Any body have one? Comments? I am looking at getting one, but there is not a lot of info on the web about it ( I can only find two reviews), which is interesting, cause they are not available anywhere. It is mainly going to be a commuter.
Raleigh Roper
utarch00
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Any body have one? Comments? I am looking at getting one, but there is not a lot of info on the web about it ( I can only find two reviews), which is interesting, cause they are not available anywhere. It is mainly going to be a commuter.
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452 Posts
I’ve seen, ridden, weighed, evaluated and ridden the Roper, and also the Furley at two different shops (one shop set it up wrong, so I went to Shop 2 to figure out what it should feel like to ride).
Well, I guess it’s that time for the regular highlights/lowlights answer.
Highlights:
· It’s a nicely put together bike. Everything goes together well. Removing the wheels aren’t hard, for example.
· It comes with mid-range spec’d gear, which is what I’d want to see on a bike like this. 105 componentry makes me happy.
· It doesn’t look that bad either.
· Clearance for fenders.
· Disk brakes that stop you on a hill.
· Twin water bottle cages because we’re not all camels.
· Compact road gearing w/ 11x28 – good for a road going machine. I use a 44Tx11T for my big ring, and barely ever max it out. I’d probably just barely max out a 50x11 in a flat out sprint or motorpacing session.
· Handling is good. I rode it all over the commons, down stairs, across the soccer field, over rocks, etc. pretty much everything I’d expect to do on a MTB. It handled really well.
Lowlights:
· Heaviest bike in class for that price. By far the biggest negative. At 28 lbs it was bout 4-5 lbs heavier than I and the LBS guys expected it to be. I expected the Furley to be around the 21 lb mark (I have a 19.1 lb Traitor Crusade SSCX bike w/out disk brakes, so it was assuming 1 lb per disk brake), and that weighed in at around the 25 lb mark. The Furly is the Roper with an Eccentric BB and set up as a singlespeed.
· If I remember right, full length housing to the rear brakes. There’s no reason to do it on a CX bike unless 1) you have hydraulic brakes, or 2) you have to zip tie housing to the frame. It makes the brakes feel more squishy and less responsive. Mechanical brakes are already more squishy than good quality road brakes, so if you’re jumping from a road bike to a Roper, it feels super squishy.
· The gearing for CX bikes is typically 34/42 up front. Another negative for the crowd that actually want to race on this.
· BB30 bottom bracket’s are not popular with me and pretty much every mechanic I know hates them. They’re harder to remove and install, and they are more exposed to the elements. Every CX racer I know that also works on their own bike prefer the external cup bearings (again, I have that on my Traitor Crusade SSCX, and also my Ogre MTB). Overall though, they’re only marginally more exposed than external cup bearings.
· I have big feet, and I occasionally would kick the front wheel. Doesn’t seem to happen on my Traitor.
What you should know:
Flat bar brake levers come standard, as well as drop bar levers. At the shop, you can request that they remove these if you don’t want them and can always reinsert them later yourself – this is handy because you can always cut the cable housing to the right length later, but you can’t rejoin it later. Having just the drop bar levers will make the brakes a little more responsive.
Well, I guess it’s that time for the regular highlights/lowlights answer.
Highlights:
· It’s a nicely put together bike. Everything goes together well. Removing the wheels aren’t hard, for example.
· It comes with mid-range spec’d gear, which is what I’d want to see on a bike like this. 105 componentry makes me happy.
· It doesn’t look that bad either.
· Clearance for fenders.
· Disk brakes that stop you on a hill.
· Twin water bottle cages because we’re not all camels.
· Compact road gearing w/ 11x28 – good for a road going machine. I use a 44Tx11T for my big ring, and barely ever max it out. I’d probably just barely max out a 50x11 in a flat out sprint or motorpacing session.
· Handling is good. I rode it all over the commons, down stairs, across the soccer field, over rocks, etc. pretty much everything I’d expect to do on a MTB. It handled really well.
Lowlights:
· Heaviest bike in class for that price. By far the biggest negative. At 28 lbs it was bout 4-5 lbs heavier than I and the LBS guys expected it to be. I expected the Furley to be around the 21 lb mark (I have a 19.1 lb Traitor Crusade SSCX bike w/out disk brakes, so it was assuming 1 lb per disk brake), and that weighed in at around the 25 lb mark. The Furly is the Roper with an Eccentric BB and set up as a singlespeed.
· If I remember right, full length housing to the rear brakes. There’s no reason to do it on a CX bike unless 1) you have hydraulic brakes, or 2) you have to zip tie housing to the frame. It makes the brakes feel more squishy and less responsive. Mechanical brakes are already more squishy than good quality road brakes, so if you’re jumping from a road bike to a Roper, it feels super squishy.
· The gearing for CX bikes is typically 34/42 up front. Another negative for the crowd that actually want to race on this.
