# raleigh chimera are they any good how old are they ?



## rossk (20 Nov 2012)

heya im currently at uni i cycle around 3 miles a day all on road and up quite a steep hill i have been riding my dads old Raleigh pioneer hybrid for the last year its now getting a bit worn out and i want something of my own my friends offered me a Raleigh chimera road bike i tried it today and rode lovely its a bit dinged up but has just had new levers and cables and its the right size 22 inch as im 6ft 1 he wants 100 pound so are Raleigh chimeras any good also does any know their age thanks ross


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## ray7 (20 Nov 2012)

Two on ebay at the moment one starting at £75 and one at £99. No bids on either yet.

Ray


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## rossk (20 Nov 2012)

yeh soar that thanks wasnt sure what its worth really the fact its from a friend temps me not some random person i know where its been etc is 22 inch frame the right size for someone whos 6 foot ive looked around and the guides seem to vary some say yes others no thanks ross


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## ray7 (20 Nov 2012)

Last week was my first time on a bike for nearly 30 years so I`m out of touch with bikes but Raleigh was always a good make. More important than any review is if the bike suits you and going off your op you like the bike so if you think the price is right go for it.

Ray


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## rossk (20 Nov 2012)

thanks ray really helpful think i may try and do some negotiating tommorow


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## AndyRM (21 Nov 2012)

Do you have any pictures of it? Google doesn't have much in the way of information, beyond that it is alloy and has Shimano Sora, which for £100 isn't bad, but you could certainly negotiate if it's not new and it's 'dinged up'.

On that note, are the dings chips in the paintwork or proper dents? If the former, then it's no issue, but if there are significant dents then the frame could be dangerous.


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## rossk (21 Nov 2012)

well the guy selling it let me ride it home to see if i like it and have decided against it it felt to small and the drop handlebars gave me a bad back not good at my age i know also the front cog is very worn and i cant get on with the frame changers i have 100 pound do you guys think i would be better to buy another bike or just put some road tyres on the raleigh pioneer and use that ? as a reply they are only chips in the paintwork thanks


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## AndyRM (22 Nov 2012)

After riding a MTB, a road bike is always going to feel a bit smaller and twitchy. Different frame geometry.

If your back is hurting it's probably just because it's not set up for you; there are numerous videos on Youtube which can help.

If your budget is £100 then you're best off keeping an eye on Gumtree or eBay for second hand bikes. Slick tyres, like you mentioned, would be another and cheaper option.


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## gbb (22 Nov 2012)

I had one, but can;t remember what year it was. I can tell you this though...i did circa 6000 miles on mine, rock sold, dependable, never let me down, hardly replaced any bits on it.
Heavy..really quite heavy and a bit harsh on rough road surfaces, but the wheels stayed true and free all its life with me. Sora 8 speed, again, never had problems, Ofmega cranks, i will have replaced chainrings, but even they lasted a long time before i had to.
Bloody good bike.


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## gbb (22 Nov 2012)

AndyRM said:


> Do you have any pictures of it? Google doesn't have much in the way of information, *beyond that it is alloy* and has Shimano Sora, which for £100 isn't bad, but you could certainly negotiate if it's not new and it's 'dinged up'.
> 
> On that note, are the dings chips in the paintwork or proper dents? If the former, then it's no issue, but if there are significant dents then the frame could be dangerous.


 
OP, don't confuse alloy with aluminium. The chimera is steel, chro-mo, technically an alloy, but not aluminium.
The Raleigh Airlite came after the Chimera, very similar looking, but the airlite is aluminium.


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## gbb (22 Nov 2012)

rossk said:


> well the guy selling it let me ride it home to see if i like it and have decided against it it felt to small and the drop handlebars gave me a bad back not good at my age i know also the front cog is very worn* and i cant get on with the frame changers* i have 100 pound do you guys think i would be better to buy another bike or just put some road tyres on the raleigh pioneer and use that ? as a reply they are only chips in the paintwork thanks


 Aha, they did a downtube shifter cheaper version as well. This will be one of them then.
Did you use the drops at the bottom ?..TBF, its rare to see many people actually 'on the drops', most people ride using the hoods of the shifters on the bars. much more comfortable.


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## Hacienda71 (22 Nov 2012)

I have a Raleigh R100 in bits in my garage. It was a good start as a road bike. Looks a very similair spec, 8 speed Sora, chromo frame but a different paint job. Not the lightest bike but got me back into cycling. I have thought about building it up as a winter bike as it has decent clearance for mudguards. I put a threadless headset on it and upgraded the forks and wheels. Saw me right for a couple of years.


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## rossk (22 Nov 2012)

thanks for the help guys yeh i tried holding the bars at the top and was still uncomfortable ive just picked up a viking Giro D'Italia of a friend needs a service and inner tube i know their not the best but im pretty sure it worth more than what i paid a bargain 40 pound thanks


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## AndyRM (23 Nov 2012)

gbb said:


> OP, don't confuse alloy with aluminium. The chimera is steel, chro-mo, technically an alloy, but not aluminium.
> The Raleigh Airlite came after the Chimera, very similar looking, but the airlite is aluminium.


 
You're right. Apologies rossk, I should have been clearer!


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## rossk (23 Nov 2012)

not to worry thanks for the help guys also been reading up on setting up a bike so should be riding comfertablly soon


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