Touring - Raleigh Sojourn?

Hi all, was trying to get everyones opinion about this bike.
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/sojourn/
It looks really great and comes almost completely ready to ride across the country, but, its expensive and im not sure about some of the choices the designers made....
32 spoke wheels?
disc brakes?
I am going to be using the bike to commute on a daily basis as well so I dont know if i want to deal with the bar end shifters in traffic, but again, i have never owned a bike with them so i dont know if i would jsut get used to it...
My other option is to buy a cheaper bike such as a fuji touring, or bianchi velope and do a bunch of upgrades, brooks saddle, fenders, ect...
What is everyones opinion on the sojourns handlebars? I dont know what they are called but i really like how they flair out at the ends, it was really comfortable when i rode it around on a test ride, thoughts?
Thank you all sooooo much!

That bike is sweet. Pull the trigger. :thumb:

Hi all, was trying to get everyones opinion about this bike.
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/sojourn/
It looks really great and comes almost completely ready to ride across the country, but, its expensive and im not sure about some of the choices the designers made....
32 spoke wheels?
disc brakes?
I am going to be using the bike to commute on a daily basis as well so I dont know if i want to deal with the bar end shifters in traffic, but again, i have never owned a bike with them so i dont know if i would jsut get used to it...
My other option is to buy a cheaper bike such as a fuji touring, or bianchi velope and do a bunch of upgrades, brooks saddle, fenders, ect...
What is everyones opinion on the sojourns handlebars? I dont know what they are called but i really like how they flair out at the ends, it was really comfortable when i rode it around on a test ride, thoughts?
Thank you all sooooo much!


everytime I go to the LBS I almost buy one. The reason I dont is well in a word, wife. she would have a fit. I think the one at the lbs is $1100.00 that is not that much for something you plan to use that much. Aoubt 275 gallons of gas. Hey, I might try that one on her.:thumb:

I was seriously considering buying one of those, but ended up getting a great deal on an LHT frame and built that up instead.

The Sojourn is really well equipped, the disc brakes are powerful and as reliable as any rim brake, but I noticed that the fork doesn't have eyelets for a front rack and uses some kind of p-clamp for the fenders, which I'm not crazy about.

If the fork eyelet situation is sorted out, I say go for it. I'll be jealous. ;)

I know the front fork can hold a rack because I have seen people around town with them on and some pictures on fullyloadedbiketour.com I dont remember them specifically last time I saw one up close, but I am pretty sure they have eyelets.

I was seriously considering buying one of those, but ended up getting a great deal on an LHT frame and built that up instead.

The Sojourn is really well equipped, the disc brakes are powerful and as reliable as any rim brake, but I noticed that the fork doesn't have eyelets for a front rack and uses some kind of p-clamp for the fenders, which I'm not crazy about.

If the fork eyelet situation is sorted out, I say go for it. I'll be jealous. ;)

the fork does have eyelets. you can see them on the pic on the raleigh site. it takes a careful eye, but they are there...

There were some preproduction photos out there that didn't have the lowrider braze-ons. But I'm almost certain the real bike does.

As far as the bike goes, I like it a lot, but I don't know about the riding position. It doesn't look like I could get the handlebars high enough to suit me comfortably for long rides. It looks kind of like the posture I have on my mountain bike, which isn't that great after a few hours. If you can deal with the frame geometry, then I think it's a good deal, and a nice bike. Sometimes, like on my roadie, you can flip the stem, and it's just enough. But I haven't tried it with the Sojourn.

Word on the street though, is that it's kind of a limited run, and they're getting harder to find. So good luck, whatever you decide. I've got to work a few more saturdays, before I can afford a new tourer, so I'm probably out of luck. We'll see.

There were some preproduction photos out there that didn't have the lowrider braze-ons. But I'm almost certain the real bike does.

As far as the bike goes, I like it a lot, but I don't know about the riding position. It doesn't look like I could get the handlebars high enough to suit me comfortably for long rides. It looks kind of like the posture I have on my mountain bike, which isn't that great after a few hours. If you can deal with the frame geometry, then I think it's a good deal, and a nice bike. Sometimes, like on my roadie, you can flip the stem, and it's just enough. But I haven't tried it with the Sojourn.

Word on the street though, is that it's kind of a limited run, and they're getting harder to find. So good luck, whatever you decide. I've got to work a few more saturdays, before I can afford a new tourer, so I'm probably out of luck. We'll see.

That would be my luck on them being a limited run. I waited too long and missed the REI sale and wouldn't be surprised if I was unable to order one of these as well.
I would love to test ride one but no one has them on hand locally. Haven't ridden drops since '88 and have never used bar end shifters. Definitely going with disc brakes and have attached a spec sheet of disc equipped bikes I've considered. How much extra maintenance would the leather wraps be for use in 4 season commuting?

