Author Topic: A Raleigh to lust after? (Read 2654 times)

DrMekon · « **on:** 20 November, 2011, 08:29:22 pm »

http://road.cc/content/news/48030-raleigh-2012-bikes-steel-clubman-breaks-cover

That Clubman looks great. Shame about the ugly chainset, but otherwise it looks a cracker.

bobb · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 November, 2011, 08:35:54 pm »

It can't make up its mind whether it wants to be compact or traditional, so it ends up looking minging.

It would look OK if it had a horizontal top tube. And didn't say Raleigh on it!

clarion · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 November, 2011, 08:40:38 pm »

I'm with bobb on this one.

hubner · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 November, 2011, 08:48:57 pm »

Raleigh's just a brand name now, and buried somewhere in the text is the price: £950!

dasmoth · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:03:36 pm »

In general I actually like sloping top tubes, but have to agree that one's not quite right. I guess it's a victim of the headset-spacers-are-bad meme...

Edit: What does look nice is the Sojourn. Now trying to work out why the top tube on that looks great, while a similar angle on the Clubman is horrid. Maybe the clubman tubing is a bit too skinny?

Karla · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:14:55 pm »

I prefer the look of the Dawes by the same name.

Rhys W · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:17:55 pm »

Quote from: bobb on 20 November, 2011, 08:35:54 pm

It can't make up its mind whether it wants to be compact or traditional, so it ends up looking minging.

It would look OK if it had a horizontal top tube. And didn't say Raleigh on it!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. And again. Classic looks, retro graphics - spoilt by a sloping top tube. See: Pinarello Catena, that cheap Halfords Viking, and a load of others.

You're right bobb - minging.

And a Chinese Raleigh is not worth the heron head tube badge.

bobb · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:21:27 pm »

Quote from: dasmoth on 20 November, 2011, 09:03:36 pm

I guess it's a victim of the headset-spacers-are-bad meme...

A cock length of headset spacers look just as ridiculous. Just build the sodding frame with the correct proportions in the first place and be done with it...

Polar Bear · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:26:21 pm »

I quite like it actually...

Wobbly John · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:39:40 pm »

I'm not so bothered by ~~it being a girls bike~~ the sloping top tube as I am by the levers.

they're completely out of character - bar end/down tube or even Campag - anything but those monstosities.

I'm with DrMekon on the chainset tooo.

hubner · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 November, 2011, 09:42:38 pm »

Quote

I guess it's a victim of the headset-spacers-are-bad meme...

The "problem" is the modern fashion for very long exposed seatposts, ie having the saddle a very long way out of the seat tube and top tube joint.

You simply can't have high-ish bars (level or just below the bars), a very long exposed seatpost, and a horizontal top tube without a huge stack of spacers or an upward pointing stem.

GavinC · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 November, 2011, 10:01:38 pm »

I think I'll stick with my 1948 Raleigh Clubman...

Ray 6701 · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 November, 2011, 10:20:43 pm »

Quote from: spark303 on 20 November, 2011, 10:01:38 pm

I think I'll stick with my 1948 Raleigh Clubman...

Any chance of a photo to ~~perv over~~ erm admire

dave r · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 November, 2011, 11:09:27 pm »

Quote from: DrMekon on 20 November, 2011, 08:29:22 pm

http://road.cc/content/news/48030-raleigh-2012-bikes-steel-clubman-breaks-cover

That Clubman looks great. Shame about the ugly chainset, but otherwise it looks a cracker.

Yes I like it, I agree about the ugly chainset, and the levers are wrong as well, I also like the Dawes Clubman.
I have very fond memories of very many miles on a 531 Raleigh Clubman from many years ago, I also have fond memories of a 531 Dawes from about the same time. I also have not so fond memories of a gas pipe Aveo from not so long ago.

GavinC · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 November, 2011, 08:50:20 am »

Quote from: fungus on 20 November, 2011, 10:20:43 pm

Quote from: spark303 on 20 November, 2011, 10:01:38 pm
I think I'll stick with my 1948 Raleigh Clubman...

Any chance of a photo to ~~perv over~~ erm admire

I haven't got a decent picture of my actual bike, but it looks like pretty much this (but without the decals at the moment):

Biggsy · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 November, 2011, 09:00:15 am »

We only think horizontal top tubes look better because that's what we've grown up with. My Tifosi CK7 has a similarly sloping top tube to the Raleigh. I don't care what it looks like any more.

The chainset looks nasty though - because probably it really is nasty.

swinger76 · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 November, 2011, 12:23:57 pm »

ROFL that Raleigh looks like my Custom Racer they Copied my Design!!

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 November, 2011, 02:22:19 pm »

I like sloping top tubes and I don't mind modern components on a 'traditional' or even genuinely old frame, but that Raleigh looks wrong because of the combination of sloping top tube with long head tube. At least, I think that's the reason. And that chainset is just fugly. But the colour's nice, and it doesn't have unicrown forks, which I personally don't like aesthetically.

Not going to buy it though.

mattc · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 November, 2011, 06:30:35 pm »

Quote from: Biggsy on 21 November, 2011, 09:00:15 am

We only think horizontal top tubes look better because that's what we've grown up with. My Tifosi CK7 has a similarly sloping top tube to the Raleigh. I don't care what it looks like any more.

The chainset looks nasty though - because probably it really is nasty.

Hmm ... maybe ... but there is something pleasing about parallel lines vs not-quite-parallel.
toptube - ground - wheel centres - quill stem top. Having them all parallel just looks right. On that bike everything is at some angle to everything else.

I think the chainset and those shifter-levers are just hideous on any bike!

Canardly · « **Reply #19 on:** 25 November, 2011, 06:14:28 pm »

That a new Tiagra chainset on the Raleigh? if so is damn ugly and cheap looking.

drossall · « **Reply #20 on:** 25 November, 2011, 09:39:12 pm »

I can't work Raleigh out. They seem to launch a range of nice bikes, build a reputation, get new management, change strategy to sell only BSOs, then go back into the quality market and go round the loop again. They've been doing that for as long as I can remember.