Road Cycling - Raleigh Titanium?

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Erik
07-07-03, 06:05 AM
I was checking out a few bike shops this morning and came across a beautiful used Raleigh Titanium road bike in my size. I haven't ridden it yet but I already know I want it :p. Anyone have experiences with Raleigh Titanium bikes? The bike has a Shimano RX100 group, is this a reasonably good gruppo?

thanks!

Here's a pic (doesn't do the bike justice):
http://www.rijwielpaleis.nl/occasion/image/occ-184.jpg

don d.
07-07-03, 10:53 AM
This is a very interesting bicycle. How much are they asking for it? St. Johns Cycles in England has a Raleigh Ti frame only for sale on their website, they may be able to tell you more. I read in a 2002 issue of CYCLE SPORT that Raleigh made some Ti frames out of Commercially Pure Ti, but there is probably a label on the frame to tell you more about the tubing. Raleigh was pretty famous for their testing of frames and materials for durability, etc.... Look it over with a flashlight in all the little nooks and crannies for cracks, etc..., cause I'll bet this will be an "as is" purchase.
Erik
07-08-03, 07:13 AM
Don, they're asking 575 Euro's for it. Also, it's not an "as is" sale, I get a 3 month warranty. I searched the forums a bit on the RX100 gruppo and it appears to be pretty good (at least a lot better than the crappy Exage Biopace I have now).

Bruco
07-08-03, 08:26 AM
Hi Erik,

Interesting bike you posted here...

I saw a frame like that in one of the larger stores in The Hague (you know the place; the price was--I think--like you quoted, but for the frame only...).

I looked at it a bit (being interested in Ti) and (a) liked the looks (thin tubes, classic geometry, dark 'colour', modest decals), but (b) was not particularly impressed by the stiffness of the rear triangle and (c) would rather have clamped-on front derailler (the Raleigh I saw had a plate attached to the seat tube for the FD--perhaps no problem if you stick to older gruppos). However, I did not test ride it.

Good luck!
don d.
07-09-03, 12:12 PM
I would take it for a ride, put it in the big chainring and ride it up a fairly significant but short hill, you know a hard out of the saddle effort to see if it rides/flexes/handles to -your- likeing. Then take it into a residential neighborhood and ride it a round a block say ten times, doing hard out of the saddle efforts out of the corners, once again to see if it handles the way you want it to. $575.00 doesn't sound too far off to me, but I'd offer them $400.