Vintage Road

What is the verdict on Raleigh vintage road bikes?

What is the verdict on Raleigh vintage road bikes from the 80's? Beginner cyclist seeking low cost 1st bike. There are a couple I have my eye on, mostly due to their low cost and my minimal budget of about 200 CAD. What's the scoop? Quality? Downfalls? Things to watch for?

I'm new to this and unfortunately I don't have anyone guiding me through... any info is great.

:::whew::: This is going to be long. Please bear with me.

The brand name of a bike is a very small indicator of quality as long as you stick with bike shop grade, like Raleigh, KHS, Fuji, Trek, Specialized, and others. For 200CAD you will absolutely have to go with a used bike but there are some possibilities out there if you are careful.

1) Each brand has different models with different quality levels, as a result you should look more closely at component grades rather than brands. In DECREASING preference, here are the component names you want to look for. Shimano is on 90% of the worlds bikes so we'll stick with that. The easiest place to look is on the rear derailleur to begin with:
Shimano Ultegra or 600
Shimano 105
Shimano Tiagra
Shimano Sora
If there is no name on the rear derailleur or has Alivio, Acera, Altus, Tourney, or MegaRange on it, keep looking. If a bike has a sticker that says something like "Shimano Equipped" on it, pass.

2) There'll be some that say you must look for a certain frame construction or certain material. Don't concern yourself at this point. When inspecting a bike avoid examples that are obviously worn, repainted, or badly/moderately scratched. COMPLETELY avoid a bike that has dents in it. These are all signs of a hard life and since it will be unlikely you can trace the maintenance history, move on.

3) Make sure the bike FITS! Throw your leg over the bike and pull up on the handlebars until the frame touches you. There should be about 2" (5cm) between the front tire and the ground. When sitting on the bike with the saddle at the correct height you should NOT be flat footed. Place one of your feet on a pedal, with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke. With the bottom of your foot parallel to the ground your knee should be slightly bent.

4) If you are a girl, don't dismiss mens frames as most women use them anyway (the fitting in step 3 assumes a mens frame). They are much more prevalent, stronger, and lighter than a womens "drop tube" frame.

There's a starting point. As you continue your search post your findings (brand/model/etc) and we'll all try to help you out.

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