If you’ve been reading trek hybrid bike reviews, you’ll quickly realize these bikes aren’t cheap. So, what’s your next best alternative that won’t drain your bank account?
The Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is a great bike for a reasonable price. It’s made for cruising around the city in comfort and style. If you’re interested, read on to learn more about it.
Table of Contents
Features and Specifications
High-Tensile Steel Frame
With its updated 60s look, it’s hard not to like Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike. It features a British racing green finish and the Haskell and Raleigh logos to give it a fresh and calming vibe.
The frame is made of high-tensile steel, a long-lasting and efficient material. The backsweep handlebar with brown cork grips is attached to the bike with an aluminum quill stem. The backward bend of the handlebar makes sure your fingers don’t become numb and sleepy and your wrists not overstretched.
Sizing guide:
- 52 centimeters (cm): 5’3”-5’7”
- 56 centimeters (cm): 5’6”-5’10”
- 60 centimeters (cm): 5’11”-6’3”
Sturmey Archer 5 Speeds Internal Gear Hub
The Sturmey Archer 5-speed thumb shifter allows effortless gear shifting, so you can ride along flat roads with ease or get a good exercise as you tackle hills.
The fully enclosed gear system keeps dirt, grime, and water away for minimal maintenance. Come rain or shine, the Tektro Auriga hydraulic brakes give great stopping power for relatively little effort.
Schwalbe Century Tires
The Schwalbe Century tires are perfect for bikes with a vintage look. They come in cream or dark gray sidewalls and with raised lettering. In addition, the tires are lined with the DuPont KEVLAR® Fiber for a reliable puncture protection.
Technical Details
- Fork: Unicrown fork with curved blades
- Wheels: Weinmann, 700x38c (28×1 5/8)
- Spokes: 14-gauge stainless steel
- Crankset: Raleigh crankset, steel
- Chainring: 42T (teeth)
- Rear cogset: Sturmey Archer, 18T
- Saddle: Retro spring saddle, black
- Pedals: Platform
- Handlebar grips: Brown cork
The Good
Solid Steel Frame
The solid steel construction of the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is one of its outstanding features. The steel parts of this bike make it heavy, but other people don’t find that as a deal breaker.
A steel bike offers many advantages. For this bike, it provides very smooth and comfortable rides due to its ability to dampen vibrations. That results in less fatigue on your part.
Good Disc Brakes
The Tektro Auriga disc brakes do what they’re supposed to do. There’s just one problem you may face: The brakes may need fine tuning.
You can usually fine tune the brakes yourself. But if you’re not that knowledgeable (or confident) about bicycles, consider getting the services of a bicycle mechanic at your local bike shop.
Smooth-Shifting Gears
The internal gear hub and thumb shifters work seamlessly together, so you can switch gears to make riding easier in certain terrains and situations. Compared to the Raleigh Bikes Harlan City Bike, the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is more suitable for riders who travel on varying terrain.
Whether you need to go to work or an important outdoor event, the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike will take you there with efficiency and style.
The Bad
The Chain is Too Tight
The Raleigh Harlan hybrid bike has this same problem. A bike chain that’s too tight (or too loose) could wear out the drivetrain quicker, or worse, snap the chain and leave you stranded.
Adjusting the tightness of the chain is usually difficult for most new or casual riders—perhaps like you—and might require the services of a bike mechanic.
Mainly Made of Steel
The Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is mostly made of steel, particularly the crankset, frame, fork, handlebars, and spokes, just to name a few. The only parts that are not made of this material are the hubs, rims, seat post, stem, and crank arms.
This means this is a relatively heavy bike. To give you an idea, the smallest frame (52 centimeters) weighs around 29.8 pounds. So, if you’re looking for a lightweight bike, you can look elsewhere. Perhaps the Raleigh Bikes Cadent 3 Urban Fitness Bike would interest you.
Assembly May Not be Easy
There are different opinions about this. Some say putting this hybrid bike together isn’t too bad, while others feel the total opposite.
The Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is partially assembled. The only parts you need to install are the disc brakes, front wheel, saddle, handlebar, and pedals.
You do need to fine tune some of its parts. This may not be easy for those with limited knowledge about bike maintenance and assembly.
Who Is It For?
A single-speed bike, like the Raleigh Bikes Wilder City Bike, is usually enough for city commuters. But if you live in a city with slopes and hills, the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is more fit for the job.
The Haskell is also a good choice for someone who want to minimize maintenance or repair costs, usually leaves his or her bike exposed to the weather elements, and doesn’t use more than two or three gears.
Conclusion
Between a 7-speed bike and a 5-speed bike, we’ll most likely pick the former if there was a big discount on it. But, that’s not to say the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is not worth your consideration.
This hybrid bike has good-quality components, particularly its disc brakes, 5-speed internal gear hub, alloy rims, and uncluttered, vintage look. It’s a comfortable, smooth-shifting, and sturdy bike.
Although for the price, many expected the bike would already come with fenders and a kickstand. Some of the parts, like the ones we mentioned, should’ve also been properly adjusted when delivered to customers.
Overall, the Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike is a great hybrid bike for the reasonable price. It has its issues, but they don’t really outweigh its positive features.
Enjoy a smooth ride around the city with a 1960s-inspired Raleigh Bikes Haskell City Bike.