Raleigh Airlite 300

wastelander
wastelander Posts: 557
edited July 2007 in Road beginners
My workplace is offering a bike-to-work scheme and this seems like the ideal opportunity to get a cheap winter bike. A quick nosey around revealed a bit of a bargain in the shape of a Raleigh Airlite 300.

My £449 get's me 18 speed Tiagra STIs and rear mech, FSA compact chainset, aluminium frame and a carbon fork with aluminium steerer. I'm not too sure about the RJ Project wheelset, Sora front mech and Tektro brakes but I can live with them on a winter bike. (Note that this spec is from the in-store bike and not the website!)

A bit of research revealed that a lot of 'name' brands - Giant, Trek, Specialized - spec a Sora level groupset at this price point and the Raleigh seems to offer a better spec of component for the same wedge...does anyone else think that this sounds like a decent enough package for not a lot of cash?

Comments

  • JustRidecp
    JustRidecp Posts: 302
    If you shop around you can get a giant scr 2.0 for that price with full tiagra, full mudguard compatible frame and 27 spd triple. Might be bit more practical for winter use. Actually just had a quite squint and as its nearing the end of season, some places are flogging them for less than 400.

    like here

    http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=7276&catID=49
    Real Ultimate Power

    "If I weren't a professional cyclist, I'd be a porn star" - Super Mario
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    You might be able to get a 200y Specialized Allez Sport with Tiagra under £600 at the moment, you wouldn't hike the monthly payments too much spending £100 ish more (before VAT), and I gather the weak point of the Raleigh is the frame, where as the Allez is highly upgradable (so even the Sora equipped bike, poss available for £400 might be a better buy).
  • wastelander
    wastelander Posts: 557
    I've seen a few deals but very few (if any) stores have 54/56cm frames with a compact double/Tiagra level components at deal prices. I try to keep telling myself "it's only a winter bike" but I don't want to deviate from the compact double and Tiagra is as far down the chain that I'd like to go.
  • acorn_user
    acorn_user Posts: 1,137
    The specification sounds ok. The advantage of the Allez is that it apparently has a nice frame. But it also cheap wheels and brakes. The Sora front mech shouldn't worry you. Can you fit mudguards to it?

    Anyway, since when is Raleigh not a "name" brand? ;)
  • wastelander
    wastelander Posts: 557
    I can more than live with the Sora front mech and as the rest of the groupset is of a good enough standard it's more than likely that I'll buy the Airlite 300. The fact that the frameset isn't as 'upgradeable' as the Allez isn't an issue as it's purely a winter/wet weather bike to keep my Ultegra equipped Somec Titano salt/gunge free, and If I can't fit proper mudguards then I'll fit a set of raceblades to it permenantly.

    BTW - I didn't include Raleigh as a 'name since their disappearance a few years ago and I wasn't even aware of theirr return to the marketplace until my recent research. One of my first 'real' bikes was a lovely Raleigh Team 501 c/w friction shifters and Weinmann 'suicide' brake extension levers - I used to lust after a Raleigh Team Banana in my youth too :wink:

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