Which one to choose from

VERNON LEVY said:

I have a choice of two S/H bikes:

A Raleigh R50 Road Racer 16 Speed Bike and A Barracuda Tifosi 14 speed bike

I am not familiar with the quality/performance issues of the ancialliary hardware of the bikes.
Both bikes are nearly new and are available for £150 each

Is this a good price? Which is the better bike?

I've been unable to find any information on the Internet about the bikes.

Can you tell us what make and model the rear derailleur and crankset are? This is a good general
indication of the quality of the componentry. If possible feel the weight of the bikes. If they're
both made of steel the lighter one is probably made from better tubing, given similar frame sizes.

More gears are better from a functional point of view, because you can either have closer ratios to
maintain an ideal pedalling speed, or more extreme gearing without the gaps between sprockets
getting too large (few roadies could justify a big 25 rear sprocket before 18 speed, but it's fairly
common now). The current standard for Shimano-equipped bikes is 18 speed, so they're both quite a
bit out of date. All the parts are still readily available for 14 or 16 speed though.