Is my bike too old?

tbutler

I'm looking for a bit of help.
I currently have an old Raleigh Elan road bike which I have used on and off for years bought it new in 1990(ish) Reynolds frame etc. Still looks like new but has a few creaks (Don't we all). I use it mainly in the garage on a set of free rollers which is where I mainly spend my time due to work committments. I end up cycling from about 9 - 10 pm.

I and desperate to change my bike but keep telling myself for what purpose? I want to ride some sportives next year and will use the winter to try and get back into shape. (A few pounds lighter and hopefully can pedal at 14mph for an hour is the goal)

I hate that my gear levels are on the frame not on the handle bars - but other than that it's been a good bike. Although I could do with 3rd chain ring these days, 45 years old means I need all the help I can get on the hills.

So here's the question - Do I upgrade the compenents on my bike or just skip it and buy a new bike. I love the carbon bikes, but for the weight difference I should probably just loose a few pounds to save the difference in cost. Why is Tirban 3 so popular - should I look at that? or is it just lost money and go for something better?

Any replies greatfully accepted.

Regards
Trevor

unixnerd

I think it's time for a new one. I had a Raleigh like yours but with a slightly lower spec frame. Going to my modern tourer with integrated gear levers was amazing in comparison. I also had a higher top gear and lower bottom gear than before, plus the bike and especially the wheels were lighter.

I'd look on ebay / gumtree and see if you can find a second hand bargain. Keep the current bike for the rollers.

ant.rocket

I still use an old (1991) Peugeot 531 with 7 speed downtube shifters but only for riding during the winter as a training bike. Im not planning to upgrade it. Just not worth it. My advice would be use your old bike over the winter, save up and buy something new in the spring next year or find a 2012 model going cheap at the end of this year.

kingrollo

You could probably ride your current bike quite happily - you don't 'need' an awful lot - so long as the wheels go round, the brakes and gears work - then you could do sportives on that .....plenty do.

However if you're going to start investing money - I would put that money towards a new bike. You've got to be a pretty serious level to get much speed advantage out of new bike - so don't think that carbon bike will dramatically increase your times...it won't.

The triban 3 is probably the cheapest 'serious' road bike there is. I owned the equivalent decathlon entry model some years back - and it was a solid enough bike for daily commuting. It is alu not carbon though.

Carbon bikes (in general) are lighter - but the real advantage is that they give a smoother ride than alu - its comes at a price though - a decent carbon bike will set you back around £1000.

I would outline your budget first - if its up to £500 - your looking at Alu - Triban, Giant Defy, type bikes - if its a £1000 - then you choose high end alu (cannondale cadd) or low range carbon (boardman, ribble, planet x).

Don 't get to hung up on what you need [funds permitting] - its an investment in your health - some people spend as much on gym membership, booze, or fags. Its always nicer to ride a new bike - its up to you if thats how you want to spend your money...............

petemadoc

I'd agree, keep the current bike for rollers and bad weather.

Get a new or second hand bike that's fit for purpose. A good bike with the right gears, set up (geometry wise) and some clipless pedals will make all the difference.

t4tomo

definately n+1 time. Keep the old raleigh "wife" as she is and buy a younger mistress

tbutler

The Triban 3 seems too easy a purchase, I struggle to see how many manufacturers create bikes costing more yet the vote says Buy a Triban?

Is this just a fad buy a couple of Bicycle magazines or is it really so much better and just happens to cost so much less?

Regards

kingrollo

Triban - its a good bike for £300 - don't forget decathlon are relatively small in the UK - but massive in France - so they can do the economy for scale thing. That said I am a little puzzled by your 'to good be true' comments - there has to be a best £300 bike - and its the triban .
I haven't checked closley but halfords equivalent is only £30 more

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65710#tab1

So yes the triban is a good bike - but there are others comparable....its not to good to be true.......

simon_masterson

kingrollo wrote:

You could probably ride your current bike quite happily - you don't 'need' an awful lot - so long as the wheels go round, the brakes and gears work - then you could do sportives on that .....plenty do.

However if you're going to start investing money - I would put that money towards a new bike. You've got to be a pretty serious level to get much speed advantage out of new bike - so don't think that carbon bike will dramatically increase your times...it won't.

