Coolwall : Raleigh or Saracen

[Ollie]

Very difficult to choose, both had their good and bad bikes.

 

[dyna-ti]

Bloody hell thats not as easy as it first appears.

Good cool wall thread Good choice

:? Hmmmmm

mm

 

[Boscarn]

Saracen all the way, some great British made frames and bikes were made in the 1980's. The kili range in the 90's was also bikes to be reckoned with. However, when Halford got involved, all went down the pan, but they are on the way up again!

Raleigh, mmmm, some good bikes and an awful lot of dross!

 

[sinnerman]

Re:

This was the last Raleigh that was "Cool".

(Obviously forgetting the Tomac Raleigh which was not mainstream)

 

[Ollie]

The Chopper was one of the most ionic designs and a game changer in the looks department. But one of the worst designed bikes in the comfort and ride quality aspect. Definitely a cool bike though.

 

[longun]

very hard this one dude, both had great bikes, both had crap bikes. both had awesome teams at some point and the change in marketing managed to damage both companies. picked Saracen due to being "cooler" as the bike I owned, raced and loved was an andes fs upgraded when I could with paperbound money.........so will always be cool.

 

[Osella]

Dyna-Tech, RSP, SBDU are Sub-Zero.
Raleigh; not so much.

For me, Saracen were in many ways a spiritual successor to Raleigh in the arena of Mountain Bikes. So many people's first bike was a Raleigh, but first MTB was a Saracen.

Best thing these days is that some oik will nick a Specialized Hardrock or GT Talera for the brand; but they rarely nick 'some old Raleigh'

 

[jimo746]

Re:

"Which is Cooler".... I vote Saracen.

Both did and still do make some great MTB's, and both have produced plenty of shite over the years too.

But I just think that Saracens is the "cooler" of the two.

 

[legrandefromage]

Raliegh for the Activator and all the arguments it generated (mostly from me).

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

Going on the period of retrobiking I'm interested in (1989-1994) it's got to be Saracen as that was their golden age. What was cooler in 1990 then the Saracen range?

Raleigh made some smart enough bikes in this period but also some real stinkers and they were the brand your mum/dad would buy you when you really wanted something else.

Saying all that, the early 1990's Team Dyna-Tech could give even the coolest Saracen (1989 Kili?) a serious run for it's money.