mdsteve

I have just heard about this Bike which seemingly is intended for serious touring. Is anyone familiar with it?...Has anyone see the bike yet?....Does anyone know how much it weighs?

thanks for any information that you might have

Steve

lighthorse

I assume that you have looked at the specs here: https://www.raleighusa.com/page/items.itemid.427

Doesn't say what the weight is but then most mfgs. don't advertise that spec.

foamy

I don't know, but it seems to be a nice bike. I'm not a fan of disc brakes and that "Joytech" hub spec doesn't thrill me, but overall—a touring bike. A little pricey for the specs right about now (exchange rate, I'm assuming). If it were around eight bills, I'd like it a lot better. Good looking touring bike though.

Dahon.Steve

There was a thread about this bike. The hardcore tourists didn't like the disk brakes, fenders and gearing was low enough. However, it looks better than the LHT and if someone would give me one for free, I'd pass out right away!!!

Big2wheeler

I been interested in this one when it comes out too, need to see it in person to get a sense of the weight though. The Jamis Coda is a nice one (also avail with disc or cantis) you could look for used, more of a compact frame design maybe not so ultra touring. The LHT seems good if you don't mind building up your own custom setup.

SSmith

I know I'm not able to see the forest for the trees here, but stock with a B17 and matching handlebar tape? HOT!

john bono

It's agonizingly close to being a nice bike. I'm a bit agnostic on the disk brake thing, but why in heaven's name did they go for 32 spoke wheels on a touring bike? Would 8 more spokes make the bike that much more expensive?

ricohman

32 spoked wheels? No thanks.
Discs?
Did they actually talk with real word cyclists? How could they have.

MrPolak

--

Nigeyy

I have to agree on the 32 spoke wheels -why not do it properly with 36 spokes? It's hard to fathom out why. Call me a real world cyclist, but I can't agree with you on the discs as I use them on my touring bike and prefer them (you should try them!).

mdsteve

Thanks to everyone for your input...I am debating between something like the sojourn, or rebuilding my early/mid 80s Univega Gran Tourismo with up dated componants...I am not sure there would be much savings though

steve

Aloyzius

I love my Gran Turismo. It's old. It doesn't have enough braze-ons. It's heavy. And I'm not sure I will ever tour on it. And it will never be a classic, in the way that some old touring bikes are. As I upgrade various bits, will I even get a return on my investment? If I love riding it as much as I do now, then hell yes.

I too, love the Raleigh Sojourn, and of course, the LHT. And I hope to add one of them to my stable one day. But right now, I've got an old bike that needs some attention, and she's the priority. So I hope the Sojourn and the LHT continue to sell well in the meantime so they're still available. My girlfriend/room mate would freak if I brought home yet another bike right now, anyway.

professorkev

HEre is a Raliegh Sojourn review I came across form Feb. 1st

https://www.dirtragmag.com/blogarific...leigh-sojourn/

SweetLou

I went to my LBS the other day to check the Sojourn out. I'm not really interested in the bike, but I am the handlebars. I just think it is an ugly bike. Maybe it is because I am colorblind, but that color looks awful to me and the forks just look so bmxish. I don't know how much they weigh, but I picked one up and it seemed quite heavy.

I mentioned it to the LBS guy and he said something like, "Yeah, it is a bit heavy, to keep the price down they compromised with some heavier parts, like the hubs."

valygrl

Nice rack!

supton

One link (don't have it off-hand) indicated around 30lb. That may have been a "it feels like 30lb" or it may have been a bathroom scale. It is a steel frame with fenders--no weight weenies need apply.

n4zou

I like the disk brakes, they work when wet. Some may not like them but when your on a long descent in the rain on a loaded bike you immediately want nothing else. 32 spokes, Like others I would have rather have 36 but considering they used bullet proof Joy-Tech Cr-MO hubs and double wall rims I could easily live with that choice. As there using Joy-Tech hubs they could provide a Novatech dynamo Hub as an option. This would be nice as we could obtain resonably priced Novatech hubs in the USA as there is no Joy-tech distributer here. You can purchase Novatech dynamo hubs via European dealers but then the cost is about the same as a quality Shimano dynamo hub here so no point in doing that. If this bike does cost over $900 which would get you a ready to ride LHT that would pretty much kill this bike for me. The LHT is a known quality bike, this one is not. Ask me in a year or two after ride reports are in abundance. I hate to say this but it looks similar to a Schwinn hybrid I saw in a local Dicks sporting goods store for $300.

chipcom 

I had my Fuji World down at the shop today and swapped out the 105 brifters for bar-ends (105 brifters are going on the new road bike frame). They had a new Sojourn built...when I picked it up it felt like a tank! We weighed the Fuji as is, with fenders, rack, brooks saddle, etc...it weighed in at 28lbs. The Raleigh weighed in at 34.8.

supton

What size was the Sojourn, and was it stock?

chipcom 

Stock, didn't note the size, looked like about a 56...my Fuji is a 58.

Peter_B

I ordered a Sojourn. It can be better. I noticed that the front derailleur clip is in-between the seat tube water bottle mounts... not fatal but not well thought out. You'd have to use spacers I guess. The front dropouts do not appear to have eyelets which would be used in conjunction with the front fork bolt holes to mount a front rack. Clips can be used on the front fork but again, not well thought out. It's rear rack appears to be a Tubus Cargo rack which isn't cheap, so kudos there. It would be better with a 110 BCD crankset for more choice in chainring selection.

sykerocker 

Got a call from the local Raleigh shop (a mile down the street from where I work) this morning, they got their first Sojurn in. Went down to take a look, and I have to admit that it's the first time I've even entertained a thought of buying a complete, ready to roll, bicycle from a shop in something like 38 years. I could definitely put in a few good trips on it this year, just add a front rack and a couple of minor bits.

By the way, the one I looked at was a 57cm and didn't seem nearly as heavy as I was expecting - it's definitely a bit lighter than either my Magneet or the Bianchi Nyala.


Only problem is price: $1000.00 at the shop. I'm so used to rolling my own from old parts that I'm completely out of touch with what a good bicycle costs nowdays. What I've currently got into my Magneet is so low that my plans of replacing the Blumel's with beaten Hondo mudguards will easily add 1/3rd to my total cost of building the bike.

SweetLou

Just to let people know, I was confused about the handlebars and bar end shifters, since WTB's web site says that those bars won't work with bar ends. So, I emailed WTB and questioned why they work on the SoJourn. WTB replied saying that Raleigh had a special order made. Good enough for me, won't be buying the WTB's version. I wonder if I can order some from Raleigh?

sykerocker 

I should think so. Any manufacturer worth his salt offers replacement parts to rebuild the bike to factory spec in the event of an accident. No guarantees what the parts will cost, however. I work at a Honda motorcycle shop in the parts department, and people are always horrified as to what replacement bits cost.

n4zou

That price kills it for me! A built LHT is $900 with quality components, no X-mart bike parts used such as Joy-Tech hubs.