Raleigh Sojourn

[Laru]

I am so in love with the Raleigh Sojourn but haven't had a chance to see it in person yet. We have no bike shops in my town and the closest ones are a little over an hour in either direction from here(Baton Rouge or New Orleans). I'll have to leave work early one afternoon and really... I can't afford it anyway...
Has anyone ridden it? What did you think? Can you tell me something horrible about it so I can stop my obsessive coveting?
: )
Laru

[KnottedYet]

cool bike! http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/sojourn/
It's like they took the best of a Trek 520 and a Kona Sutra, and painted it like a Kogswell. (And added the Brooks so many tourers end up with!) I have those same tires on two of my bikes.

Very nice! I hope you can find one to test ride!

[mimitabby]

we didn't ride it, but we drooled all over it at Bike Expo.
that is a beautiful bike and a great idea! I hope they come in a size that fits you perfectly. Then we want to see a picture of you on it.

[dex]

The Sojourn is awesome. But definitely call ahead to shops before making the trip, because most places sold them as soon as they started hitting the shop floors. According to one of the bike shops here, Raleigh only did a run of about 500 of these this year. And people started calling about them as soon as they were featured in the Bicycling mag Buying Guide issue.

Two weeks ago, there were only a few left in Seattle. (At least according to this shop.) Unfortunately, none were in my size or it *so* would have been mine.

[Tuckervill]

Gee, Thanks...now I'M obsessing over it!

It is a beautiful bike, and I share your pain about not having bike shops nearby, and the ones that are not having what you want.

Karen

[Laru]

Y'all are supposed to say "No, No, No You do not want that bike. It is so bad because of X, Y, Z" ...and so on


*sigh*

[farrellcollie]

Now there is another bike I covet. I don'tknow whether it is good or bad that it doesn't appear to come small enough for me.

[mimitabby]

The fact is, Laru, you have good taste. That's a bike a lot of us might have purchased if they'd made it 4 years ago! or 3 years. or 2 years.

But if you don't have THE bike yet, this one would be a great candidate.

[Laru]

I can't go test ride until I can convince the huzband that I need it. I had 5 bikes up until a couple weeks ago. Sold all but 2 (kept an old rusty Raleigh Tourist and my current mixte Schwinn Le Tour). If I got the Sojourn he'd make me part with another one and I neeeed all these bikes! He just doesn't get it.

I read that Raleigh had undervalued the Sojourn and that prices will go up on the next run. Plus steel is going up so hopefully I can convince him that, by spending $1000, I am actually Saving $$
He might be too smart to fall for that line.

[dex]

Found one! In my size!! Yay!!!

Ok, so I haven't ridden it yet because it's still boxed up in a warehouse, BUT after the shop fetches it in the morning and builds it up, I have first dibs. w00t! I sooo excited. No, really. Way excited.

I test rode a Surly Long Haul Trucker and a Kona Sutra today. I have to say I liked the Sutra more than the LHT, which was weird because when I rode the LHT last summer I absolutely loved it but I wasn't feeling that love today.

But, I kept glancing longingly at the (too big) Raleigh Sojourn sitting on the floor. The (very helpful) guy answering my questions and helping me spend my money mentioned that he thought they might have one in my size in the warehouse. This came as a surprise because the last time I was in that particular shop they emphatically told me they only had a few, and they were all 55cm and up. So, he looked it up and...ta-da! Indeed, a 53cm was sitting in the warehouse just waiting to be freed from its box.

It should be ready for me to test ride on Tuesday. If it lives up to its looks...I'm taking it home.

(My opinion of Recycled Cycles was raised many, many notches today when I went in and actually had my questions answered and was shown many, many bikes...and when they found a 53cm Sojourn in their warehouse for me to try out.)

There was also a really pretty older Terry Classic on the floor, and if I were shorter and able to comfortably ride WSD bikes, I probably would have been all over it.

[KnottedYet]

Oh! Oh! Oh!

You MUST write a review, even if you don't buy it!

Yeah, I saw that Terry yesterday too. It's been there a while. I can't believe no-one has snapped it up yet. Was the red Burley tandem still there? Only $600. I was *this* close to buying it... but "someone" stopped me. I have no self-restraint.

[dex]

The tandem was still there. It's only $600? Good thing I don't have anyone to ride a tandem with, or I might have been tempted. I think we may have similar self-control issues. Heh.

Actually, they had several nice used bikes out today, including a 49cm Cannondale touring bike for less than $400. Too small for me, but very pretty.

A review will definitely be forthcoming. I've been wanting to try the Sojourn for months now. Did I mention that I'm excited??

[Beane]

the last time I was at yellow jersey (http://www.yellowjersey.org/) they had one, but I don't know what size it was. since they sell stuff on ebay and are very knowledgeable and helpful (usually) I'm sure they'd be willing to ship it...

[withm]

nice looking bike...

But what's with the bar end shifters? Not sure I could ever get used to those and having to actually move my hands so far to shift.

[Zen]

oh, I don't know about that.
if I can manage bar end shifters, you definitely can

That Raleigh reminds me of the Trek Portland.