# '97ish Raleigh Max - a budget MTB for smooth surfaces



## Burton (11 Mar 2014)

You won't see me doing anything extreme on this MTB - it's very much a cheap runabout for me!

After borrowing a friend's Max (or at least I think it was a Max) in the middle of the night whilst a bit drunk last summer, I realised that it was an excellent bike - very well put together, with the feeling of a high-end, quality bike. Smooth, fast and comfortable. And it has bar ends - a clincher for me. 

As a result I bought this Max a few weeks ago for £50, to replace a ten year old Decathlon Rockrider Vitamin R, and first impressions told me it'd been serviced recently. It was as smooth and comfortable as the other one I rode 
It's probably the best bike I've ridden, despite appearances, and very scratched-up paint and torn stickers. But hey, it's a Max, and so am I!
The bike was 100% standard when I got it - I don't think anything has ever been changed on it, even the tyres...






Here it is when I'd just got it home (with bonus Peugeot content).

The handlebars pull to the centre, but I actually like this, so it's staying that way.
I'm replacing the tyres with amberwall Schwalbe CityJets - both current tyres are very badly worn, and the sidewalls have perished on the rear. 
The bar ends are going to be replaced too - I have some purple Fred Salmon ones on the way.
Speaking of purple, I had a brainwave and swapped the seat off this bike with the Peugeot - both now look better, and the Raleigh now has the more comfortable seat - the one on there was too hard for my liking.
Thus far, it looks like this: 




I'll post another pic when the tyres and bar ends are changed.

The idea behind this bike is that it'll be useful on roads, both in the city and the country (as I live pretty near to both), but also on canal towpaths, old railway trackbeds and the like. Okay, the city tyres won't be ideal on towpaths etc, but it's a compromise: for example, if I was feeling ambitious, I could leave my house, and go and ride up Woodhead Pass as far as the tunnel, then go back along the Trans Pennine Trail, and back home.
It'll be mainly used on roads and paved surfaces anyway - I'll have to see what it's like on the walking/bike trails.

I'm excited to get on with this one! Updates soon...


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## Nigeyy (11 Mar 2014)

Oooo that's a bargain!


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## raleighnut (12 Mar 2014)

Burton said:


> You won't see me doing anything extreme on this MTB - it's very much a cheap runabout for me!
> 
> After borrowing a friend's Max (or at least I think it was a Max) in the middle of the night whilst a bit drunk last summer, I realised that it was an excellent bike - very well put together, with the feeling of a high-end, quality bike. Smooth, fast and comfortable. And it has bar ends - a clincher for me.
> 
> ...


Another convert 
Mine is similar but green. Schwalbe marathons work well just keep em at rated max pressure then they don't drag yer speed down too much.


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## Gravity Aided (12 Mar 2014)

Looks like a fine bike, ready for some 26" touring. Hope you two have many happy miles together!


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## Burton (12 Mar 2014)

It was a lucky Gumtree find, after missing out on a rather local grey Max for £50 BIN on eBay in late January - I was going to buy it but hesitance got the better of me and someone else bought it. I think the yellow's a bit better looking though, so it was a good thing!
Both the bar ends and tyres got dispatched today - hopefully they'll show up before the weekend.


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## Burton (13 Mar 2014)

Update time!

The bar ends and tyres arrived today - as such it's time to show the result!





It looks absolutely fantastic, and better than I expected! The bar ends are narrower at the bottom than the originals, so there's a gap between them and the grips (I'm not going to try and move them!). Fine by me as despite the flame design I don't like them, they're rather hard and not hand-friendly should I forget my gloves! I'll just head out and see if I can find some new ones after college tomorrow. 
Oh, and an inner tube, I seem to have holed my front one 

Also, seeing as I was in the garage, here's a bonus pic of my completely standard 2006 GT Aggressor 2:


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## Burton (14 Mar 2014)

Changed the inner tube, and the grips for some Bontrager foam ones today, and moved the brake levers outside the gripshifters - they ended up too close to the centre as the new grips are longer. I'm going to look into possibly replacing the grip shifts with some thumbshifters next.


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## compo (15 Jun 2014)

This is my "new" Raleigh Max. It began as part of a job lot I got for £6 off Ebay a few weeks ago. The black bike and the small girls bike mostly went out the front for the gypos after I saved a few bits off them.






A clean up and some bits dug up from my shed. Twist gear shifters binned and swapped for rapid fire types. Seat post £1 +postage from Ebay, and new brake callipers also from the ever helpful Ebay. New cables and outers throughout (need tidying up a little), but a useful little bike for knocking about for round about £20.


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## Gravity Aided (15 Jun 2014)

Fine looking bike there, @compo .


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## Mad Doug Biker (15 Jun 2014)

I had a 1996 silver Raleigh Max Ogre until recently, it had been my bike since new but alas, years of neglect before I was REALLY into cycling had taken its toll and it was just a rusted frame (I had removed all the useful items off it).

I kind of regret getting rid of it, but it really was a wreck and I guess that euthanasia at the scrap yard was probably the best thing for it (putting it out of its misery and all that).


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