The triban 3 is probably the cheapest 'serious' road bike there is. I owned the equivalent decathlon entry model some years back - and it was a solid enough bike for daily commuting. It is alu not carbon though.

Carbon bikes (in general) are lighter - but the real advantage is that they give a smoother ride than alu - its comes at a price though - a decent carbon bike will set you back around £1000.

I would outline your budget first - if its up to £500 - your looking at Alu - Triban, Giant Defy, type bikes - if its a £1000 - then you choose high end alu (cannondale cadd) or low range carbon (boardman, ribble, planet x).

Don 't get to hung up on what you need [funds permitting] - its an investment in your health - some people spend as much on gym membership, booze, or fags. Its always nicer to ride a new bike - its up to you if thats how you want to spend your money...............

Great post!

But what exactly do you think is wrong with the components on your bike? They don't just get finicky with age. How fastidiously do you maintain your bike?

I do understand that a triple chainset might be desirable for you, but replacing your cassette could make a big difference. Shimano make cassettes that go all the way down to 32 - wall climbing worthy! - and MTB cassettes (not sure of the compatibility) that go down to 34. That won't break the bank at all; I would concur that it probably isn't worth buying a new triple chainset, though you might be able to find a secondhand one for a good price.

And downtube shifters are great (love them), but if they aren't to your liking you could get some Shimano RSX levers on eBay. Some such shifters need cable guides installing on the frame (though I daresay you could work around that), but other than that I don't see why it wouldn't work.

In short I think you should definitely keep your bike whatever you do. I think if you're remotely serious about cycling you should focus on the bike you have, as it's a great bike - not worth selling as you can get a lot more out of it than you will get for selling it - and it will do everything you need at this stage.

I would encourage you to strongly consider the upgrades I mention above: New cassette and some RSX levers; it's little enough money that it's a worthwhile investment in your bike. Do that and put some miles in, and then have another think. You'll know if you 'need' more.

Frank the tank

Every excuse to buy a new bike should be exploited so yes, your bike is too old buy a new one.

velohutts

N+1 - read the rules

seriously though as suggested above, swap the cassette and chain for a more hill friendly rear , don't think it will immediately send you flying up a 1 in 4 but spend the winter putting some miles in , clean and oil it , spend every waking spare hour looking for a new bike.

If you haven't been and sized up a bile recently be careful with frame sizes as they have changed the measurements depnding on what style you get.

There are numerous threads on best bike for under ........

nothing wrong with an 8 speed bike , ask Sean Kelly or Stephen Roche , they both managed to make them go quite fast !!!!

unixnerd

If it's an old steel Raleigh the chances of a modern cassette fitting are slim. It may have a freewheel instead of a freehub and the derailleur won't have the capacity for a large cog.

simon_masterson

unixnerd wrote:

If it's an old steel Raleigh the chances of a modern cassette fitting are slim. It may have a freewheel instead of a freehub and the derailleur won't have the capacity for a large cog.

I highly doubt that a Raleigh made in 1990 has a freewheel. The derailleur point isn't invalid on the other hand, but I would hope that it might well work. Shimano has been making 'Mega 7' cassettes and freewheels for years.

cyclinggooner

I have the same bike.. 1990 raleigh elan.
it's probably a 6 speed? that's what mine was.. with a 6 speed cassette. the hub will take a 7 speed cassette but finding 7 speed STI shifters is a case of hunting on ebay until you find some. cassettes are also quite rare..

Alternatively and probably easier is to buy a new wheelset with 130mm rear hub which is what i did. This requires you to spread the rear dropouts - i didn't bother to coldset, and it works fine.

You can then put whatever STI shifters you can find on.. allowing you to run 8,9 or 10 speed cassette compatible with the shifters you buy.

if you want to run a 32 tooth rear sprocket you'll need to put a long cage rear derailleur on as the derailleur fitted doesn't have the capacity.

My bike is still a nice riding machine which i use all the time.. i keep contemplating buying a new bike, but this one does everything i need didn't cost much to upgrade think i spent around £250-300 (bought new shifters rather than second hand). i've kept all the old components so if and when i do decide i need a new bike i'll shift the drivetrain onto a new frameset and rebuild the elan as a 6 speed winter bike/commuter hack.

Peddle Up!

Post by Peddle Up's bike... "Is my rider too old?"






Oi!