2011 Raliegh
 

A few very cool bikes from Raliegh for 2011. They seem to be embracing the retro-modern style.

Recently, I saw the International in person and it is very very pretty (I am a total sucker for chromed lugs :love:...). Reynolds 853, chrome lugs, chrome flat crown fork, light. Very cool retro-modern bike, but if it had a Brooks Swallow and matching bar tape (like the Record Ace), polished quill stem + alloy seatpost, it'd be even better:

http://www.raleighusa.com/wp-content...-Chrome_LG.jpg



The Record Ace is pretty much unchanged and that is to say very cool. Reynolds 520, Ultegra, Swallow, leather bar tape. Again, it could benefit from polished alloy stem/bars, and post.

http://www.raleighusa.com/wp-content...e_White_LG.jpg



Next down the line is the Grand Prix. It seems to be the same frame as the Record Ace but with lower spec parts.

http://www.raleighusa.com/wp-content...rix_Red_LG.jpg

This was discussed a few weeks ago (maybe more recently) but I'm all for it. I would LOVE to get ahold of that new international frameset. I think it looks great as is but would benefit from the changes you mentioned. I think if I had the means I would build it with modern alloy campy. Athena maybe....

I love my 10 speed record but the CF components are so damn ugly on a steel frame.

The International frameset looks very nice indeed. What I've been wondering about is the potential price. The speculation in the recent thread was that it would be a fair bit more than the 2k asking price for the Record Ace, but after Googling a bit I found a blog that mentioned the MSRP of the International was $5,999.99!!!!!!!!

Now I know Dura-Ace is good stuff, wheels and all, but no way is it worth a $4,000 mark up over Ultegra. If THAT figure happens to be true somebody's drinking the good stuff upstairs!

What the frameset should retail for alone, I don't know. But I know I sure as heck could improve on what they did for that kind of markup!

Hopefully the actual price is somewhat more sensible.

Tom

Admittedly, it ain't $4k worth, but keep in mind that the international frame is 853 vs 520 for the Record Ace and GP, and all that chrome is pricey. If you were talking with a custom builder, those upgrades would cost you a grand, easy.

SP
Bend, OR

The sad reality is that in 30 years they'll be on CL for $150 and I'll be too old to swing my leg over the bar. Wait, does any have an extra flux capasitor?
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=165085

nope... doesn't cut it in my taste.

I do,... but I'm not sharing.

The 2011 Team and Competition, respectively, are more expensive (better) than the Grand Prix.

Of course, after I put money down on a Ti Frame with Campy. If a dealer is willing to take the international and slap some Athena on there for the same price I'll sign now.

Can you slide a business card between the lugs?

Saw this on another thread. Japan gets cooler bikes than we (USA) do...
http://www.raleigh.jp/catalog10/30_CLS/index.htm

Too bad they only come in 51 and 54cm sizes.

Wow, I might consider buying a new bike if they actually looked that nice.

I'd only consider paying that kind of money if it was made out of that fancy new stainless steel Reynolds is going on about. Buy one of those, and you may never need to buy another frame again.

My local LBS gave me a price of $4,800. for the International. I know it's just a small bit above his cost. The Record Ace is about 1,600.

Mike

I cannot understand the interest in the retro vintage bike. I like my old bikes, because they are old. And that, is a fact. However, the rest of what I have to add is opinion - mine and no offense to any other opinions is intended.

Vintage road bikes do not offer a wonderful ride, when compared to many bikes available today. They cannot be seriously competitive, when modern racing is the concern. And, thanks to antiquated components, they are pretty much unsafe to ride, when compared to, just about, any other bicycled offered in today's Velo market place. Again, all of that is my opinion.

So, to those of you who lust for such a modern vintage wonder, my question is this - what is it you see in them? $4000 for a new Paramount??? My guess is that you would, after buying such a beastie, still lust for a vintage one. Again, on old man's opinion.

I just might regret posting this one:-)

I have a pretty strong suspicion that Lance or Alberto, Boonen or Cavendish would be plenty competitive atop an International at 17-19# even if everyone else were riding their modern CF steeds. And DA 7900 is decidedly not antiquated nor unsafe. Most typical C&V components may be a different story, but even then unsafe is a bit of a stretch.

I'll readily confess that I like C&V bikes because that's what I fancy myself riding like I used to, back when I was a 20yo, full of energy and strong as a horse. Sure, it's a little silly now, but then again that's a pretty common affliction among fat old men :)

I saw your Vitus 979 on your website. Beautiful bike. Why, I might even like to buy one someday. But I have a feeling riding it at my present size might not be the wisest idea either :) When I was a kid I DID test ride an early lugged CF Giant at around 220# or so - nothing scary happened, and the bike and I fairly sprouted wings and flew away. It was cool.

Tom

Your regrets begin now! :-)

I have always felt comfortable on my vintage bikes. As ong as we exclude suspension-equipped bikes, there's nothing new under the sun today that has improved upon ride quality. I'm not even sure what you are talking about here.

Unsafe? I think this claim is borders on ridiculous. There's nothing "unsafe" about Suntour, Wienmann or Campagnolo Nuovo Record components (or any of the less expensive stuff, either) as long they are properly maintained.

I totally agree with the idea that a modern bike, not even a retro-styled modern bike, cannot satisfy the desire for a "Rosebud" bike. It simply does not work that way.

Sorry guys but those steel frames are pretty ugly in my opinion. One thing is want to go retro and other is just forget craftmanship and nah, 4.8 grands for that? I love steel but nah... many here for sure love bottechia, colnago, EddyM, pinarellos and other brands but look, one said that loved chrome lugs, the bike doesnt even come close to a bottechia in the chrome department for example.

The other funny thing is that the forks are super ugly, ok you want something retro? look at some old bikes, 20 or 30 years ago some forks were beautiful but look at this one, the whole bike looks like coming from walmart but with good stuff in it.

Why to forget the most beautifull track bike ever made? The Raleigh professional pista circa 1972 for example?

http://velospace.org/node/15967

And a bottechia...

http://rocka1bikeshop.blogspot.com/2...a-vintage.html

Having these 2 old bikes in mind, look at the 4 thousand dollars raleigh.

How you guys can compare those two pretty old bikes with the new raleigh steel? I love steel dont get me wrong but look, Raleigh has not get a hit in the bike market since practically they went to modern production like 20 years ago, Raleigh UK is dead and Raleigh US is just Raleigh US. And sadly there is no way for Raleigh to go even closer to the craftmanship they had back in the day.

Look at the pictures, besides the dura ace stuff what else? nothing more than, ugly a$$ paint, chrome that i bet is single plated and after 1 or 2 years is practically gone, before was triple plated thats why old bikes still have the chrome intact, the fork is the most awefull thing ever... come one raleigh if you want to ask 4gs for a bike at least give me casting lugs, triple plated chromes and at least a descent paint job like it was done before, one single color? that's darn cheap!!!

I love raleigh thats the part that really hurts me, the company sucks and now with the retro line it sucks even more.

Even fuji did a retro line that looks way better than the 2011 raleigh dura ace in the picture.

Im not mad is just that i cant stand what is going on now a days, i would not pay 500 bucks for the frames and only because of the chrome, as a bike does not even compare to the old raleighs.

Bad bad

The Vitus was a little too flexible for me. However, I was lucky enough to stumble across this ALAN and I love the bike, both the ride quality and appearance. The ALAN is stiffer than the Vitus, very agile and just feels fast.

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