Raleigh Activator 1

[BearValley9196]

Picked this up yesterday and it's in great condition I believe fully original.

I know all about the activator 2 and how it became a bit of a joke - but there's something about this activator 1 frame I love , super slack seat post and headtube. It weighs a metric ton and I'm not sure what my plans with it are quite yet.

 

[Tsundere]

Love that slack ATB geometry, what's the ride like?

 

[BearValley9196]

Actually decent. I've not got a load of experience with these old MTBs mainly just a 90s Marin - which has since been rebuilt. But this Raleigh seems pretty special - my plan was to rebuild it like my Marin - but I feel guilty taking this apart as it's in such good condition and has been well looked after - maybe I'll just enjoy it as it is for a while

Attached a picture of my almost completed rebuild

 

[Tsundere]

If it all feels smooth in the headset, BB and hubs etc then maybe just do a basic service and clean, it looks like it's had a pretty easy life. I'd take a good look at the cables, brake blocks and canti monts though, but other than that I'd only do a complete strip if something major needs doing and you are going to part strip it anyway.

 

[BlackCat]

I remember seeing one of these in a LBS window when they were first released. It was all my buddies and I could think or talk about - we lost our minds over it. Wasn’t “in to” mountain bikes at that stage per se.. One of my friends got the orange version (a slightly up-specced one from memory) from Santa that year. We used to spend hours just crashing it head on into kerbs and marvelling at the “front suspension”.

Wasn’t the most spritely of rides otherwise!

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

Kill it.

With Fire.

All the fire.

 

[velomaniac]

Cannot get over how slack those forks are, Modern geometry, hah!!!

 

[legrandefromage]

The geometry looks the way it does because its a non suspension frame with daft forks attached, this slackens the head tube giving that laid back look.

These bikes have nothing going for them, sell it to someone who needs a cheap bicycle, it's slightly better than walking.

But not much

 

[velofrog]

 

[was8v]

I hope you didn't pay much more than £20 for it