· BB30 bottom bracket’s are not popular with me and pretty much every mechanic I know hates them. They’re harder to remove and install, and they are more exposed to the elements. Every CX racer I know that also works on their own bike prefer the external cup bearings (again, I have that on my Traitor Crusade SSCX, and also my Ogre MTB). Overall though, they’re only marginally more exposed than external cup bearings.
· I have big feet, and I occasionally would kick the front wheel. Doesn’t seem to happen on my Traitor.
What you should know:
Flat bar brake levers come standard, as well as drop bar levers. At the shop, you can request that they remove these if you don’t want them and can always reinsert them later yourself – this is handy because you can always cut the cable housing to the right length later, but you can’t rejoin it later. Having just the drop bar levers will make the brakes a little more responsive.
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452 Posts
It's worth keeping in mind, because fenders and racks are not weightless, so it quickly becomes a 30+ lb bike and if you have lots of hills, it does make a difference.
EDIT: You did remind me of one good thing about the Roper - disk brakes are mounted inside the rear triangle, so it's easy to put a rack on the back.
EDIT: You did remind me of one good thing about the Roper - disk brakes are mounted inside the rear triangle, so it's easy to put a rack on the back.
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135 Posts
Clarification: the Raleigh Roper/Furley/Trigger is PF30, not BB30.
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452 Posts
What makes you say PF30?
Spec reference from the Raleigh website:
Raleigh Bicycles Roper
BB: FSA BB30
Raleigh Bicycles Furley
BB: FSA BB30 Eccentric w/Sealed Bearings
The exact type of eccentric bottom bracket I'm not sure (I believe it's the pin spanner kind, e.g. Park Tools SPA-1), but only the Furley has the eccentric BB; the Roper does not.
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Raleigh changed over to PF30 for 2013. Previously they were all BB30.
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I put some saddle time in on a 2012 Roper. Loved it but the weight killed me on the cx side of my interests. Would make a great commuter though. The paint seemed pretty durable too.
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2,942 Posts
Not a Furley but I picked up a used XXIX frame/fork. I was shocked at how heavy it is. I think the Furley is at least as heavy.
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113 Posts
Heavy wheels!
If you change the wheels, the bike will not "feel" quite as heavy. I had a Surly Pacer that I sold to get the Furley and I had some lightish wheels. I always could keep up with other roadies in sprints and climbs due to the lower rotating mass.
I also have observed some flex in the fork when I stand and crank. I would care too much except my brakes rub and annoy me. I haven't taken the time to dial them in yet, so I'm not sure that will be a permanent problem. Maybe a carbon fork down the road to help with this?
I have a Furley and the first thing I'll change (other than the inline brake levers) is the wheels. Its nice that I can put on a set of MTB rims or road rims. If you check it out, the wheels are very heavy, and I imagine that the wire bead tires add some weight as well. I'm going to try a race on it, and just wait until the tires wear out to replace with something nicer. The grip tape is also heavy gel stuff. I was shocked at how heavy that was.
If you change the wheels, the bike will not "feel" quite as heavy. I had a Surly Pacer that I sold to get the Furley and I had some lightish wheels. I always could keep up with other roadies in sprints and climbs due to the lower rotating mass.
I also have observed some flex in the fork when I stand and crank. I would care too much except my brakes rub and annoy me. I haven't taken the time to dial them in yet, so I'm not sure that will be a permanent problem. Maybe a carbon fork down the road to help with this?
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Sorry about the edit. It was too much to quote. I agree on the wheels and fork. You can probably shave off a couple of pounds.
My buddy has a Furley and the wheels are definitely boat anchors. He's saving up for a set of stans wheels and probably will swap in a carbon fork....that should save some considerable weight.
How many people actually stick with stock wheelsets unless you start with a high-end bike?
All said, the Roper and Furley are nice frames that are worth the entry price, and later upgrades...imho.
How many people actually stick with stock wheelsets unless you start with a high-end bike?
All said, the Roper and Furley are nice frames that are worth the entry price, and later upgrades...imho.
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2,942 Posts
As nice as they are that's a lot of money to spend on upgrades. Too bad you can't buy the frameset.
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61 Posts
Raleigh Roper four month review
I bought a Roper in November and have commuted for four months straight in one of Boston's worst winters. I added fenders and a rack, and typically ride with at least one pannier bag. After destroying a previous aluminum road bike and then an aluminum CX bike (both frames cracked) and ground down and/or pretzeled multiple wheelsets, I finally decided I needed a steel frame with disc brakes and heavy duty wheels. So yes, it is heavy, but my ride is flat. I ride hard and fast 18 miles a day, jump curbs, jam through ice and snow and endless potholes, and frankly I find this bike offers a fair trade-off - weight for stability and a solid feel. This thing just feels like riding on rails, in the greater Boston area's absolutely sorry-ass craptastic roads and paths. I have taken it on 40 milers on country roads and it is a bit of a tank, but still a joy to ride (i used skinny 25 mm tires until the snow came).
In terms of value for money, I looked at a lot of bikes in this configuration - steel, disc brakes, drop bars - and no other brand came with a Shimano 105 drive train or equivalent at the $1450 price I paid for the 2013 model with PF30 BB. Treat the frame with JP Wiegel and this thing will last forever.
