Raleigh or Trek?

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I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.

thanks for any advice.


jon

"me" <bevwhite@nospam.eastlink.ca> wrote in message
news:0e7170p1er64509jimmcfcs7u1f222j284@4ax.com...
> I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
> awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
> something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
> check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
> rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
> they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
> has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
> price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
> bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.
>
> thanks for any advice.
>
>
> jon

My advice is to find a local bike shop that you are comfortable with. They
will be able to show you different brands in your price range, and most
importantly they will be able to get you a bike that fits you.

"me" <bevwhite@nospam.eastlink.ca> wrote in message
news:0e7170p1er64509jimmcfcs7u1f222j284@4ax.com...
> I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
> awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
> something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
> check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
> rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
> they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
> has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
> price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
> bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.

A big why not is that it might end up costing you in the long run.

I checked out Canadian Tires web site and it says that they recommend the
bike be professionally assembled, so I'm assuming it comes disassembled ...
right there you're looking at more money (or your time). Another factor is
the fit of the bike, most if not all department store bikes come in an
average frame size instead of having several to choose from. Besides that,
a good local bike shop will also set the bike up for you and many have a
additional service checkup included in the price. A frame too big or small,
and not set up properly can cause you some problems physically. That little
bit of money saved isn't worth a sore back and numb privates.

Go to a local bike shop. Go to a few. It's worth it to buy from someone
who knows what they're doing, and it's worth starting a relationship with
them. My friend has a bad hip, and riding a bike always hurt but now that
her kids are starting to ride she wanted to be out there with them. I took
her to a LBS I trust and they worked with her to find just the right bike,
frame size, and saddle for her. It took a couple of weeks but it was well
worth it and it didn't cost her anything more. That's the real value of a
LBS. This is what she got by the way:

http://tinyurl.com/2nbxd

Very nice bike for the price and sharp looking too. I would buy one. My
best friend also bought this one recently and I really lie the way it feels:

http://tinyurl.com/3fshz

Oh, and Shimano usually makes pretty good stuff, but their bottom of the
barrel components are iffy. Higher than that they're OKay. Also,
department store bikes are often labeled Shimano, but not everything will be
Shimano. This is not necessarily bad as other companies make good stuff too
but when you're talking dirt cheep bikes then you have to wonder. A good
entry level MTB (in my humble opinion) will start around $325 USD.

Good luck!
C.Q.C.

"me" <bevwhite@nospam.eastlink.ca> wrote in message
news:0e7170p1er64509jimmcfcs7u1f222j284@4ax.com...
> I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
> awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
> something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
> check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
> rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
> they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
> has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
> price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
> bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.
>
> thanks for any advice.
>
>
> jon
Your kidding right! Only thing Raleigh is the name. That name has been
bought to put on their bikes. Stay away from anything Canadian Tire sells
for bikes. If you have no problem spending 500 or 600 on a bike then
consider a Trek, Giant or Norco. Please stay away from department store
bikes as it's been proven they are very unsafe and of poor quality. Try and
find a local bike shop and get fitted for a bike. Your money will have been
spent more wisely.

me wrote:
> It also
> has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
> price...is my assumption correct?

No! First off, there's more to a bike than components. How about the
frame and wheels. How about fit? How well was the bike assembled.

Secondly, "Shimano parts" covers wide range. Their top of the line
components are very good, their bottom of the line components aren't
so good. Which do you think come on the "Raleigh?"

You're not going to get simililar quality at half the price,
especially at the low end of the range.

Art Harris

Bikes of similar prices have similar features. A 600 hundred dollar
bike will likely come with a shimano deore group and an aluminum frame
with front shocks. Don't worry about brand. All the brands will likely
have a frame made in a foreign country. At this price you can get a
very good mtb. If you go down in price you will get lower end
components that will not last as long. The 500 to 600 hundred dollar
range is where good mtbs start at. Usually, at this price you'll find
mtbs that can go anywhere and you can race with eventually if that is
a goal.

Like someone suggested, go to a local shop that treats you well. A
good job means that they will spend time measuring you properly. They
will explain features about the bike patienly. They will have a group
of cyclists that go riding regularly and they will invite you to their
rides. they will tell you that they back their products, and they will
assure free checkups and service for the first few months. Look for a
shop that does have all these features if possible.

if a shop has a sale, a similar bike may cost 50 bucks less. So,
instead of getting a 600 dollar bike, you'll get a 550 dollar bike.
The difference is not worth it. Remeber, at this price you should look
for a shimano deore group and an aluminum frame with a front shock.

Dont' go for a mail order bike unless you are very good at putting
them together and repairing them yourself. if you've had years of
experience reparing bikes, and all the tools, then you can go for a
mail order bike. Otherwise, don't even think about it. Good luck,

andres

me <bevwhite@nospam.eastlink.ca> wrote in message news:<0e7170p1er64509jimmcfcs7u1f222j284@4ax.com>...
> I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
> awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
> something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
> check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
> rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
> they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
> has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
> price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
> bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.
>
> thanks for any advice.
>
>
> jon

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 20:49:51 -0300, me <bevwhite@nospam.eastlink.ca>
may have said:

>I am about to buy a mtb. My first one. I haven't rode in
>awhile...ten or fifteen years...I do have a norco street bike but want
>something different. I consider myself a newbie at best. So...I
>check out the Trek website and their bikes, which have a very good
>rep, have shimano parts. I check out the Canadian tire website and
>they have a raleigh Tarantula ?? mtb for sale at 299 cdn. It also
>has shimano parts so I assume that this is a quality bike for the
>price...is my assumption correct? I have no prob spending 500-600
>bucks on a bike but if I can get a decent bike for less...why not.
>
>thanks for any advice.

