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Just a warning to those that either have or plan to get a Raleigh bike. Getting ORIGINAL replacement parts, such as a rim, can be a huge pain the rear. Sure you can get knockoffs that are pretty close to original on amazon and such. But getting something that actually looks the same as original...nope.
I sent a complaint to Raliegh.uk about this as raleigh usa is a pain in the rear.
On that note.
Raleigh detour 1 hybrid bike.
If for nothing else the seat setup on this is brilliant. I would recommend getting one just for that seat setup alone.
These ride very well over most surfaces and are quite easy to pedal for some odd reason. Thus you can get some serious speed going.
The bad..well parts are kinda hard to get.
The only option is quick release system, which also means that everything from rims to seat can be stolen in the blink of an eye. The original shaft is an oddball size M9 x 1 not m9 x 1.75 or 1.25...by 1. So nothing off the shelf is available if you want to go to bolt on setup for more security. Just a note most standard axles are either m10 x 1, 3/8 nf, 5/16 nf, or m8.
The carbon fiber center hub bearing on axle is just smaller than standard sizes as well. Since this is hardened metal you would again need machine shop services to change anything.
The general idea behind quick release is for ease of punctures....well I can tell you from experience that getting the tire off these rims requires the use of tools, there is not trick to get them off. Set in center use levers(dull) to remove tire once its halfway off it comes off and you can change or fix tube. Having to carry one wrench to do the same thing(some have a dull end just for tire changes) seems simple.
In case anyone is wondering, most of the local brand bikes here do NOT have quick release anything. Many people change from quick release to solid axles all the time. More for security than anything. Those that dont well...
I saw a bike last year. locked up with strong good u lock to fence as the owner went into bar for a drink..half hour later he comes out to a bike missing both wheels, seat, and all brake cables cut off. The next day, as he left it overnight, only thing left was bare frame, nothing else. It sat there for a week before it was removed. I pity the guy but I bet his new replacement doesnt have quick release.
This was in a mid to low crime area, first striped bike I saw.
Comments
Bike thieves are brazen, determined and resourceful
I live in a high theft areas for everything that isn't nailed down- bikes, bike parts, catalytic converters- you name it. I have Pitlock skewers on my wheels and Pitlock bolts on everything else, which makes it much harder to steal components (I will never say impossible) from my bike. And as I ride as much to keep in shape and control my weight as I do for errand, I use a very heavy U-lock to secure my bike (Kryptonite New York Fahgeddaboutit). Of course if you want a more massive U-lock, there is the Altor SAF lock.
Locking a bike
If you have quick release wheels the trick is to remove the front wheel, then pass the U-lock through the frame, rear wheel and front wheel together. This deters opportunists at least. Oh, and take anything detachable like lights, computer and tube bag with you when you leave it.
I wouldn't get a bike with a quick release seat post. Those things are for rental bikes. Your leg length isn't going to change often, so why bother with a seat adjuster like that?
Also, all Raleighs are knock-offs now. I don't think they make anything in the UK any more. It all comes from the Far East, and should do since the Chinese bought Raleigh many years back.
Penny
actually they are owned by a parent company
out of netherlands not china, frame was not made in china tiawan but someplace else. And, strangely enough, they are assembled either in uk or usa. Though the raleigh head office is still out of uk. It's kinda weird.
Q/R wheels
I have not owned a Raliegh bike in years. My current bike, I got from the local pawn shop for get the brand, I know it is out of Germany and not normally sold in the US ( but common brand parts ), along with my daughters which is a Specialized step-though model, once the pawn shop had ensured they were not stolen.
U-lock and 2 cables for both my bike and my daughters, so we get both wheels and the frame. So far no problem around the city here, but you see all kind s of frames locked to poles and fences that have been stripped.
I got lockable Q/R axles for my wheels. I have found I do love my disc brakes that are on my bike compared to the old style brakes.
Bicycles manufacturers
and Raleigh are just one example, have historically eschewed any attempts at standardisation! Sure, if you use 'off the shelf' components like gears, pedals, brakes you have to use the outside suppliers dimensions but historically, manufacturers like Raleigh made everything 'in house' or were big enough that parts were made specifically to their dimensions. Raleigh used to Sturmey Archer gears, they made literally everything else except the tyres in Nottingham, the rubber was from Dunlop just down the road in Brum. As a result, all sorts of weird thread sizes were used, some for historical reasons, others for modern practicality - before they out sourced production, a bike like yours could have Metric, Imperial and Whitworth threads and, yes sizes which were unique sometimes to one model. For certain, a lot of this weirdness rolled on into the new out sourced production - they were after all working to the same specifications!
Getting replacement parts was never easy and a part of most bike shops work load was modifying and adapting parts to replace damaged/worn items. You need a new wheel? well without a machine shop your chances of an exact replacement are zilch but an off the peg wheel will fit - possibly without any remedial work (they weren't built to exacting tolerances!), at most a few runs with a file in the dropout will let a 10mm axle sit there which would sort the issue out for ever.
