Just curious to see if anybody has one of these for city riding / commuting, and what they think. I just looked it up on Raleigh's website after realizing one of my local stores as one used. I see they have flat/riser bars now, whereas they used to have dropbars. It has Shimano Sora road gearing and Cantlever brakes; so it would be fairly easy to switch over to drops, right? Not sure which I prefer, but would be nice to have the option to easily make the change if wanted. Thoughts?

https://www.raleighusa.com/port-townsend-3743

LBS here has sold 2. New. How good a bike mechanic are you? IDK.

Not a very good bike mechanic at all. Trying to learn bit-by-bit. Are you saying this bike has problems mechanically?

Seems like if it's not a high-wheeler that Port Townsend is not the best name

Seems half-way there. Put an IGH and chainguard on and you're in business.

No , Bring it by my house and I can see if it needs replacement parts...

Raleigh USA is receiving, Its overseas Manufactured bikes in the Container Seaport of Tacoma Washington.


Townsend is a town in the NW corner of the state ..

That looks like a very nice bike.

My personal preference is drop bars, as well as a longer front fender, but I like that the Raleigh is steel, and the gear ratio spread is very similar to what I have and am happy with on my Charge Plug. I carry a backpack on my rear rack, but that would work just as well on the front. and you could always add a rear rack. What would be more difficult to change is the bars. You would have to also change the shifter and brake levers to be compatible with the drop bars which may cost some extra money, depending.

See if you can test ride it. If it fits and the riding position feels good as is, and the gearing feels right and the brakes feel right, then go for it.

That's why drops aren't worth it.

Drops could also take the same shifters anyway, just a cheap brake level with a hood is all that's needed, if that's how you roll.

it looks like a great bike to me and i would bet for commuting the flat bars would be fine. i personally prefer north road bars which is kind of what those look like.

As a person who did the flat bar (5k km) MTb to drop bar (3k km) to flat bar again (1k km so far), I don't feel that much of a difference, with the exception that my hands are closer together/shoulders feel much pinched in on a drop bar.

I don't buy this hand position argument either unless the cyclist has really week grip strength/endurance and even then, Ergon makes some really nice cork-based grips that should allow a lot of hand positions.

Produkte ? ERGON BIKE

I am seriously thinking about getting one. I already have seven drop bar bikes and this would be a nice change, and it would make a great fishing bike for me. I live in the boonies with lots of fishing holes around. It's only $510 with the corporate discount. Very classy, looks like a lot of bike for the money. The front rack looks like it has a wood floor.

The R in Raleigh on the bike looks a lot like the R in Rainier beer too

The 2 Bikes the LBS sold had Raleigh on the right, Rainier on the Left, on a White Paint job ,

with a little front Porteur style rack to bring home some Brewskis.




...

That's what it was named after, there's a Rainer decal on the rear of top tube. The front rack is called a 12 pack rack.

I looked at the web page again, and I like the bike even more than yesterday. I really like it. One thing is dumb: the wheels have 28 spokes each. That will work fine for most of the people most of the time, but it is a sacrifice in strength and durability with no good reason.

Huh... and yet you can't see Mt Rainier from Port Townsend until your ferry is halfway across to Whidbey Island... Baker is the mountain in PT... but not the beer it's true.

I know this is an old thread, but I just picked up a 2018 Port Townsend yesterday and have only put 8 miles on it so far I have to say I do like the more upright position and just the ride quality of a Reynolds steel frame speaks for its self. I haven't had a Brooks saddle since my mid 70's Super Course mk II and have been wanting another and my honey colored B17 standard comes in this Friday...

Rode a couple times with somebody that has one of these. Fairly light bike!

It looks very nice, and it's also complete, except for lights.

Hey kinda close eh!! It replaced the stock Raleigh saddle that wasn't all that bad the couple of times I used it. I sold my Raleigh carbon road bike that I really didn't want to put a Brooks saddle on and when I picked this up it had to have a Brooks as I have been wanting another one for years... Going to replace the stock grips next, but not sure they will be Brooks...