If you really want to shave pounds, you could swap the fork for carbon and get a wheelset that weighs half as much - in combination that could save as much as 4 pounds. But what would be the point? There is no shortage of 25 lb cyclo-cross and aluminum commuters out there.
And that is the key take-away about this bike. It is not meant for CX and frankly not meant for touring (no rack attachments on the front fork, no triple ring in front), it is your suburban/urban/dirt road fun tank.
On the brakes - I had the shop build it without the top bar levers, and swapped the pads for organic wet weather option, and they are fine. Not as good as the Avid BB7s on my mountain bike, but a heck of a lot better than ANY rim brake (and especially CX cantis) in the snow. And yes, all disk brakes shriek like a scalded monkey in the snow, until they warm up a bit.
I bought a Roper in November and have commuted for four months straight in one of Boston's worst winters. I added fenders and a rack, and typically ride with at least one pannier bag. After destroying a previous aluminum road bike and then an aluminum CX bike (both frames cracked) and ground down and/or pretzeled multiple wheelsets, I finally decided I needed a steel frame with disc brakes and heavy duty wheels. So yes, it is heavy, but my ride is flat. I ride hard and fast 18 miles a day, jump curbs, jam through ice and snow and endless potholes, and frankly I find this bike offers a fair trade-off - weight for stability and a solid feel. This thing just feels like riding on rails, in the greater Boston area's absolutely sorry-ass craptastic roads and paths. I have taken it on 40 milers on country roads and it is a bit of a tank, but still a joy to ride (i used skinny 25 mm tires until the snow came).
In terms of value for money, I looked at a lot of bikes in this configuration - steel, disc brakes, drop bars - and no other brand came with a Shimano 105 drive train or equivalent at the $1450 price I paid for the 2013 model with PF30 BB. Treat the frame with JP Wiegel and this thing will last forever.
If you really want to shave pounds, you could swap the fork for carbon and get a wheelset that weighs half as much - in combination that could save as much as 4 pounds. But what would be the point? There is no shortage of 25 lb cyclo-cross and aluminum commuters out there.
And that is the key take-away about this bike. It is not meant for CX and frankly not meant for touring (no rack attachments on the front fork, no triple ring in front), it is your suburban/urban/dirt road fun tank.
On the brakes - I had the shop build it without the top bar levers, and swapped the pads for organic wet weather option, and they are fine. Not as good as the Avid BB7s on my mountain bike, but a heck of a lot better than ANY rim brake (and especially CX cantis) in the snow. And yes, all disk brakes shriek like a scalded monkey in the snow, until they warm up a bit.
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61 Posts
Been commuting and cruising on a Roper for 10 months
The downsides mentioned below are true - PF30 is a dumb system and the bike is heavy. I am a fan of continuous cable housing but I ride in the snow and mud all winter.
What sold me on this bike, and the reason I still love it after ten months of nearly daily riding, is that it just feels great. I commute into Boston every day on some of the crappiest roads and paths you can imagine, with jagged manhole covers, high curbs, potholes, etc. And lots of snow and ice. I have a huge grin on my face when I jump a curb in these conditions with fully loaded panniers and just know everything is going to be OK. And that's why I bought it, I wanted a bomb-proof all weather commuter with geometry similar to my racing bike.
This is not a CX bike. Period. If you want to ride CX courses or even race, forget it. Light touring? Definitely? Dirt roads of Vermont? Absolutely!
One other thing about the weight - after logging a lot of Strava miles on my road bike, I still managed to get 6 segment personal records on my Roper, because some dude passed me and I decided I had to catch him. So you can get this thing cranked up and flying with the right motivation.
I have also taken it on 40+ mile dirt road cruises in New England and just love it.
If you want the brakes to work better, get rid of the top bar levers.
The downsides mentioned below are true - PF30 is a dumb system and the bike is heavy. I am a fan of continuous cable housing but I ride in the snow and mud all winter.
What sold me on this bike, and the reason I still love it after ten months of nearly daily riding, is that it just feels great. I commute into Boston every day on some of the crappiest roads and paths you can imagine, with jagged manhole covers, high curbs, potholes, etc. And lots of snow and ice. I have a huge grin on my face when I jump a curb in these conditions with fully loaded panniers and just know everything is going to be OK. And that's why I bought it, I wanted a bomb-proof all weather commuter with geometry similar to my racing bike.
This is not a CX bike. Period. If you want to ride CX courses or even race, forget it. Light touring? Definitely? Dirt roads of Vermont? Absolutely!
One other thing about the weight - after logging a lot of Strava miles on my road bike, I still managed to get 6 segment personal records on my Roper, because some dude passed me and I decided I had to catch him. So you can get this thing cranked up and flying with the right motivation.
I have also taken it on 40+ mile dirt road cruises in New England and just love it.
If you want the brakes to work better, get rid of the top bar levers.
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