Quick release certainly isn't appropriate for all bikes but if you don't want to be carrying around heavy spanners, replacing the Q/R lever assy with a Pitlock or similar device allows security and easy removal. In theory these locking systems are fool proof but between you and me, i've undone every single one at some point without the key! A determined thief will take anything or deprive you of its use if they can't, bolted wheels can be stolen as easily as others but there isn't a market for them - unless they have expensive dynamos or gear systems built into them. As has been previously pointed out, wheels are the only place that Q/R's should be used on a rigid bike.
Tyre fit - well where do you start? There are literally dozens of 'standards', Raleigh were often the last to adopt more common sizes, they were using 27 1/4" well after most brands adopted 700c. So you go to shop and buy a new tyre, it has the same thing printed on it as the old one but its a different brand, you try to fit it and its either super tight or flops about - yep, whilst they are nominally the standard sizes, both tyres and rims from different brands can vary significantly. Some combinations just don't work or need tools and a struggle to fit remove, others can be fitted/removed without external assistance - things have improved a little over the years but for example, Schwalbe are nearly always tight, Michelin can be a bit slack, the tyres on my folder go on by hand, on my daily ride i have to use levers whichever tyre i have.
Sometimes Raleigh get everything right, newer upscale models will use out sourced, off the peg parts and quality control has improved build quality no end. Some bikes feel fast, others are dogs, there are many variables that go into a bike 'feeling' right, tyre pressure, frame angles, seat height, crank length, gearing, frame materials and so on.
But fast is all relative, yesterday i caught up to a rider, i was riding at about 20kph to his 15kph, after he pulled across in front of me causing me to brake i suggested, politely that other traffic may be going faster than him. I passed but moments later he comes up to my shoulder, "i bet you aren't (faster)", "think i am," i replied before pressing on the pedals a bit harder. He had nothing to answer with and i knew this before hand, how? well he was on an E bike, in Europe they are restricted to 30kph for road use, my small acceleration took me above that. The chap was clearly so used to overtaking and leaving 'au naturel' riders that he was willing to challenge anyone, not expecting anyone to take the challenge and even less expecting to come out second best!
So rather than complain just get it sorted and get riding, life's too short to waste it on such fruitless enterprises.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Agree
The basic lesson is, if you weren't an engineer before you began to ride bikes, you certainly will be afterwards!
Anything other than the most basic maintenance means a sudden dive into the esoteric world of ad hoc mechanical engineering. Having built many cycles for myself and my family I know only too well most of the fun you have detailed above.
We were a Shimano house for a long while, until the boys got big enough to want to do racing. Somehow they had to have Campag. Definitely an oil and water moment, although I think things have mellowed since I last did any of this nonsense seriously.
I have a number of bikes in various places, some of which are mine, some the boys, and even one for 'er indoors. Most have not been touched since we moved into this house 19 years ago. I'm trying to get back to cycling but I know that I'll have to strip down something and rebuild it before I can do any serious distances. I wouldn't trust the bearing grease over that timeframe.
Fortunately I have all the tools now, but finding time is, as always, difficult. How you can ride out that far and write shedloads of Gaby as well I'll never understand.
Penny
just a note
I can build or modify anything i want easily enough. That was not the point. The point was that unlike most bicycles sold, the raleigh didn't have a replacement parts listing.
I like to keep things symetrical or even preference to original. mismatched rims is sloppy and amaturish.
I may or may not get a replacement rim from Raliegh. For now I managed to straighten the alloy rim pretty fair that it rides well enough. NOTE for any diy. You need a jig a clamp and heat to get it to move. May sound a bit barbaric but it really does do the job quite well. the rest is done after repeated rides. go for ride tighten up spokes go for another ride retighten spokes, another ride if nothing needs tightening you can play to your hearts content truing it up.
i'm pretty certain
that you won't get a rim from Raleigh - well not one the same as your damaged one at any rate. Your best chance of getting a matching rim would be via a dealer with old stock or a bike recycling business.
And there's a good reason they don't publish a parts list - the US public! Back in the day, they alongside most mfrs did do this but where in the UK/Europe customers were usually quite happy if their bike was 'off spec', US customers apparently checked every nut and bolt against the list and demanded retribution if the two weren't exactly the same. So they stopped doing parts lists which meant they could substitute parts in production when neccessary without fear of US litigation. You reap what you sow. I don't actually know of any mfr that today issues a full component listing to the public - most of the spec you do get is quite vague.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
If you've been
out of the loop that long pretty much everything has changed! Gear change technology, bearing technology and even sizing! You say you have the tools but i find i need to buy more at every turn, specific tools for Campag crank removal, another bearings, special paste for something else, everything is set with a torque wrench - bike fixing is no longer the work of a blacksmith! Luckily (?) for me i've worked through most of the technology having started my apprenticeship in the mid 70's, i know my limits so i don't do IGH gears if i can help it or anything hydraulic - its not that i can't but i don't consider i have the right skills or need to tackle those items.
