bendeneo

Hello all,

I am a newbie to this site and had a fairly general set of questions really.

I was recently given a Raleigh Criterium 12 Triathlon bike by a neighbour who had it under a sheet in his back garden. Aside from needing a new valve on one of the tyres, the bike is almost timewarp condition! There is a tiny amount of rust on the handlebar headset and a couple of nuts on the frame but essentially it is in great condition, and is a reynolds 501 frame, with shimano SIS light action gears.

My question really relates to using it.... I was going to use it for my ride to the station in the mornings (I usually ride a rather heavy Pinnacle Peak 3.0)..... but if people on here think I am better off preserving it then maybe I will.

I may even use it for a triathlon so that it actually gets used for the intended purpose!

cehowardGS

I commute on my 85, and 79 Raleighs, and love the ride too.

GrayJay

As a entry level performance bike it is not going to ever be particulary valuable to a collector, go ahead and use and enjoy it, much better than letting it rust&rot away unused.

bendeneo

Hi guys,

Thanks for the confirmation.... I will just get on and use it.

If I do a triathlon on it and it survives I'll re-post!

Cheers,

Ben

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Before you do your commute on it you might do well to take a test ride and listen for squeaks or scraping noises. Any sounds like that would indicate a need for some fresh lube on the bearings. Aside from that, ride it like ya stole it!