Blues Frog

Can you folks give me a heads up on the pros and cons of these two bikes? I want a good commuter that can be used on the road as well. I have decided I may have to have two bikes for commuting and this current choice will be for warm weather and a mountain hardtail with carbide studded tires for our snow and ice days of winter. But I need to get some ideas for this good weather bike. Any good and bad on either of these two bikes? Thanks in advance for your experience. Wing Nut

TrekFix

I recently purchased a trek 520 and I would say a big pro for this bike is...that it has been around since 1983. It has changed a little over the years but, that is to be expected. I highly recommend one. I love mine and plan to use it for commuting and some loaded touring. I'm not familiar with the Raleigh so maybe someone else can chime in on that one.

If you want one bike for all seasons, you may want to look into a Surly LHT. The smaller sizes (54 and below) have the 26" wheels---I hear they are a tank Plus, you can buy a frameset and build it up to your own specs if you want.

sseaman

Are you wanting flat or drop bars?

Blues Frog

I have a bad weather tank in Ti frame with 29" wheels picked out. It may happen or not. I have an "Xmart special" hardtail mountain bike with 26" mud tires and pop rivet steel studs. It gave great service in sub-zero weather, snow, ice, and frozen slush with the accompanying frozen canyons to make you crash. I would like to forget the slush for a while. The Trek looks good. Anyone with the Raleigh experience here? The Trek sounds like a proven unit with used bikes maybe available. But the Sojourn looks good too. I'm still obviously looking around. Wing Nut

sm1960

I also just purchased a trek 520. Note: seat is uncomfortable, I put a brooks champ flyer on and love it. Also the fenders are crap, I also swapped those out.

Blues Frog

I might want drop bars but really need to ride both more. Experience may teach me the difference for my riding style. One may be more comfortable for the Katy trail etc. W N "Note the edit."

NormanF

I have a Trek 520. A 1994 model, dark green that came with a cheap rack. Replaced it with a Tubus rack set, installed Continental Top Touring Tires and a Brooks B-66 saddle. For a more more upright riding position, I swapped out the stock drop bars for a Nitto Albatross handlebar.

As for the ride? Its a very smooth and comfortable ride.

buck65

Not sure what the price is on the Sojourn, but I'm liking that bike better than the 520. It looks like it has a pretty versatile rack, already comes with a Brooks saddle, and has disc brakes (which might be a benefit). Both bikes have a solid component set...geometry on the Sojourn looks a bit more compact. You should ride both of them and see how you feel.

There was a suggestion to look at the Surly LHT--I had this bike for a 6 month period and absolutely LOVED it...such a great bike. And it's much cheaper than the Trek 520. If possible, you should take one of those out for a test ride. Having built two "commuter/touring" bikes in the past year, I'd easily pick up any of the bike listed here if I was looking for a solid package that'll last for years.

jubal117

I have a Raleigh Sojourn that I bought last September. I really like it for the most part. The only thing I have changed is the stem, the stock stem was a little to low for my liking. The only complaint I really have is when I attach my baskets to the sides of the rack for groceries, is that it just doesn't seem geared right for long steep climbs. I am a big guy and I don't like climbing to begin with, but whenever there is an extra 50 pounds on the Sojourn, I feel like I am going to die going up those hills after work.

I usually use my Raleigh Mojave 8.0 to tow my trailer on grocery days. My Mojave is in the shop right now after a pretty bad wreck so I have been riding the Sojourn everyday. I really like the components and I think it looks pretty good too. I love disc brakes and Brooks saddles so those are two of the big reasons I chose this bike. I only paid 700 for mine, but I bought it at cost. I think they go for over 1000 most of the time.

Grim

I am wanting to move to a Disc brake commuter . Wet rim brakes suck! I'm liking the Sojourn for that fact. I have the same cranks on my T700 Cdale and I do find the 39 ring a bit high for a general commuter rig. I like a 36 middle ring better but I do like the 50 big rin for the flats.. That said it has a 34 on the rear so unless you have some monster hills it won't be that bad. I have a 11-28 and I make do.

Blues Frog

Jubal isn't the small ring up front a 30 and the rear low gear a 34? That should help with a grocery load. It almost seems too low of a gear. I am leaning toward the Sojourn for my good weather bike. Just have to get to Biscari brothers to see about a test ride. I will have to save up for a while as I will only pay cash. Thanks for your thoughts and experience here. This is a good sounding board. Later. Wing Nut

Metricoclock

I'm not a fan of the Aluminum Trek 520.
The Sojourn is a nice bike but very heavy and still pricey.
A Surly Cross-Check or Long Haul Trucker is my recommendation.

jaywbee3 

[QUOTE=Metricoclock;10780626]I'm not a fan of the Aluminum Trek 520.

FWIW - The Trek 520 is steel.

