After a long absence, I want to get back into the activity. I have ridden Raleighs in the past and see no reason to stop. I had an early 70’s Super Course (sweet bike) and later an early 80’s Gran Sport (not quite as sweet but nice) followed by a Dawes that was fun but due to f-16 like handling was a real widowmaker. The fork on that one was damn near straight. Attempting to hands free the bike would cause an instant wreck.
I am now looking at the Raleigh Grand Sport, the Grand Prix, and the Super Course. They seem like good bikes with good reviews and are competitive with others on the market. I have read that the Sport has a rubber noodle of a frame so I eliminated it from the running, and this brings me to questions about the others.
Is there a big difference between the riding characteristics of Steel/Aluminum/Carbon frames? I really liked the 531 doubled butted tubing on the Super Course. It was stiff yet forgiving. How will this feel in comparison to an aluminum or carbon frame?
The Grand Sport and Grand Prix seem to have similar frames, the difference being the components are upgraded a notch or two. The Super Course has a carbon frame but slightly downgraded pieces on it. I wonder if that is a smart trade for an extra $300.
To be frank, I would be happy with my old Super Course, but that is not to be as it was stolen decades ago. Will these new bikes give the same great riding experience? Will they blow me away with all the high tech goodness? My old steed came in at around $220, and with the cheapest of these coming in at $650, even adjusted for inflation they seem pretty steep!
I have a Raleigh M60 mountain bike, which I spend more time falling off of than riding (I am now realizing that trail riding is a whole different animal, duh) and I like it fine, but it is too heavy and cumbersome for riding around town.
I’m sure there are some dope cyclists that can give me some advice!
Generally speaking, aluminium will be stiff and harsh, cro-mo will be compliant and flexy, and carbon will be somewhere in the middle. My current road bike has an aluminium main frame with carbon forks, seat stays, and seat post. This takes away the harshness and makes it roughly similar to my titanium-framed mountain bike.
I am skeptical of all the talk about harshness and compliance of different frame materials. No doubt they are there to some degree, but tyres and tyre pressures and wheels and seats and frame geometry change how a bike feels so much that I really doubt you can notice much difference just due to frame material. I don’t want to go too far off topic but I’ve long wondered how much difference reviewers would notice in double blind testing (which I guess would be pretty much impossible to effect in real life).
The main difference is weight.
I have a steel framed commuter that I like because my ride to work is mostly flat so I don’t care about weight and I can chuck it in a rack with dozens of other bikes without giving a damn about either theft or damage.
I have an aluminium road bike which is much, much lighter. This is damn nice when I’m riding for riding’s sake, but the tubes are so thin they sound like a soft drink can when you tap them: no way would it survive being banged around in a public bike rack day in day out for 12 years without a dent (which my old steel commuter bike has).
The only real downside to carbon is price, as far as I can tell.
Personally I would only go for steel if toughness is a real consideration. Otherwise, I’d buy aluminium because it is just so much lighter. As Kferr has said, some carbon components, or just fitting slightly bigger tyres at lower pressure, is a better option than steel if you really find the frame “harsh”. I’d buy pure carbon if I could justify the money.
The other big differences you will notice over a 70’s or 80’s bike is the indexed gears (which are much easier to use) and better brake stopping power.
I ran across this while I was googling (firefox spellcheck flags googling and suggest “go ogling” ) some old brands from when I was cycling back in the day and entering Motobecane called it up. A little research turned up the fact that some guy in Texas bought the name, and slaps it onto generic frames from Taiwan. Further research reveals that bike snobs look down on them which I could give a hoot, but those who actually own them seem very happy. You sure can’t beat the bang for the buck. Great components, carbon frame, heck if the frame cracks, the components are worth more than the guy is selling the bike for, and I could just throw them on another frame.
I’ve ridden both steel and aluminum rigid bikes on the trail and there is a discernible difference. Of course, it’s more obvious on the trail, and will depend on the rest of your setup. E.g., if you get tiny skinny racing tires, it’s going to be a harsher ride than if you get the larger, softer commuter tires.
