • DamianDamian Posts: 11
    I too was holding off to see what the TCR show might have ( went on Sunday also )



    Like you there my view was that there was a dearth of "entry level" kit on display



    Not sure about the Scott S60 that was part of the SBR entry level package that I saw ( the guy said it had Shimano 105 chainset - I asked cause IronJon reckoned this was a good option for future upgradeability, but I don't think it had )



    Need to make a decision quickly though ... moving to Prague soon, and no evidence of bikes being significantly cheaper there .. .so reckon I'll buy and move with it

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    I appreciate that you get what you pay for,ask 10 people what the best bike is and you will get 10 different answers.In past experience decide what bikes fit in your budget,try the lot and go for the one that is comfiest,there is nothing worse than trying to run after a bike leg with your back hunched over looking like Quasimodo,because your bike was ill fitting.I find the wicker basket at the front holds my drinks and energy bars ok and my Mum says when the stabilisers come off I can go out in traffic.Honestly go for comfort and comfort so important I had to mention it twice.
  • My mate picked up a used principia SL with a 105 groupset, an extra pair of training wheels and a turbo trainer on ebay for just £350! Apparently the guy had got injured and decided to pack in. How good of deal is that!
  • just wanted to say thanks to Ironjohn and catwoman. I'm starting out too and its really helpful to read your advice/worries



    does
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