Hi, i have decided to sell my retro mountain bike, a 1989 (i think) Raleigh Mirage. As the title says, the frame is Cromoly and the forks are also Cromoly and are original. I am looking for £85. Details of the bike are below.
This bike will make a very good commuter. It rides very smoothly and is very quick with these tyres. Would make a decent bike for a teenager too. They can kick all their friends arses in a race...
The frame looks like a small, will measure later. But it fits me fine and im 5 foot 8.
I decided to restore this bike last summer and unfortunately the original paintwork was slightly aged, and it was purple which i didnt like so i felt it was best to give it a fresh coat of paint. But now i am looking to get another bike project going, so i have decided to sell this to try and get a bit of money together for that.
The bike is almost perfectly functioning, there are just a few very minor issues with it. The front mech could do with a bit of adjusting, but it works fine. Last time i tried i couldnt get it to shift into the largest cog at the back. I also cocked up the wiring and cut the rear brake wire a bit short. Also, my shyte pump managed to snap the end off the presta valve on the front inner tube (pictured) but i have tested the valve and you can still deflate it, not too sure about pumping it back up though. I can provide some spare black brake wires if needed. Other than that, it is mechanically sound and well.
The seatpost cracked in an incident involving a football being whacked and hitting my saddle, and so i had to improvise with a stainless steel bolt and nut. It is completely safe and does not move at all in any way. The seatpost is also pictured,
Both brakes are very strong and functioning well, can easily lock the rear wheel and get the bike up on its front wheel. The pads are a bit worn, but still have plenty of life left in them. Will certainly last through the summer as it is dry.
The gears at the back are shifting smoothly and there is no skipping or slipping with the gears at all.
The paintwork does have several very small chips, particularly on the top tube where some people have knocked it against a fence several times while trying to get their own bikes unlocked out of the bike shed... I have the spray paint that i used to paint this frame, so you can touch up the frame if you wish to.
The wheels are running true and have recently been cleaned and regreased with high quality Loctite grease. No wobbling from the wheels. The headset and bottom bracket bearings seem to be fine, no wobbles or sounds or roughness.
The Wellgo pedals are literally no more than 40km old, so the bearings are completely perfect and in very good condition.
There is a very shallow dent that can hardly be noticed on the top tube. It is hardly visible and very small, and does not effect the frames strength at all. The dent was made before the respray so no paintwork damage there. I forgot to picture it, so i will get a picture of it up soon.
The original seat tube stickers are actually still there, and with some careful sanding or thinner+cloth you can get them to show again.
The full specifications:
Frame:989 (i think) Raleigh Mirage - Cromoly Reynolds 501 Tubing
Fork: Original fork - Cromoly
Wheels: Double walled Airline Vuelta (running true, recently greased with high quality grease)
Tyres: Michelin Wild Run`r 1.4 Full slicks.
Handlebars + Stem: Polished Aluminium, with blue Titanium bolts (oi oi!) Stem + bars + bolts why very very little
Headset - Tioga Oversize Avenger
Grips - Crank candy in red. They are a bit worn, but can provide unused black Outland grips for free.
Brakes - Promax polished front V brakes, Alhonga red V brakes. Unknown make of pads.
Wiring - Clarks inner cables, Jagwire outers.
Cranks - Shimano Exage 300 LX
Front mech - Shimano 300 LX
Rear mech - Shimano 300 LX
Chain - KMC
Pedals - Wellgo B087U
Seatpost- Sakae 27.0 mm
Saddle - Ventura ASA (looks uncomfortable but has quite a bit of cushion to it)