Rigmarole7

Hello! I am completely new to the biking world and would like some advice on purchasing my first "real" bike. The bike I am considering is a Men's Raleigh Sprite for $175. As you all already know since this is my first post, I can't post pictures but I'll put where the listing can be found below. Does it look like it's worth it? What things should I ask or look out for? I am probably going to use it just a normal riding bike to use around my parks trails or to go to the store and such. Thanks for hearing out another total newbie, I can imagine these questions get redundant after a bit lol.

Craigslist: Dallas

Title: nice antique bikes

lorenzo_de_leon

I just refurbished an old Sprite. It is an older model - 1967 or 68 I believe. It's a fun bike and able to haul quite a bit with a basket on the rear rack.
That being said it is very heavy and has some fairly mediocre components. The brakes are pretty terrible and the obsolete cottered crank is not easily serviced.
For the price I would probably opt for a 1980s or 90s mtb, i.e. Specialized, Bridgestone, Trek, GT, etc. Something along these lines:

Dallas CL Specialized

They're easy to work with, fun to ride and can haul a lot of stuff (check for rack mounts above the dropouts).

Good luck!

gna

Sprites are nice, but $175 seems a bit high. Maybe Dallas is more expensive, but I would offer less.

Rigmarole7

That looks quite nice! I really like the color.

Yes, while researching it online I read it was pretty heavy. What really attracted me to this bike was the aesthetic of it, but practically it makes more sense to get a newer bike since I plan to use it frequently. Thanks for the advice!

Rigmarole7

Yes, it is pretty high. I am offering 150 so hopefully, they will accept that instead.

cycleheimer

Trek 4300 for 125 and and a Centurion D.S. Ironman for $150. I'd grab the Sprite for $10 or $20, but that is about it.

cycleheimer

The Centurion... Dallas CL also... 8

cycleheimer

Above is a photo of the bike in question. A variation of the Raleigh Record. The verdict .. nyet. Not a fun bike to ride compared to better quality options.

Rigmarole7

Thanks for posting the photo!

Okay, I see. I'll probably check those out and others and then compare. Thanks for posting the other bikes, I was kind of at a lost where to look for different options.

Slowride79

I have a ‘69 sprite that I hold dear. Not a performance machine but that’s not the point here. It’s about utility , ride quality, and style. If you like the bike buy it. For that price it should be in exceptional original condition.

lorenzo_de_leon

That is pristine! Very nice.

Senior Ryder 00 

Craig’s List sellers typically go high and expect some bargaining. Personally, I’d offer $100 if the tires were new ,everything worked and it was extremely clean.

Regards,

SR 00

dedhed

That has to be 1969 or newer. 67/68 the only option was the SA S-5 internal 5 speed. Starting in 69 you had the choice of S-5 or Huret derailleur 5 speed.

lorenzo_de_leon

I had trouble with the dating of this one. The decals, logos, chainguard and those awful brake calipers with the hooks (no pull-thru cable bolt) led me to believe it was an earlier model, but I'll take your word for it.

dedhed

I bought a bunch of those brake cables from Ben's when they had a "garage sale"

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retrora...9/pages/03.htm

https://www.jaysmarine.com/1968raleighcat_us_03_lg.jpg

Rigmarole7

Okay, thanks for the tip!

sykerocker 

Now, that is an interesting bike, a rendition of the Sprite that I've never seen before. From my knowledge, in the US market, a 60's Raleigh Sprite is essentially a Sports with the Sturmey-Archer S5 hub, and dual white plastic shift levers on the top tube. Derailleur Sprite 5 and 10's were essentially Raleigh Records (27" steel rims, Huret Allvit, the 10-speed had the same crank guard as the Record, going by faulty memory, the 5-speeds chain guard was somewhat Sports-ish) with fenders and flat bars, replacing the earlier version in 1970, definitely by 1971 when I started working at the Schwinn/Raleigh dealership. Regarding the dating, it could be a regional thing. Over the last twenty years I've noticed that other Raleigh dealers were carrying slightly different inventory than we were in Erie, PA.

Here's my 1969, according to the stamping on the hub and I'm almost certain that the bike is original. The right shift lever snapped and was reglued, so I've just added a regular 3-speed handlebar switch until I can find a replacement. The carrier and bag are Schwinn accessories.

tricky 

Also remember to buy a bike that fits! There are articles online about how to find your fit.

ryansu

+1 on fit, and give some thought to where and how you might use the bike, pavement, hills, gravel, errands, commuting, bar hoping??. As someone said above Old mountain bikes (rigid forks not suspension) are plentiful, cheap (in Seattle there are scads in the $100-120 range and you can find better deals if you look), versatile and pretty basic to work on. Many of the old steel MTBs can take racks, fenders, wide tires and make excellent commuters, grocery getters, touring bikes etc. albeit without the panache of a bronze green Raleigh 3/5 speed . Good luck with whatever you choose OP lots of resources on the web and here of course.

cycleheimer

The older Sprites (Raleigh Sports variation) are alot different than the "Raleigh Record" Sprites. They were better made. I owned a "Sports" version, and it was pretty decent. The quality, though, isn't there on the one you were looking at. It also has steel rims, with reduced braking power when wet, and cottered cranks that are a nightmare when they loosen up. The seats tear apart (no comparison to a top-notch saddle like the leather Brooks saddles shown above) , the fenders rattle, and the gears and brakes offer lack luster performance. It's not going to deliver an optimal cycling experience. Think alloy wheels and components...Hybrids, mountain bikes, sports touring bikes, touring bikes, etc.

sykerocker 

The B-line bikes were decent bikes for the money. I've owned a few, usually kept them a year at a time, commuted the hell out of them. then sold them to college students. Have to agree with a saddles on the cheaper bikes, though. The original saddle pictured on the Ranger is on the shelf, replaced with a Schwinn Suburban saddle, both for Maggie's comfort and the realization that the original saddle won't last long in daily use. Rarely if ever ran into problems with cottered cranks, still love them. Fender rattles are easy to fix, just insert thin rubber or cardboard into the mounting brackets.

Biggest single weakness of the B-line bikes was frame size availability. It's very rare that I seen anything available other than a 21-1/2" frame in those. 23-1/2" are definitely far and few between, assuming they were available in the first place. I don't think I've ever seen a 191/2" frame in a cheaper line bike, unless you were looking at a model marketed specifically to kids. That's the whole reason Maggie rides the Ranger - it fits here, where I have to have a lot of seat post showing to fit me.

Rigmarole7

Wow, that is a very nice bike.

Yes, I agree, that is mainly why I want this type of bike. Okay, I'll keep that in mind, thanks!

Rigmarole7

Okay, I'll definitely keep that on mind. I'm over 6' so it is not so easy finding something that fits well.

Rigmarole7

Okay, yes, I am planning to use it mostly for light riding and such but that make sense. A part of me leans towards maybe getting a mountain bike just because it is much more versatile like you said. Versatility has to beat the old Raleigh aesthetic though, so I guess this is the test to see how practical I am lol.

Rigmarole7

I see, thanks for the advice! I almost got a sports actually before finding this bike, but it was a little too beat up for me to shell out over a hundred.