Raleigh 100, good/bad?

NaapjusuN1

Hello! I want to buy a road bike I could use for training and later, hopefully racing. I have a very limited budget, so I looked around at the cheapest bikes and found Raleigh 100. It goes for £339.99 on eBay, the RRP for it is £499.

Do you think I should go ahead and buy it or do you know a better bike for the value? Also, if I buy the Raleigh 100, which frame size should I pick, it has 51cm, 55cm and 59cm, I am about 178cm (5' 10") tall and 17 years old, so hopefully I will grow a bit more

The Raleigh 100 specs are as fallows :

Frame Material: AIRLite - Aluminium
Weight: 10.2kg
Frame Sizes: 51cm, 55cm, 59cm
Gearset: SHIMANO 2300 gear set with FSA TEMPO Compact chain-set 50 /34T and 12-25T cassette. Crank lengths: - 47 = 165mm, 51cm = 170mm, 55cm = 172.5mm, 59cm = 175mm
Brakeset: Tektro R310 short-reach calipers
Wheelset: Rigida Nova rims on Formula hubs fitted with Michelin Dynamic 25mm tyres
Controls: Zoom semi compact alloy handle bar on Zoom alloy stem with White EVA bar tape. Bar widths: - 47cm = 400mm, 51cm = 420mm, 55/59cm = 440mm
Finishing Kit: San Marco Ischia saddle
Frameset: Airlite AL6061 semi-compact frame with Mudguard clearance
Forkset: EVO Carbon fork with Alloy steerer. 45MM rake, Mdgd clearance & eyelet

Click here for a picture

le_boss

cant believe im gonna advise someone to go to halfords but the raleigh 100 seems pretty similar spec to this:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165710

would go for this as its cheaper

NaapjusuN1

Well, the Raleigh seems to be 0.7 KG lighter than the Carrera and seems to look a lot better. More comments please! )

NaapjusuN1

More comments on the bike please! And also could someone comment on which bike size I should get?

LeighB

I have had a Raleigh Airlite for a few years and its been a good bike. It is now used as my winter trainer/ride to work with full mudguards so is used in the worst weather and is (when I clean it) in quite good order. The size of my frame is 55cm and I am 5' 10''.

NaapjusuN1

Well isn't that too small? From the Evans cycles it says I should be using about 57cm , but it doesn't have a 57cm size. And, it says that 59 should be for about 6`1", but I am only 5`10".
Do you think I would struggle with the 59cm frame size? And I am only 17, so hopefully I will grow a few centimeters

LeighB

Best thing to do would be go to a shop and have a look or sit on one. Bike size is different from one make to another. I have a Giant which is a 54cm and fits me quite well. I have a Harry Quinn that is 60cm and is a bit big but I can ride it OK as the top tube is quite short. I have an old steel framed fixed gear bike with a 21'' (53cm) frame and this is a bit on the small side for me. Most modern road frames are compact (top tube slopes down to the seat tube) and can have a large range of adjustment on the seat post; if the top tube is not the correct size you can buy longer or shorter handlebar stems.

NaapjusuN1

Ohh, that is a bit confusing. If it depends on the make etc. well, here is a picture of the bike: http://www.biggerbids.com/auction-image ... id=1362642

The difference between 55cm and 59cm is quite big, so could someone advise me which pick would be the best for me?

cooper.michael1

Go to a bike shop and try one, it might seem cheap but unless you get the right size you'll be putting it back on ebay in a couple of months selling the thing! ...I made that mistake with my first road bike.

If you are 5'10 I seriously doubt you'd need a 59cm, but its personal choice, i like bikes small. I'm 6'1, and ride either 56cm-58cm bikes...I could ride either with the appropriate handlebars/seatpoast/stem.

Have you checked out 2nd hand? for £400 you could get a lot more for your money!

rake

NaapjusuN1 wrote:

Well, the Raleigh seems to be 0.7 KG lighter than the Carrera and seems to look a lot better. More comments please! )

that will be the carbon forks but £200 more. otherwise pretty much the same.

NaapjusuN1

I actually went to a local bike shop and and asked them what size I should get, they seemed to be pretty convinced that I should get the 55cm. Thanks a lot guys for the replies without you I wouldn't of made a good decision :P

raymondox

I have just got an airlite 400 and am very pleased with it. When ordering beware the size. Raleigh measure their frame sizes from the BB to the top of the seat post even though it;s a compact frame. Most manufacturers measure their frame by taking the top of the horizontal line across the top. So a Raleigh 51 is about the same as a specialized 54. I am 5 ft 10 1.2 and found the 55cm too large. The 51 with the seat raised by 3 1/2 inches and the stem reversed suites me perfectly.

gabriel959

I would get the Raleigh, I have seen those in the flesh and they are great bikes.

THey come with nice saddle, carbon fork and decent components, well worth the extra £40 for me.