A Classic Story

[Oldbikefan]

I recently sold my '96 Marin Bear Valley mountain Bike. Much as I liked it my back was suffering even with a shorter stem. So I decided I needed something a bit more sensible.

The good lady was away visiting family and I was home alone with a bottle of red and the internet (a dangerous combination)

Bored with the TV I thought I'd have a look on ebay. A few things caught my eye one of them being the subject of this post. Raleigh Pioneer Classic Project Bike, starting price £20, 7 watchers, not far away in Winchester with 12 hours or so left. Now, I seemed to remember reading how the Pioneer range are underrated bikes. So I put in £20 and wobbled off to bed.

Next morning I woke up in a cold sweat. I rushed to the computer to retract my offer hoping someone had out bid me. It was too late, the 7 watchers had evaporated. I'd won it!


Bugger


Monday I had the day off so I went to get it. The seller was a really nice bloke and to be fair was accurate in his description of it being a project and needing work.

This is what I bought...

Raleigh Pioneer Classic SIS 10. Looking at it it's around 1995 vintage and at the bottom of the Pioneer food chain. Basic 10 speed Shimano SIS group set, frame is plain steel not even Reynolds 501 and Plastic Cantis etc.

So I am now the lucky(?) owner of two Raleighs. The other being the skip find Moonrun Mountain Bike.

I gave it a clean and had a good look at it today and the frame is in remarkably good condition. The bottom bracket seems smooth, the seat post isn't stuck, the rims are alloy, the rear is marked Regida, and the hubs are Sachs. It will need a new saddle, cables, brake blocks and front mudguard. The front chainring appears to be buckled and there is a slight buckle in the back wheel.

Could be fun.

 

[DCLane]

Looks like a good buy in the current Covid-bike rush.

I like my Pioneer, although it's been upgraded with a new larger triple chainset, replacement front/rear derailleurs, new 21 speed (3x7) shifters plus a different saddle.

They're very useful do-it-all bikes, despite never being worth a huge amount.

 

[raggydoll]

Happy new £20 bike day!

 

[raleighnut]

Nice solid bikes, the world's your lobster regarding upgrades just watch you don't drop the crankset on your toes if you change it.

 

[Chris S]

The front chainring appears to be buckled and there is a slight buckle in the back wheel.

I straightened a single-speed chainring by putting it on a flat paving slab and then standing on the edges.

 

[Cycleops]

Nice buy. Shame it’s not the ‘super’ 501 version but for the money you can’t complain. But it is the ‘De Luxe‘ edition. Could mean it’s got alloy rather than steel rims.
We even get them down here, our local bike seller had one not long ago for £30 I think. I was tempted. So you’ve got it for cheaper than a poor African.
@SkipdiverJohn is a big fan, basic reliable transportation.

 

[Drago]

Id have stuck with the Bear Valley.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I suspect it's a bit newer than 1995, since the frame is welded and not lugged. Even if it needs a few things sorting out you can't go wrong for £20 - which is my sort of benchmark bike purchase price.
The later ones never had a Reynolds 501 option anyway, the better spec versions instead used some sort of generic 4130 cro-moly tubing, which is probably plain gauge otherwise the stickers would say butted. The best Pioneer frames, IMHO, are the lugged 501 ones made up to 1995, as the main tubes are butted. I own one 501 example myself.

 

[Oldbikefan]

I've done some work on it and it's not in bad condition overall. The frame is really good with only a couple of small scratches. Lots of plastic Lee Chi components including the cranks (I thought they were plastic coated steel going by the weight of them!). I guess the advantage is they don't rust. Pretty low end but at least I can get them apart.
I'm not planning on spending a lot on it because I won't get it back if I decide to sell it. (I learned that lesson with the Moonrun)
I was going by the date code on the rear mech to get the year which was 1995. I guess the manufacturer was clearing out their parts bin.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Raleigh paint from the 90's was really tough stuff. Their paint facilities were on a par with car makers and the results very durable. If you encounter a Raleigh from this era with very bad paint the bike must have taken a real beating, because in normal use the paint will often still be almost as good as new after 25 or more years.
I would not be surprised to find 1995 dated parts on a 1996 frame as it was normal for manufacturers to hold quite a lot of component parts inventory as a safeguard against disruption to their supplies.

 

[Oldbikefan]

Cleaned up rather well. New saddle, mudguards, rear tyre, cables and brake blocks. I had to replace the rear wheel with a better 2nd hand one because it had been done so many times it was beyond saving. The first pot hole would have buckled it again. As usual spent more than it's worth but I got a usable bike for £62. Just don't tell my wife🤫

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

As usual spent more than it's worth but I got a usable bike for £62. Just don't tell my wife🤫

On the contrary, I bet the average cyclists wife would be absolutely delighted if their other halves bikes came in at only £62!
There's plenty who will spend several times that on some naff bling accessory,never mind a working bike.

 

[DCLane]

Well done @Oldbikefan , that looks very usable.

The changes to mine cost quite a bit more, primarily because the wheels, tyres, saddle, shifters, bottom bracket, crankset and derailleurs have been changed during my 5-year ownership.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The changes to mine cost quite a bit more, primarily because the wheels, tyres, saddle, shifters, bottom bracket, crankset and derailleurs have been changed during my 5-year ownership.

The total cost of buying, sorting out, and running my "best" Raleigh Pioneer with the 501 frame, since the end of 2017, has now just about reached £60 in total. That's what I call cheap cycling!. My Raleigh Royal tourer, acquired in 2019, still owes me under £40 in total, although that only does half the miles I do on the Pioneer and hasn't had new tyres yet.

 

[DCLane]

@SkipdiverJohn - my upgrade costs were due to two things; 1. wanting a wider gear range, which required more work than I thought. I did get a decent amount back for the components that were sold though, and 2. the RH shifter went and with someone at work bending the rear mech so I swapped to new trigger shifters and different mech.

The saddle I had anyway. Oh, and the wheels were Campag Record 7-speed and for sale locally at a stupidly-cheap price. I like the irony of vintage road wheels on a Pioneer. I've also changed the tyres for 28mm tan wall tyres from a brand I can't remember with the original wheels/tyres as a winter back-up.

Given the bike gets used for town runs and in really bad weather commutes it's been worth the £140 or so it's cost to buy, upgrade and keep using. I've a bike that's good for the next 20 years, which is why I did the upgrades.