Hi all, was trying to get everyones opinion about this bike.
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/sojourn/
It looks really great and comes almost completely ready to ride across the country, but, its expensive and im not sure about some of the choices the designers made....
32 spoke wheels?
disc brakes?
I am going to be using the bike to commute on a daily basis as well so I dont know if i want to deal with the bar end shifters in traffic, but again, i have never owned a bike with them so i dont know if i would jsut get used to it...
My other option is to buy a cheaper bike such as a fuji touring, or bianchi velope and do a bunch of upgrades, brooks saddle, fenders, ect...
What is everyones opinion on the sojourns handlebars? I dont know what they are called but i really like how they flair out at the ends, it was really comfortable when i rode it around on a test ride, thoughts?
Thank you all sooooo much!

I switched to bar end shifting and don't have a problem riding in traffic. It does take some getting used to. I actually ended up switching both front and rear shifters to friction mode. It is simple and works great. It would not be a good choice for off road riding or racing, but for commuting and road riding the bar end shifters are great.

If you want a cheaper option, you could get a Windsor tourist. It is essentially the same bike as the Fuji touring. That is what I have. I replaced the handlebars with a Nitto noodle bar, the stem with a Nitto technomic, installed bar end shifters, replaced the saddle, and installed fenders. My bike is now sort of a poor man's version of the Sojourn or Rivendell Atlantis. If you buy a Windsor tourist and do the work yourself, you can save a good bit of money. If you were not planning on using the brifters that come with the Tourist, they can be sold as new on ebay to pay for some of the other changes. The only thing the Windsor Tourist doesn't have is the disc brakes.

If there are any raleigh sojurn owners out there who have switched out their leather bar wrap, and want to get rid of it, please PM me. I'd love to give learther bar wrap a try. Thanks!

There were some preproduction photos out there that didn't have the lowrider braze-ons. But I'm almost certain the real bike does.

Word on the street though, is that it's kind of a limited run, and they're getting harder to find. So good luck, whatever you decide. I've got to work a few more saturdays, before I can afford a new tourer, so I'm probably out of luck. We'll see.

Went to order one at the LBS today and his supplier says the 08s are gone (YMMV) and it may be a good idea to order an 09 as soon as they start production.

If you are thinking of getting a Sojourn you might want to act soon...my local bike shop informs me that Raleigh has pretty much sold out this years total production....I dont think they realized how popular the bike might become. Guess I will stick to my 1982 Univega Gran Tourismo.

I just called Raleigh and they didn't anticipate the huge dealer demand for the Sojourn. They said 2009 Sojourn is the same as 2008 and will be available end of July, early August. Best bet is to backorder one now.

I was hoping they'd increase the spoke count to thirty six. I'll be disappointed if they offer the exact same thing next year.

I was hoping they'd increase the spoke count to thirty six. I'll be disappointed if they offer the exact same thing next year.

Build a 36-spoke back wheel, sell the stock wheel on ebay.:thumb:

Anybody know how wide a tire you can place on the sojourn? My friend was thinking about using it for the Great Divide Trail and was hoping the tires could be beefed up.
Thanks
luke

Anybody know how wide a tire you can place on the sojourn? My friend was thinking about using it for the Great Divide Trail and was hoping the tires could be beefed up.
Thanks
lukeI wouldn't want to try off road riding using bar end shifters. They are great for road riding, but I would want quick shifts that do not require loosening my grip on the handlebars if riding a rough, steep trail. Why not get an REI Safari or similar bike with wide 26 inch tires?

I wouldn't want to try off road riding using bar end shifters. They are great for road riding, but I would want quick shifts that do not require loosening my grip on the handlebars if riding a rough, steep trail. Why not get an REI Safari or similar bike with wide 26 inch tires?


The Safari is the other bike my friend is considering. I think he likes the look and feel of the Raleigh more.
That said, I will be doing the ride with a bar end shifters on an nitto albatross bar on my long haul trucker. We will see how gnarly the train is but I think others have done it with bar end shifters. It is mostly fire roads not single track so hopefully I will be all right.

Thanks, Luke

I wouldn't want to try off road riding using bar end shifters. They are great for road riding, but I would want quick shifts that do not require loosening my grip on the handlebars if riding a rough, steep trail. Why not get an REI Safari or similar bike with wide 26 inch tires?

Maybe its the perspective in their picture, but do you think the brake and gear controls on the Safari are too front and center for that kind of riding? Hopefully the store will have one in stock when I pass through on 6/20.

Maybe its the perspective in their picture, but do you think the brake and gear controls on the Safari are too front and center for that kind of riding? Hopefully the store will have one in stock when I pass through on 6/20.You are right, it does look that way. This (http://media.rei.com/media/y/1347783.jpg) image makes it look like the controls are all near the base of the stem. I would hope the trekking bar isn't too flexing either. I've never seen one of these bikes in person, but they generally get rave reviews from owners, so I guess it isn't as bad as it looks. Also, it probably wouldn't be too hard to switch to a standard flat bar with bar ends and still use the same shifters. If I were doing a lot of off road long distance riding, the Safari bike would still be top of my list.

