Raleigh Rush Hour Fixin' It Up! By bigdane on Feb 10, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Having ridden bikes my whole life, I really wanted to jump into cycling again. I'm a poor college student, but I wanted something nicer, so my friend recommended the Raleigh Rush Hour. Raleigh touts the Rush Hour as their track bike with a more relaxed geometry, so it's mostly for the street. People who are getting into fixed gears might be interested in getting a Rush Hour because of the less intense geometry, which results in less toe overlap when turning, which is a necessity on the street, not so much on the track.

It has a flip-flop hub, so you can switch between singlespeed or fixed gear with the turn of the wheel. The stock components on the Rush Hour aren't the greatest, but they get the job done. The cranks are firm, and the stock ratio is an easy 48x18, which is good for hills and flats alike. The wheels are cheap, but light and fast and came untrue twice during the year I had a Rush Hour, but both times were my fault, so I don't hold that against it. The saddle is quite nice and the bike also comes with front and rear brake and pedals with plastic toe clips. My advice is to get rid of the plastic toe clips straightaway and get some nice metal ones. Especially if you're going to be riding it fixed. The plastic toe clips on the bike just don't offer any actual holding power for your foot. The plastic pedals are mediocre, but sufficient if you don't want to buy a whole new pedal set. The ride is smooth and stable, and the gunmetal grey is pretty hot!

Overall, I'm glad I upgraded to a different bike to race track on, but as a street bike for beginners, I think the Rush Hour is a solid choice.

Happy riding, don't forget a helmet!