Hi Jim,
Is your Bike Friday your primary bike also?
I purchased a B.F Pocket Pilot configured as a road bike two years ago-only as travel bike. Prior to that, I have been riding my 1977 Raleigh Grand Sport for almost thirty years. When I first rode my Grand Sport, I thought it was the perfect bike with the perfect fit for me. As I got older, due to some lower back issues, I shortened the stem, and moved my seat forward, which seemed to do the job.
I knew B.F was a good bike, but I thought the sales staff there were giving a little hype telling me they all gave up their conventional machines and now ride exclusively their B.F. Well... for the past six months I have been on the B.F more and more, and now I see it as the perfect fit for me. The top tube is a little shorter than the Grand Sport's, the gearing is easier (I enjoy standing on the pedals, but don't need to as much), and my normal 9-mile early morning ride is now 15 miles, with the same effort. Perhaps it's the custom fit. I also enjoy the agility of the front end (small wheels and straight fork-compared with the wide rake of the Grand Sport) - the compact feel makes me feel much more in control and on top of everything. I even first thought of changing the ergonomic bars and replacing them with straighter drop bars like the Grand Sport - I'm now glad I didn't.
These two were my only real bikes. I wonder if I would enjoy a conventional custom-fitted road bike (fitted with S&S couplings) as well as my B.F. I see no reason to spend the time or money to find out.
By the way, what do you think I can get for my Grand Sport? I am thinking of selling it. My local bike shop thinks I can get more for the parts (new SunTour sidepull brakes, Shimano 500 derailleur - Reynolds 531 frame). I would hate to tear it apart after so many years of use.
Thanks,
Saul
ANSWER:
Thanks for the email, Saul. I'm happy to hear you love your Bike Friday as much as I do mine. My Rocket is my travel bike but I'll use it at home, too, if I need to when my other bikes are loaned out or waiting for parts. I think it's an awesome bicycle and have made many of the observations you have. The S&S coupled bikes are very nice, too, but the Bike Friday is easier to pack and travel with in my experience. Here's my Rocket.
On selling your Raleigh Grand Sport, I recommend checking for similar bicycles for sale on http://www.ebay.com/. Just search on "Raleigh bicycle" once a week for a bit and you'll probably turn up some bikes similar to yours. You can then watch the auctions to get a feel for what the selling price is and that's a fair assessment of what yours might sell for. You could certainly part it out, but I agree that that would be a shame.
Good rides!
Jim
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