Well that's strange, only yesterday I was commuting into work, and I was using my mtb-***-commuter-tourer with Nashbar trekking bars on and I realized I could feel it flex as I was cycling. Not much mind you, but enough to be noticeable.

However, I think any kind of bars will flex, it's just to what degree and how noticeable it is. Personally I'm very happy with the bars on my commuter bike.


You are right, it does look that way. This (http://media.rei.com/media/y/1347783.jpg) image makes it look like the controls are all near the base of the stem. I would hope the trekking bar isn't too flexing either. I've never seen one of these bikes in person, but they generally get rave reviews from owners, so I guess it isn't as bad as it looks. Also, it probably wouldn't be too hard to switch to a standard flat bar with bar ends and still use the same shifters. If I were doing a lot of off road long distance riding, the Safari bike would still be top of my list.

I know this thread has been dormant for awhile, but I wanted to respond as I'm really interested in the Sojourn. I love the idea of a touring bike with disc brakes since I'm a year-round commuter, but there are some things about he Sojourn that really frustrate me:

- As others have menioned: 32 spoke wheels for touring? WTF are they thinking? That's just silly.

- So-so components. The sora crank, Deore rear derailluer, and hubs are cheap.

- Price. As others have mentioned, maybe it's the exchange rate, but I expect more bike for over $1K. The Surly LHT seems like a much better deal, and even the Trek 520 has a much nicer component package.

My hope is that a US manufacturer will emulate Sojourn making a touring bike w/disc brakes, but better components.

I agree, and I think that's one of the reasons the LHT is a popular choice -either you buy the frame and spec it up yourself or you buy a pre-built one that seems to be reasonably specced. It seems strange to spec a touring bike with 32 spoke rear wheels, too high gearing or poor rack (the Sojourn and 520 appear to be guilty of these issues respectively).

However, the LHT wasn't an option for me either; I wanted disc brakes on my tourer (ended up with a Dawes Sardar). I'd be much happier with the LHT if they specced the bike with disc mounts at the rear and on the fork as well as canti post mounts -hey, why not let the rider decide what braking system they want?

By the way, if I was in the market again, I'd consider a Novara Safari that has disc mounts (though I was a little disturbed to see Neil Gunton ended up not liking his Safari after a recent tour, see crazyguyonabike.com).



I know this thread has been dormant for awhile, but I wanted to respond as I'm really interested in the Sojourn. I love the idea of a touring bike with disc brakes since I'm a year-round commuter, but there are some things about he Sojourn that really frustrate me:

- As others have menioned: 32 spoke wheels for touring? WTF are they thinking? That's just silly.

- So-so components. The sora crank, Deore rear derailluer, and hubs are cheap.

- Price. As others have mentioned, maybe it's the exchange rate, but I expect more bike for over $1K. The Surly LHT seems like a much better deal, and even the Trek 520 has a much nicer component package.

My hope is that a US manufacturer will emulate Sojourn making a touring bike w/disc brakes, but better components.

However, the LHT wasn't an option for me either; I wanted disc brakes on my tourer (ended up with a Dawes Sardar). I'd be much happier with the LHT if they specced the bike with disc mounts at the rear and on the fork as well as canti post mounts -hey, why not let the rider decide what braking system they want?.
Exactly. There's no reason to limit the frame by making it only one or the rather rather than either. Some people are old school and want rim brakes - cool. Some of us prefer discs - fine. Build the frame so both are an option.

The Safari looks like a great value, but it's a little too hardcore for what I'm looking for - I'd like something I can use as a back-up commuter - a road touring bike with disc brakes. I really want bar-end shifters, and Safari's handlebars seem gimmicky.

I looked at the Sardar on-line and didn't see any indication it was disc-brake compatible. Have they changed it, or am I missing something?

The Safari looks like a great value, but it's a little too hardcore for what I'm looking for - I'd like something I can use as a back-up commuter - a road touring bike with disc brakes. I really want bar-end shifters, and Safari's handlebars seem gimmicky.


Trekking bars look weird, but trust me, they are very, very comfortable. Your hands never get bored.

Yes, I have an older version (though I do think the new version has disc mounts as well).

The older version I have is steel with slightly different geometry -well, really it's a different frame altogether. The newer one is Alu (nothing wrong with having an alu tourer imho) though a Cycling plus review is not that enthusiastic (http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/sardar-08-24163). Personally, I'm very, very happy with the Sardar -they made a really nice touring bike with mounts for canti or disc brakes. Again, let the rider decide!

