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I'm struggling to conclude much more than 'you get what you pay for'.
I wondered if it is as good a deal as it initially appears?
I think you've answered your own question there :)
That Raleigh has "sweet fixie bro" written all over it: from the faux-retro saddle and tape, to the bullhorns and cross-tops.
The frameset is as basic as it gets and it looks to have threaded forks, but a threadless stem: so obviously using a convertor, which is pretty poor for a factory bike.
The components are all what you'd expect for the money: unlikely to kill you, but nothing you'd actually buy if you had the choice.
I suppose it does draw on Raleigh's heritage, in that for every SBDU they crafted, they churned out thousands of BSO...
If all you want is something cheap and cheerful, then a Charge Plug 0 would be better: the 2017 model is £400, but a quick search suggest you could get a 2016 model for £350.
But the 2016 Charge Plug 1 (the 2017 version has disc brakes and is £550) is readily available for the same money: eg Wiggle or Cycle Store. A distinct step-up from either of the above.
However, I can't recommend a Genesis Flyer enough: a really well thought out bike, with your money being spent where it counts.
Although the components are the usual Far East budget choices, you get carbon forks and good tyres which will give you a ride that pisses all over the above bikes. You also get horizontal dropouts (rather than track ends) which mean that in the event of a puncture, the excellent mudguards won't give you a hard time.
I recommended it to a friend: he uses it for the commute, pub/shops, wet club runs and for pootling about with his ten year old. It turns out there are half a dozen others in his club, including a couple of the staff at the LBS and they all rate it highly.
He paid £490 from Freeborn: "good comms, quick dispatch, as described" etc.
NB Earlier models differ considerably, so make sure you're comparing like-for-like if you're considering second-hand.
Not as practical and likely too sporty for your needs, but a good example of what you need to spend to see good quality, branded components is the Eastway Esaki.
TL/DR
It's shit. Buy a Flyer.
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Scilly.Suffolk
@Hairsy
Hi,
My first post here. I'm a keen road cyclist but keen to get a single speed for local trips and to accompany my young daughter - she is wanting to start riding short sportives and I'd like to add some extra interest to the rides for myself when doing them at a lighter pace than usual.
I've been researching for some time, including reading some extensive threads on here (wow - Foffa!) but I'm struggling to conclude much more than 'you get what you pay for'.
I have tried searching but have not found any reference to the Raleigh Propaganda, even though it has been around for a few years now. There's something nice about the heritage of Raleigh and the spec, to my admittedly inexperienced eye, seems OK.
Would anyone be able to share their experience and wisdom on this for me? It is currently available at a hefty discount on the usual RRP and I wondered if it is as good a deal as it initially appears?
http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=14&pg=12223
Thank you very much.