I bought the Raleigh Royal in December at a reduced price due to it being a 2012 model and not a 2013 model. I suppose to some it makes a big different (different colour and all that) but I’m more than happy as it was hugely reduced in price. That is the reason why I bought it when I did.  December was not the best month for a new bike as unless you want your shiny new bike to turn a durge colour within minutes of venturing out you have to just sit and look at it, maybe stroke it a bit. But the price was not going to be the same later on, so I bought it anyway with money from selling the car.

There is a lot on the internet about the Raleigh Royal touring bike, an entry level “professional” bike which may not (or maybe it would) get your around the world but is what it say, entry level. I know which bikes I would like but when most cars I have bought in the past have not cost more than £1000 I can’t quite justify that sort of money on a bike. Maybe if I do bike around the world I may reconsider.

After riding the Highway for various long trips and as time passed I got more into the idea of touring it showed that the Highway was lacking in some points.   When the freewheel sheered off on one trip I was starting to loose confidence with it too, the components were maybe not quite a high standard you need when a long way from not only home but from the nearest train station!    It just so happened that I had sold a car and had cash needing to be spent….