I wouldn't hold your breath about someone making a similar frame; I think anywhere costs can be cut, it makes it much better for the bean counters (personally, I'd be happy to pay a $100 premium for a frame that can take multiple types of brakes, but I'm not sure everyone else is. Besides, it may even be effectively more than that as it may necessitate a completely new frame and hence new manufacturing setups...)

One last thing, though I do have discs and love them (and won't be swapping them out) I do have to say that for value, you're much better off with good quality well setup cantis. I found the extra costs involved (disc hubs, disc brakes, relacing wheels, disc specific rack, etc) just don't add up to be worth it in retrospect. Sure the discs do give superior performance (which is why I love mine), but good cantis are more than adequate too. If I was ever in the market for another tourer or a commuter, discs wouldn't be high up on my list of must haves -if I had spare money (yeah right!) I'd get them, otherwise and in all probability, I would not.



I looked at the Sardar on-line and didn't see any indication it was disc-brake compatible. Have they changed it, or am I missing something?

One last thing, though I do have discs and love them (and won't be swapping them out) I do have to say that for value, you're much better off with good quality well setup cantis. I found the extra costs involved (disc hubs, disc brakes, relacing wheels, disc specific rack, etc) just don't add up to be worth it in retrospect. Sure the discs do give superior performance (which is why I love mine), but good cantis are more than adequate too. If I was ever in the market for another tourer or a commuter, discs wouldn't be high up on my list of must haves -if I had spare money (yeah right!) I'd get them, otherwise and in all probability, I would not.
Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking about. I have a Trek XO-1 (XC) I've used for commuting and light touring since I bought it in 2002. As some of the parts have worn out I've replaced them with more rugged touring-oriented components (tougher wheels, barcons, LX cranks and derailluers). It's been a great, reliable, commuter, but the geometry isn't well suited for long-distance rides (too twitchy).

So it works fine and I don't need another bike, but it's always good to have a back-up and since it rains so much here (Seattle) I was really looking for something with disc brakes. Another option I'm considering (this probably makes more sense) is to just get a hardtail mtb with discs. Since my XC is almost a touring bike now I was thinking I might get a mtb. As I'm sure you know for the diligent, patient shopper you can find a good hardtail for around $500-600 (probably last year's model). Certainly not the most efficient for commuting, but in inclement weather I'm not exactly a speed demon.

I don't know if Trek still makes them, but I saw a Trek Portland (w/ discs) once in my LBS -and fell in love with it. I wish I did have some extra money -I reckon that would be a great commuter. Of course, I think it had 32 spokes.... so we're back to the Raleigh Sojourn discussion I suppose! Definitely discs are a nice plus in wet weather too.

A possible compromize would be to use a non-suspension fork with disc mounts on your bike if it doesn't have disc mounts already -you could have at least front discs then. I like having discs both front and rear though. Good luck.

p.s. I'm from the UK and I avoid cycling in wet weather whenever possible, I really don't like it!



Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking about. I have a Trek XO-1 (XC) I've used for commuting and light touring since I bought it in 2002. As some of the parts have worn out I've replaced them with more rugged touring-oriented components (tougher wheels, barcons, LX cranks and derailluers). It's been a great, reliable, commuter, but the geometry isn't well suited for long-distance rides (too twitchy).

So it works fine and I don't need another bike, but it's always good to have a back-up and since it rains so much here (Seattle) I was really looking for something with disc brakes. Another option I'm considering (this probably makes more sense) is to just get a hardtail mtb with discs. Since my XC is almost a touring bike now I was thinking I might get a mtb. As I'm sure you know for the diligent, patient shopper you can find a good hardtail for around $500-600 (probably last year's model). Certainly not the most efficient for commuting, but in inclement weather I'm not exactly a speed demon.

Yeah, the Trek Portland looks like a great rig for commuting and light touring. Apart from the wheels the only thing I don't like about it, and this is just being picky, are the STI shifters. I love the simplicity and reliability of having separate brake levers and shifters (barcons). But it seems like dedicated touring bikes are the only ones spec'd with barcans these days (except the Surly X-check).

Yeah, the Trek Portland looks like a great rig for commuting and light touring. Apart from the wheels the only thing I don't like about it, and this is just being picky, are the STI shifters. I love the simplicity and reliability of having separate brake levers and shifters (barcons). But it seems like dedicated touring bikes are the only ones spec'd with barcans these days (except the Surly X-check).
You can swap them for almost no cost if you sell the new STI levers on ebay. The bar end shifters are cheaper than STI and tektro road brake levers are very cheap.

You can swap them for almost no cost if you sell the new STI levers on ebay. The bar end shifters are cheaper than STI and tektro road brake levers are very cheap.
Yeah, that's what I eventually did with my X0-1. Even though I used them for about 3 years I still got about $30 on ebay.