Just my opinion...

Low-end Treks are made in a certain industrialized Pacific Rim nation,
and coincidentally enough, so are a lot of other name-brand units in
the under-$500 category...and sometimes above. Raleigh has some bikes
in this classification, if I'm not mistaken. Most of such are
perfectly serviceable units, and often provide outstanding value to
the consumer. They do little to make jobs for domestic industry, of
course, but that's not always an issue for everyone...and when you
haven't got many choices, it may not be one you can afford to address
anyway. That said, I think that if two bikes are otherwise pretty
much equivalent, I might go with the bike from the shop with the
better reputation for customer service and honesty rather than being
devoted to a brand. Until you get to the rather esoteric land of the
high-end bikes, it's probably best to look at component quality first
(Shimano has gear that ranges from barely adequate to damned good, and
it's *not* all the same) and balance that against the supplier's
reputation. For a difference of $40 (or 15%) or less, I'd definitely
lean toward the local bike shop with the better creds over a
mass-market store or a mail-order outfit.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Q. wrote:

> ...
> Oh, and Shimano usually makes pretty good stuff, but their bottom of the
> barrel components are iffy. Higher than that they're OKay. Also,
> department store bikes are often labeled Shimano, but not everything will be
> Shimano. This is not necessarily bad as other companies make good stuff too...

There are even a few on this newsgroup that have some good things to say
about the bicycle components made by some company named Campagnolo. ;)

--
Tom Sherman - Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

Tom Sherman wrote:

> Q. wrote:
>
>> ...
>> Oh, and Shimano usually makes pretty good stuff, but their bottom of the
>> barrel components are iffy. Higher than that they're OKay. Also,
>> department store bikes are often labeled Shimano, but not everything
>> will be
>> Shimano. This is not necessarily bad as other companies make good
>> stuff too...
>
> There are even a few on this newsgroup that have some good things to say
> about the bicycle components made by some company named Campagnolo. ;)

Yes, one of my college roommates had a department store bike with
components from that company - their 'Record' line. It was a Sears
Free Spirit bike and seemed to work fine as long as you didn't need
any low gears.

On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 03:30:27 GMT, Peter <prathman@attbi.com> may have
said:

>Tom Sherman wrote:
>>
>> There are even a few on this newsgroup that have some good things to say
>> about the bicycle components made by some company named Campagnolo. ;)

Even some who may not have the foggiest notion how it's pronounced.
(With good reason, on both counts.)

>Yes, one of my college roommates had a department store bike with
>components from that company - their 'Record' line. It was a Sears
>Free Spirit bike and seemed to work fine as long as you didn't need
>any low gears.

Frequently found in Goodwill stores nationwide throughout the USA
today, and usually working every bit as well as they did when new.
Which is to say, if carefully adjusted, adequate for a day or two.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

-snip-
> On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 03:30:27 GMT, Peter <prathman@attbi.com> may have
> said:
>>Yes, one of my college roommates had a department store bike with
>>components from that company - their 'Record' line. It was a Sears
>>Free Spirit bike and seemed to work fine as long as you didn't need
>>any low gears.

Werehatrack wrote:
> Frequently found in Goodwill stores nationwide throughout the USA
> today, and usually working every bit as well as they did when new.
> Which is to say, if carefully adjusted, adequate for a day or two.

Record? Maybe not.

Sears' Ted Williams 1972 model was a lugged frame of three
tubes Reynolds, made by Steyr in Austria. It featured the
Campagnolo Valentino Extra gear system with Altenberger
DualPivot brakes. It was competitive in terms of equipment
and weight in its price range but suffered from 'department
store assembly".

The HiTen frame with Simplex was a better value, IMHO.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

I would like a top of the line huffy or murray from the mid 80s. the
ones with the serotta frames.

Andres

A Muzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote in message news:<1076bgg8rigp34c@corp.supernews.com>...
> -snip-
> > On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 03:30:27 GMT, Peter <prathman@attbi.com> may have
> > said:
> >>Yes, one of my college roommates had a department store bike with
> >>components from that company - their 'Record' line. It was a Sears
> >>Free Spirit bike and seemed to work fine as long as you didn't need
> >>any low gears.
>
> Werehatrack wrote:
> > Frequently found in Goodwill stores nationwide throughout the USA
> > today, and usually working every bit as well as they did when new.
> > Which is to say, if carefully adjusted, adequate for a day or two.
>
> Record? Maybe not.
>
> Sears' Ted Williams 1972 model was a lugged frame of three
> tubes Reynolds, made by Steyr in Austria. It featured the
> Campagnolo Valentino Extra gear system with Altenberger
> DualPivot brakes. It was competitive in terms of equipment
> and weight in its price range but suffered from 'department
> store assembly".
>
> The HiTen frame with Simplex was a better value, IMHO.