My daily ride was built in @ the millenium although i didn't take ownership until 2002 - only the frame, gear levers, headset and handlebars are original - literally everything else has been replaced. It would be impossible to get original spec parts even 10 years ago, the parts were out of production when the bike was built, there is no statute on supplying replacements for x years!
If you have bikes with 20yo Campag - strip them down, sell the parts and rebuild with new - there is quite a market for even quite ratty old Campag with collectors. (its there for Shimano too but not much has survived!)
As to riding and writing, well i look at every ride as research, pretty much everything that happens to Gaby on/with a bike i have either witnessed or done myself from crashing into a car at Cuckney to long, hot days on the lower Rhein plains, getting a bit 'hoppy' on a fast descent to grovelling up an Alpine pass. Write what you know, that stuff just flows from my finger tips! But it doesn't end at the riding, the same applies to Nena's travels - i've been to all those places, maybe even by coach so its easy enough to write about them, where the coach park is, the accomodation format, likely excursions etc.
Of course, sometimes my characters do travel to places beyond my personal experience, they take a lot more effort to write - on average twice as long per chapter with quite extensive research - hopefully its not too obvious that i'm blagging it!
Madeline Anafrid Bell
First thing
I'm canadian.
Second, im in the process of upgrading my mountain bike with new shifters brakes, different seat. If i can find a nice indexed freewheel for a good price ill put that on too. Some are used parts that I prefer over new ones..aka brake handles out of steel that are longer so I can ride with my hands off to side and reach lever and still have a handle to rest on. I do have to custom make my own extentions as I prefer side extentions that also act as branch blockers. Riding and having a branch whip your hand hurts!
When i can I use shimano parts, they just seem better. My old mountain bike's sis shifter system works quite well but its small for me, my raleigh has shimanos but its not really for offroading. Most bikes seem to come with knock off brands of shimano. Campaq...I have only seen those once not popular around here. I could go to a place I know and get some if I wanted. Note those knockoffs are pretty sad and dont last long or have lots of slop making adjusting the shifters finicky. I also service local bikes on the cheap for people. Many new bikes don't even come with grease of any kind. Just oiled which disappears fast. I had to regrind the bearing surface of more than one axle race due to pitting, not from rust, just bad quality. Having my own metal lathe and mill I can do stuff like that.
Good pedals and toe clips. Because most of my riding is casual I use toe clips but that presents another problem. Good pedals are hard to come by. The best easiest is to use metal ones from old ten speeds however they are a bit small width wise. The plastics ones just dont seem to last very long and I find that annoying. The "alloy" pedals are also an annoyance as many are completely sealed unserviceable without any bearings at all.
Could I get shoes and clips? sure. Do I want to? Im not that serious a rider so no.
Side note most parts lists for anything just list a part number. You order that part number and put it on.
The whole mess with raliegh that pisses me off is that should a bike need warranty work how the heck are you supposed to do anything if there is not parts listing?
I also got a reply from Raleigh uk. They are...disturbed about the situation. Unfortunately Raleigh us requires a zip code and state to even email a question, register bike or anything.
The whole mess with raleigh that pisses me off is that should a
'The whole mess with Raleigh that pisses me off is that should a bike need warranty work how the heck are you supposed to do anything if there is not parts listing?'
There are not many components to make up a bike, its pretty easy to identify a part, for example, left hand brake lever, that and the bike model is generally enough for identification. Most components are not user serviceable so they will send a complete unit out which may or may not be the same as the original, usually you end up with an upgrade! With 20 years in the trade i've never had an issue asking for a replacement part. If OTOH you need a part of a part, lets say a cable clamp for a rear D, a visit to the mfrs website will usually get you the part number for you to try and order, Shimano, Campag, etc all work this way.
IME cycles specced for the North American market often have cheaper parts fitted than the same bike sold in Europe - sometimes they end up on UK/Euro shop floors, the differences can be startling. That said, even expensive machines are supplied with horrible resin pedals, the mfrs don't waste your money on supplying quality as many riders will want step ins or specific other pedals anyway.
If you need wider, better quality 'ordinary' pedals you should look at things like DMR V8/V12 BMX/MTB pedals or similar - its possible to fit clips with a bit of jiggery pokery, they aren't silly expensive and are pretty robust. I could kill a set of nylon cheapos in one ride, the 'cheap' step in pedals on my daily ride have done something like 50k miles, they are dying slowly but for £50 i can replace them, its not worth my time trying to extend the life.
Its a sad truth that one area often skimped on with new bikes is lubrication. If they are greased its often with the wrong stuff, even quite expensive machines have the same issues sometimes - nothing for it but to strip, clean and lube everything! When combined with poorly adjusted bearings damage is almost inevitable but all too many new bikes go direct to the consumer without seeing a workshop who would (i hope) address these issues before little Johnny rides off on his new Schwinn!
Madeline Anafrid Bell