Metricoclock

[QUOTE=jaywbee3;10780662]Woops my mistake, i for some reason thinking the Portland.

ddez

You can now get Surly's LHT's with 26" wheels on any size frame for 2010 just to correct a post somewhere above. Cant have wrong rumors getting started here.Lol.

electrik

Kona's sutra... better mixed use geometry and you get to keep the disc brakes. To the poster who claims the 520 hasn't changed ever, they need to look more carefully and anyways that isn't really a claim to greatness. The sojourn is a heaviest bicycle of all three plus you are paying a premium for the fancy seat and bar-tape and i have heard the frame welds are ugly. Regarding the LHT... you can always find something more unique(LHT is a bit like white bread) - but it's a good bicycle that is really a touring bicycle at heart. Though i wouldn't waste time considering 26" wheels unless you were actually, really, seriously going to take it off the continent or you weigh in at 200lbs plus.

nahh

the sojourn looks great on paper, and looks nice outside a coffee shop. in reality, it's really really heavy.

I have no experience on the 520, but would be comfortable recommending it since it's tried and true for so many. The LHT is nice, but i'd probably get a Crosscheck for anything but unsupported-heavily-loaded touring. You might think right now weight is of little concern, but when you're responsible for hauling it and yourself up every hill, you'll wish your bike was lighter.

JeremyZ

I don't think weight is necessarily the be-all, end-all for commuters. It is in the road bike forum, but not here. Here, a lot of us like steel frames, despite the weight. We run lower gears, because we don't feel bad if we're not averaging 20+ mph.

The Brooks saddle weighs a couple of pounds, but all accounts, it is WORTH it. Steel frames weigh more (both of these you're considering have steel frames) but are said to have a nicer ride.

I just bought a Specialized TriCross Sport today. On the internet, they don't look too drastic. But if you're coming from a hybrid bike, a softcore mountain bike, or anything even remotely upright, it is a pretty drastic seating position.

The Long Haul Trucker seems to be a better value than the Trek 520. They look pretty equivalent on paper, but the 520 is a more sporting position and a faster bike. The Long Haul Trucker is probably going to be more comfortable, especially when you use the money you saved to buy a Brooks saddle and a good set of pedals.

JeremyZ

In the thread in which I was asking for advice before buying my bike, one 520 owner said that he had ridden a Long Haul Trucker, and didn't like how sluggish it felt compared to the 520.

But all things are relative. The LHT is probably an absolute speed demon compared to a mountain bike!

Blues Frog

I looked at the LHT but no disc brakes looks bad to me. 700c tire looks good. I could start controversy and say 29" wheels. Brooks saddle, racks, lights, and fenders will be necessary as well. I may have to get a dynamo hub with standlights too. God Bless. Wing Nut

electrik

Weight isn't a huge issue... i mean if you're buying a steel frame it is a good thing since it will take longer to rust through, some thin-wall frames can be done after a season of wet. You should not just consider tossing everything you want on it though... you can end up with something that is too heavy.

If your commute involves mostly stop and go or huge hills, stay well away from heavy bicycles... but if you get to cruise for a while then a touring bike is a good idea and weight becomes less important.

One more point, don't buy the bicycle based on parts... always rank the qualities of the frame first, the componentry can be upgraded but upgrading the frame is buying a new bicycle.

freefallkev

To throw in my 2 cents, I love my 520. I commute on it daily and have used it for a few 100 mile weekend get-aways. I really have no major complaints. One minor pet peeve was the crappy fenders, replaced with Planet Bike Hardore fenders. The saddle gets a pretty bum rap around here, but I guess I'm one of the lucky few that it fits

I also looked at the Sojourn, carried at another local shop, but the drawbacks for me were 1) Aluminium frame 2) Higher price and 3) I didn't like the shop that carried it. None of these make it a bad bike, it just comes down to personal preference.

The LHT looks to be a solid choice as well; I can't speak from experience but I hear a lot of good things about it on the Touring forum. If one of the shops here carried it I may well have gone with one.

Remember, all the opinions on here really don't amount to a hill of beans - test ride all of your options, choose the one that fits best. See if the shop will let you leave collateral and take it on a long test ride. If you have an established rapport with the shop it shouldn't be a problem. If possible, mount panniers with some weight when you do your test ride - my 520 feels much better with some weight on the racks then it does unloaded.

One other thing to consider: don't look just at the price, consider the value adders shops offer. I got a free tune up after 30 and 90 days, 15% off my next purchase, and 10% off any future touring related purchase, plus the satisfaction of putting money into the local economy.

Good luck, I hope you have many happy adventures on whatever bike you choose!

tim24k

I’ve owned my 2006 Trek 520 for four years now and like very much for commuting and lighter touring. And Yes I do like the stock seat! I’m now building a Surly LHT for heavier touring. I like the stronger 26” wheels. The Surly is slower in handling to me, more truck like if you will.

Blues Frog

Isn't the Sojourn a Reynolds 520 chromoly frame? I have a LBS - 50 miles from here. They say they carry Raleigh and Trek. Also it is a store with two locations in the KC MO area. I am going to talk to them first. Perhaps next weekend. Went with my local bike club this morning and did 18 miles. Averaged 11.8 MPH with a horrible headwind and a couple of mile long hills against or cross wind. Lots of bikes present but no Trek 520 or Sojourn. One of the guys has a 520 but rode an aluminum frame bike today. Thanks again for your time. W N

freefallkev

You're right, it is steel. Looking back now they were out of stock in the Sojourn, it was the C-dale touring bike that they had in stock but I didn't like. From the pictures on the Raleigh site, that Sojourn is a sharp looking bike, I have a soft spot for classic looks. My previous negative statements are hereby withdrawn.