Would there be a noticeable difference between a bike from the ‘80s and s new bike?
I don’t understand a lot about frame geometry but that seems to be really important.
I ride a Raleigh from the mid ‘80s and sometimes I feel as if I am fighting the bike.

Yes! Less from weight or fit, if your 80s bike was properly fitted and still fits you, and the weight is not that much more...but the components are HUGELY better now.

It wasn’t fitted to me. We didn’t do that back then.
The shifters are on the downtube and that is really awkward. The drop bars are not really right either.

Hugely

An old bike won't be any harder to fit you to than a new bike. But whether new or old, if the frame size is wrong for you, then it can be a expensive challenge. Older components and some older frame standards might make replacement of them difficult and expensive on some old frames, yet some frames back then are easy to upgrade. So it depends!

You might like certain aspects of newer bikes, such as the newer STI's on a road bike and short reach shallow drop bars, compared to the longer reach and bigger drop of older style drops.

For anything other than road bikes, someone else will have to say.

I think bikes are a lot like golf clubs: sure the older stuff still works fine but newer stuff usually makes it easier. Both industries have made numerous advancements over the years/decades. Fitting is also stressed much more now in both industries rather than buying something "good/close enough" in the stores years ago.

As far as bikes go in general brakes are better, shifting is easier, and weight as come down...that's not even getting into frame geometries and the increased variety of options. Sounds like you're in the "it's not bad but could maybe be better" camp so in your situation yeah I'd give new bikes a look. If you're able to find a couple in some shops give them a test ride and see how they compare. Chances are you'll find some things you like about the new bikes and you might find some things you still like about your old bike better. Plenty of people still ride classic bikes and don't feel they're missing out on anything; plenty of people ride newer bikes too, obviously. If you're questioning it there's no harm in testing the waters.

As someone who rides both, there is a difference, and a big part of it is simply that ergonomics are better now. Not just moving the shifting up to the brake levers, but also the design of those levers, the bars, the saddles, clipless pedals, etc.

More gears in wider ranges. For example, my 1980s bikes cam with 52/42 or 52/40 cranksets and 6 or 7 speed cassettes from 13-24 up to 13-32. My newest bike has a 52/36 crankset and 11-34 11 speed cassette.

Better brakes - my newest bike has disc brakes, but even my 90s and 00's bikes have dual pivot calipers that are much better than the older single pivot brakes from the 80s.

Better shifting - Hyperglide was introduced in about 1990, and it makes shifting much faster, quieter and more precise.

As far as fit goes, an old bike with a good fit is better than a new bike with a lousy fit, so there's that.

Most of the parts back then were better made.

As for frame technology, with the modern butting technology available, the way tubing is butted and formed makes a huge difference in overall pedalling stiffness handling response/comfort balance

In what sense do you feel you are fighting the bike? What are you doing that isn’t seeming to work the way you want?

Otto

Double what?
Stop it.

In general very much a yes.

On specifics, it depends.

Most of it depends on your current Raleigh and how it has been maintained and if it has been upgraded over the years. If you are riding a 35 year old bike that has original parts and you haven’t been meticulous in maintaining it, then even a Tourney level modern bike might be an improvement.

If you happen to have a sub-20 lb (not sure any 80’s Raleighs are even in that realm) with with Dura Ace or Super Record in tip top shape, that Tourney level bike might not seem like an upgrade.

The problem will be what new bike you want to get. If you want to spend less than $1000, it will be better, but not the same better many people here might be thinking of.

John

Primary problem you will have with an 80s bike is there are relatively few who know much about them. I can assure you that 40 years ago people rode in comfort and with safety. If you are surrounded by a choir screaming that the one true path is to buy a new bike every couple of years you are out of luck.

When I have refitted and tuned 80s bikes it is invariable that there will be major assembly errors, usually from the shop that originally sold the bike. Raleighs were not designed to be final assembled by unsupervised minimum wage teenagers, which was the norm for US in 80s. This does mean it is simple to find old bikes that have never been ridden. They won’t become rideable without a knowledge base. “Fighting the bike” as the OP has it always means something is wrong. A new or an old bike should not fight the rider. Of course bikes are still badly assembled and new ones can fight back too.

Old and new can coexist quite nicely. A 50 year difference between these two. I ride the old Mercier, my friend the high tech modern bike, but we seem to have a common riding style and pacing. Fun to see how each of us handle their respective steeds.

1984 Raleigh Olympian .... really nice in this condition with Tiagra 10-speed, , but I upgraded it with a threadless-type stem,105 brakes, better BB, 50-34 crank, and few bits I forget right now.

I don't do downtube shifters. I did for decades, I am done. Brifters are better for me in every way. The geometry is a little racy, but I am used to it, and after playing with stem length and seat it feels stable and still quick It has exactly the ride you'd expect from a mid-80s steel bike--plenty of snap under acceleration, but a nicely damped ride, even on hard 23s, over most pavement.

An old bike can be a great bike, and IMO an upgraded old bike can be even better.

i am constantly having to move around on the handlebars to keep my hands from getting sore enough to cramp. I may just need different handlebars.
The biggest problem is changing gears. The shifters on the tube and I hate taking a hand off the bars to shift so I usually just leave it in one gear.
It just doesn’t feel right. This was dad’s bike originally. I bought it from him long ago. It’s probably not setup right for me.
By the time I change everything I may as well get a new or newer bike.

i really don’t know what cassettes I have or what the differences are.

