Please note that some links on this website are affiliate links. We may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click through our links and make a purchase from one of our partners. See our Affiliate Disclosure for more details.
*Included free of charge is mainland UK delivery by specialist bicycle courier company The Bike Delivery Company – includes tracking and full insurance en route.
Frame size 56cms – would suit rider height of between 5’9”and 5’11” according to Wiggle – see last photo of size chart taken from the Wiggle bicycle website.
Aluminium frame with Carbon forks. You can read a good review of this racing bike from Raleigh here: https://www.raleigh.co.uk/criterium-15770 Also a good review (4 out of 5 stars) from “BikeRadar”: See photo and review at the end here..
This bike has upgraded components including new Shimano cassette and peddles, and high quality tyres (Continental) and inner tubes and re-taped handlebars. It has been recently professionally serviced. 2x bottle holders included as seen in picture. Also included with the pair of Shimano peddles mentioned above, is a pair of matching cleats (see last photo). Datatag invisible etching and smartwater with registration documents able to transfer to new owner. Always kept indoors indoors in dehumidified room. Cost £500 new. Bought for and used by my teenage son but now selling as he’s saving up for driving lessons.
Collection, no posting but I am happy to deliver free of charge to Abingdon and Oxford and surrounding area.
Here follows the Raleigh review of the bike in its original set up (note the bike being sold here has had upgraded/new Shimano rear cassette, and peddles and new Continental tyres).
—————————————————–
Raleigh description: “Fast enough to race, comfortable enough to ride all day; the Criterium has been built for comfort over distance. The Criterium’s double butted hydroformed aluminium frame has been specifically designed to be exceptionally lightweight and adopts RE2P* frame (*Relaxed, Ergonomic, Effective Positioning) geometry which pushes the rider’s weight backwards to reduce pressure and fatigue on the arms to increase comfort on longer rides. Lightweight Aluminium A-head stem and handlebars provide robustness and strength and the micro adjust seatpost helps you to achieve that perfect riding position right down to the last detail. The carbon fork with tapered Aluminium steerer provides excellent shock absorption properties all whilst supporting the front end of the bike to provide firm, smooth handling. The frame is complimented by internal cable routing to protect against the elements and make your bike look sleek, uncluttered and professional. The Shimano Claris 16 Speed gearing offers reliable shifting to get you up and down hills at speed.”
———————————————————
Bike Radar review (June 2018).
Raleigh Criterium review£500.00
BikeRadar score: 4 / 5.
“Quality frame and fork deliver an excellent, responsive ride with decent componentry”
Highs: Genuinely lively, responsive and encouraging frameset, wider range gears
Lows: Slightly off the component value pace, begging for better tyres
Buy if: You want a bike that’ll really reward putting the extra effort in
Raleigh is at a price disadvantage compared to many of the brands that sell cheaper road bikes because it sells into normal shops rather than its own high street or online outlets. The unavoidable extra margin has been offset in the best way it can though, by concentrating on providing the best frame possible, rather than going toe to toe on kit cost.
The good news starts up front, with the larger bottom bearings of the tapered head tube and fork adding steering and tracking stiffness. The cola bottle-shaped head tube is broadest at the top just where it meets the diamond-shaped top tube, continuing that steering stiffness into the mainframe. The triangular to diamond cross section down tube is stout and the base of the seat tube is oversized for pedalling stiffness.
Internal cable routing uses big external entry bulges and exits just ahead of the cranks. The chainstays are relatively slim to start with and taper down to the dropouts, while the seatstays use a dead straight A-frame design joining the seat tube just below the top tube junction.
There are mudguard mounts front and rear but no rack fixtures. The welds are semi-smoothed but still look rough with small cosmetic pin holes in places. The seat collar is neat and the Criterium uses a small diameter seatpost to add a bit of flex and compliance under the basic but comfortable saddle. The bar also gets plump and comfortable tape.

Initial enthusiasm is maintained in a muscularly sprung character up through the gears
The rest of the spec is okay but not outstanding for the money, with FSA Tempo crank arms in frame size-matched lengths on a square taper cartridge axle and bearings driving old-style Shimano Claris gears, which provide a smoother function than the tucked-in cable design of the latest Claris shifters.
Raleigh also fits an 11-32 rear cog cassette for a more forgiving bottom gear for the steepest climbs or longest days. The Tektro brakes get metal cartridge pads, which give more confident and controlled braking back down the hills. Raleigh own brand wheelshave an ‘aero’ style rim and are ballpark on weight, but the 26mm Kenda tyres are only 24mm wide in reality.
It’s a real credit to the ride quality of the Criterium that skinny tyres that aren’t renowned for their smoothness at the best of times don’t stop the Raleigh being a joy to ride.
The bike has a sense of surge when I pushed hard on the pedals and initial enthusiasm is maintained in a muscularly sprung character up through the gears or when digging deep to hold speed over rises on rolling terrain.
The bike is happy attacking on climbs or doing anything else aggressive, and is a ‘racier’ option compared to some other bikes found in the under £500 price bracket.
The tapered carbon fork, fat bar tape, skinny stays and seatpost help to dilute disturbance from rougher surfaces without losing enthusiasm. Handling is keen for a lively feeling bike, although both traction and smoothness would be improved even further with a tyre swap to something less plasticky and larger in volume.
Otherwise, the ride quality was good enough to shade any slight shortcomings in spec.
Current Price: £250.00
This Raleigh Criterium 56cm Aluminium Frame & Carbon Forks Road Racing Bike. is being sold on eBay by 8416matt from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 2ED