Giant Escape / Raleigh Strada / Ridgeback Velocity? Help!
yellowbricktoad
Posts: 5
Hi,
I'm looking for a new bike as I'm about to move house and will have to cycle around 10 miles on road each day to get to work and back, plus occasional leisure rides and generally getting about at the weekend. It's been a bit of a nightmare as I'm fairly new to cycling and don't really know what's what. I've tried a few different models and think I've narrowed it down to these three:
Ridgeback Velocity
Giant Escape 3
Raleigh Strada 1
I don't really want to go over around £300 (I will need to invest in a decent lock, mud guards, possibly rack and new lights so it's already mounting up on top of the cost of moving) but would push it to £349 for the ridgeback if it was really worth it. Ideally I want it to cope with a little bit of off road - nothing major but maybe the odd dirt track. I've been told that the wheels on the giant aren't as strong as on the other 2 & would be more likely to buckle so not sure if it would handle the occasional off road riding as well? The same salesman also told me that the spec on the raleigh is significantly better than the giant - he was quite insistant that the raleigh was the best choice but I can't find many reviews. I've tried all 3 but in seperate shops on seperate days so difficult to compare. I'd be very grateful for any advice as the indecision is driving me crazy!
Also it would be good to know if there are any other models around the £300 mark that might be worth checking out (just to add to the confusion).
Thanks!
I'm looking for a new bike as I'm about to move house and will have to cycle around 10 miles on road each day to get to work and back, plus occasional leisure rides and generally getting about at the weekend. It's been a bit of a nightmare as I'm fairly new to cycling and don't really know what's what. I've tried a few different models and think I've narrowed it down to these three:
Ridgeback Velocity
Giant Escape 3
Raleigh Strada 1
I don't really want to go over around £300 (I will need to invest in a decent lock, mud guards, possibly rack and new lights so it's already mounting up on top of the cost of moving) but would push it to £349 for the ridgeback if it was really worth it. Ideally I want it to cope with a little bit of off road - nothing major but maybe the odd dirt track. I've been told that the wheels on the giant aren't as strong as on the other 2 & would be more likely to buckle so not sure if it would handle the occasional off road riding as well? The same salesman also told me that the spec on the raleigh is significantly better than the giant - he was quite insistant that the raleigh was the best choice but I can't find many reviews. I've tried all 3 but in seperate shops on seperate days so difficult to compare. I'd be very grateful for any advice as the indecision is driving me crazy!
Also it would be good to know if there are any other models around the £300 mark that might be worth checking out (just to add to the confusion).
Thanks!
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Comments
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Do you have links to the exact models you have seen?0
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There is not much in them. 7 speed drivetrains tend to be rather compromised by gaps in the gearing and the weaker hub system, but the 8 speed bike here has a heavy outdated headset. Thas said, it does offer good adjustment, the fork is a nice cromoly unit, and the overall weight is quite low - if it fits it would be my choice ie the Ridgeback.0
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Thanks, I was leaning towards the ridgeback... Is there any disadvantage to the headset other than the weight e.g. maintenance or longevity? And is it worth the extra money being £50 more than the other 2?0
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They are heavier, but the overall weight is good anyway. They tend to need adjusting more, but I think the rest of thr parts more than makes up for it.0
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I wouldn't worry about the headset; my ridgeback Adventure has over 30k on the clock and the headset has been only been replaced once during this time.0
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I would whole heartedly recommend the Ridgeback. I have a Ridgeback Velocity myself and it is fairly lightweight makes quite the difference.0