My Raleigh is a Technium Tri Light.

It is not just the bike that got older since around 1985 but you did too. That makes a lot of difference in how you perceive riding the bike. I bought a Motobecane Le Champion road bike in 1973. It was their top-of-the-line production bike at the time. It weighed 21 pounds and was equipped with first rate components. I worked for a bike shop at that time so it was properly fitted and set up. It was a great pleasure to ride it when I bought it but as the years went on it got less fun to ride. It was not because the bike became outmoded or only had 15 speeds. It was me. I developed cyclist palsy from being an avid cyclist and motorcycle rider. Eventually I tried mountain bikes (still own two) but that wasn't much better. You can get a new bike with a less aggressive geometry (less weight on hands and shoulders) but eventually time may catch up with you. BTW, I tried giving the Motobecane away to friends who ride but nobody wanted it so I gave it to a charity that takes donated bikes for people who need transportation but don't have a car. It came back to the charity within a week because the new owner wanted something with fatter tires and more comfort. He was happy with a BSO rather than a quality bike with high pressure, narrow tires. I still ride but now ride a recumbent trike because even though it is heavier than the Motobecane it is way more comfortable.

If a bike fitted you 40 years ago, you probably have lost enough height to make it not fit. Fit aside, gearing I would have used 40 years ago would not suit me now.

There is little you can do with an bonded aluminum frame and 126mm dropouts.

Time to move on. You do need to do some homework to figure out what bike will work best for you, and your budget.

John

Easy enough to figure out. Just make sure you remember where you started counting.

If the bike is your size, you should be able to get a stem and handlebars that work better.

You could switch to stem mounted shifters or bar end shifters.

Those changes should be less expensive than a new bike, if that matters.

OTOH, you might really like the features of new or newer bikes and just want to make the switch.

Otto

I hate to say it, but this is Not a bike you can easily upgrade. You can fit a seven-speed cluster on it, and seven-speed brifters (that's what have on my '83 Cannondale) .... But ...

My friend, I think you need professional help.

Seriously .... it sounds like the bike is not at all sized or set up for your body and your riding style, but to try to explain and understand the myriad and interrelated possibilities .... A person would need to measure you thoroughly, and /or watch you ride, and then figure out how you like to ride or want to ride.

A lot of bikes are set up in race configuration, with the bars well below the seat and well forward, which strains your whole body but generally hits the hands first. And your bike is a racy bike to begin with.

Whether the bike could be adjusted to fit you can't be determined from a distance. And in order to bring it as up-to-date as possible would take a few hundred dollars at least, and you still wouldn't have high quality or many options.

Really nice frame, sort of .... just not much can be done with it. You can play with raising the handlebars .... but pretty sure that eventually you are going to buy a newer bike, so I'd suggest not spending any more money on this one.

Maybe you can sell it to some Classic and Vintage aficionado. (https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage-sales/)

I may have another bike located yhat might be better yhan the Allez I found earlier.
It’s a 2003 Trek 2300 with Ultegra groupset.

If you have time and a little money, the most important next step is to be really patient. Eventually an exceptional deal will show up.

First and foremost, whatever you buy has to Fit you. The best bike in the world is worthless if you cannot ride it comfortably. This means you need to know what does fit---how much you like to lean, how far behind the bottom bracket you like the seat, what size seats fit .... Almost every bike you look at will be set up for someone else, which means you have to figure out how much room you have to adjust the bars, move the seat, and almost certainly the seat won't fit you ......

So you have to hop onto a bike which might be able to be made fit, and figure out whether it really can be.

If you are patient, you can wait until just the right bike comes along .... a fifteen-year-old bike might need a bit more work than you might want to do. You never know--maybe the bike was in a garage for 15 years, or maybe all the bearings are tires, the derailleur springs are weak, the brifters internals are worn and about to give out .....

Also, I don't get the impression that you know a lo0t about bikes, so it is not likely that you could identify a really great old bike from a kind of beat-up old bike which the seller polished up nicely.

Also, if you buy a used bike, not only will you have to make it fit you--which might involve buying and installing a new stem and maybe spacers, and maybe a new saddle---but you will probably want to consider new tubes, maybe new tires, a new chain, maybe brake shoes, and new cables .... which requires you to have the tools and know-how to change tires and tubes and chains and brakes and cables, and to make all the necessary adjustments ..... could you tell if a headset was too loose? Do you know what a notchy headset feels like? Can you tell if wheel bearings are worn?

There are some really excellent bikes out there for sale for really excellent prices .... and there are some worn-out, overpriced disasters which will leave a buyer drowning in regret. Make sure you get the former, not the latter.

I would suggest you go to a couple bike shops and tell people you are planning to buy a bike in a couple months when you have saved more money (so they can't get too upset when you refuse to buy a bike you don't want) and try a bunch of different sizes, different styles ....

Do you even know if you want a drop-bar bike? You might be happier and more comfortable on a flat-bar bike.

Also .... I hate saying this over and over, and last time I looked, prices were rising .... but look at Bikes Direct. BD will ship a mostly assembled bike to your home. You shouldn't even need specialty tools to assemble it ... but you might want to make cable adjustments (check out the millions of how-to videos on YouTube.) These are no-name frames with decent parts, and they are new, which means you won't accidentally buy a bike which needs a few hundred dollars of work. Also, if the bike completely doesn't work, you can send it back for a nominal fee .... but if you go to a couple bike shops to get a better idea of what you want .... then you can buy it for less online, possibly.