I’ve heard carbon is really great, as long as it doesn’t break. It’s sometimes rather catastrophic when that happens, without warning unless you inspect regularly. It does tend to be pricey.
I ride steel. I’m not a racer, don’t care about the extra weight, and like the feel. Steel is real, baby!
Why don’t you go to the bike shop and ride a few? That’s really the only way to know which you like better. I’d worry more about fit than material, myself.
Um, while you are at it, could you change Bike to Bicycle in the thread title? Cyclists know what I am talking about, but I wouldn’t want any motorcycle folks to waste time and blunder in here suggesting the Yamazuky Ninja 9000.
Any problems with the Motobecane I linked a few posts ago? Great specs, good reviews among owners, and if the frame fails (doesn’t seem to be a problem), there are a lot of options!
Oh, I’ve spent my fair share on bicycles! And I’m way out of shape, so can’t cast any stones there either.
I just think that fit and feel are more important than weight. Lighter can be better, but it’s not always the most important. I’ll take my steel MTB over many lighter aluminum models I’ve tried, because it just rides that well due to the design.
Yes, a ten-pound difference is a lot. The difference in handling between a ten-speed street bike and an MTB is a lot. The difference between a ten-speed street bike with a 20 lb steel frame and one with a 19 lb aluminum? Or between a 19 lb with mid-level parts and an 18 lb with super-light parts that I’ll just break? Not so much. Especially not when you figure that it’d be a lot cheaper and better for me to drop the extra 50 I’m carrying on me!
Not knocking aluminum frames, I’ve got allie bikes too. Not knocking carbon, I’d have those if I still rode enough and had the $$. Just saying that IMO, weight alone (e.g., getting specs from the web) shouldn’t be a top criterion you use to choose or eliminate bikes. IMO, the only good way to choose a bike is to ride them and find what works for you.
Well, I hate to be one of the aforementioned bike snobs, but I’ve actually ridden a Fuji frame that looked very similar (I suspect they come out of the same factory, like you mentioned) and I was very nonplussed about its ride.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there is a meter and a half of fluf around plenty of “fancy” frames (Colnago, etc.), but I really do find my Giant a much more satisfying bike to ride. That said, that guy does seem to be offering up some incredible deals.
Those components for $1495, even ignoring the frame, is an incredible deal. I mean, try it out I guess, and if you’re happy, you’re happy, and again you can always upgrade frames later.
My Trek 520 (touring bike) is made of steel*. I’ve heard (but it may be apocraphal) that in addition to ride, steel was chosen because if you are out circumnavigating Outer Podunkland it is easier to find someone who can weld steel than aluminum.
Also, since the bike is made for touring (read: 30 pounds of stuff in/on your panniers) a few pounds isn’t going to make a difference.
Brian
*I think the handlebars and seatpost are carbon
Well, the bike finally came and I put it together last night. Took a short ride, and it seems very nice. I would say the carbon frame rides very smooth, less harsh than the steel frames I am used to. The bike rides very quiet as well. The frame seems to dampen a lot of the vibration. It certainly does feel different than my other bikes. Sheldon Brown may be a noted authority, but the man doesn’t know what he is talking about in this regard. The difference is not even subtle, it was immediately noticeable the moment I started to ride.
And it is easily the nicest bike I have ever ridden. I was starting to regret the major coin it set me back, but after one ride I am not sorry. Looking forward to racking up some major mileage!
The only downside is it came with the kind of pedals that you use with special shoes, so I’ve gotta swap those out for something more normal so I can ride in my sneakers, and I need a pants clip. It’s off to REI for me later today. If I wasn’t so exhausted from helping my friend move, I would be riding right now. My sleep pattern is all screwed up, though, so back to bed for me. :rolleyes:
) some old brands from when I was cycling back in the day and entering Motobecane called it up. A little research turned up the fact that some guy in Texas bought the name, and slaps it onto generic frames from Taiwan. Further research reveals that bike snobs look down on them which I could give a hoot, but those who actually own them seem very happy. You sure can’t beat the bang for the buck. Great components, carbon frame, heck if the frame cracks, the components are worth more than the guy is selling the bike for, and I could just throw them on another frame.