mrchristian

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John W

I think they are serious bikes. I own the R600 and have enjoyed it over these last few years. I use it for training, racing in triathlons, indoor riding and more. I have done up to a 1/2 IronMan on it. I'd love to get a triathlon version of a Raleigh but haven't seen an offering yet. I like the fact that it's an American made frame. The one I have has 105s on it and I bought it for about $600. I have gotten every penny out of it.

velocipedio

the raleighs od yesteryear were wonderful british bikes made nottingham. the company fell into hard times in the 1990s and, by the start of the century, the vast majority [virtually all] raleighs were being made in asia.

this is not to say that they're bad bikes. but they're grouppo bikes, virtually indistinguishable from other mass-produced bikes, except by grouppo. the raleigh you're riding could just as eaily be an ironhorse, opus or scwinn. like i said, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but there's nothing special about the raleighs.

IcySmooth51

I can say that Schwinns and Raleighs are good bikes, the bikeshop owner that I know owned the top end Raleigh and was happy with it, and now he rides the top end Schwinn and likes that very much too. I would say if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for almost everyone here. (he's as hard core as you can get)

Wheel Doctor

There are numerous brands out there. Many have comparable bikes within a given price range. Raleigh's are a good value and stack up well against the competition. Their higher end bikes of past years have been such good value that the sold thru the models in early spring. No one talks about them cause their not the buzz. I have a Prestige on order and I should see it next month. It is the one under their TEAM bike. In reality it matters not much. I will still be what I am, a reasonably fit 55YY and the new bike will not make me a stronger faster rider, but I want a new bike.

I remember my first novice races. I could have most any bike I wanted, since I was a bike shop type. At the time I was ridin a Motobecane Team model Campy Nuvo Record. In one crit 25 miler I was rounding the final turn and approaching the finish in a sprint, in first place, when I get passed. The only thing I saw as he went by was the pair sneakers under a Peschler rack spring. The guy was riding a Raleigh with steel wheels. I did find out later that he was a sandbagging perennial novice racer too cheap to buy a licence. My point is he was riding a piece of crap it was the crappiest bike in the field, but it didn't matter cause he was the strongest rider. He also was right in there on club rides with our clubs Cat 2/3 iders.


Too much empahsis is often put on the bike branding and fashion rather training and skills.

alanbikehouston

Today, most bikes selling for under $1,000 are made in Asia, and use components from the same suppliers. The biggest differences in "brands" may be the quality of their dealer networks, and their warranty support. In my town, one of my favorite shops sells Raleigh bikes. This shop has first rate techs. The bikes are carefully assembled and tuned up before the sale, then tuned and adjusted again in thirty days.

As a result of being "backed" by a first rate dealer, I would certainly look at a Raleigh if I were shopping for a new bike. But, every town is different. Spend some time at your local Raleigh dealer and get a feel for their level of service. Good service is well worth the extra hundred bucks or so that buying from a dealer versus E-Bay might cost.

Wheel Doctor

Good point. No matter how much you pay or where it is made, it boils down to proper prep, assembelly, warranty and service after the sale. Sorry gotta go I'm watching Cyclevison on OLN.

53-11_alltheway

There is a huge bling factor in cycling, but the reality is their probably isn't a lick of difference between all the major major maunfacturers aluminum frames except for geometry and to a lesser extent weight.

IcySmooth51

A lot of truth in those words, who needs anything more than the standard 6000 or 7000 series Al? will you really notice that much difference if its ZR9000 Al or Scandium?

Chops83

I love my raleigh prestige frame, lightweight and can handle me just fine.

Dougmt

I love my R600. Like other bikes? What other made in the good ol' USA bike uses color shifting paint that looks JUST like a rainbow trout**********?? (well except for the white underbelly) It's got full 105 on it.... I picked it up used-but babied- for 500.
D