Isaiahc72

It has come to my conclusion that Raleigh is possibly one of the most underrated manufacturers there is. I've owned two of them and both have come very close to my Treks. Has anyone else realized Raleigh being underrated?

sirupate

Can't claim any current experience with Raleigh bikes. Had a late 60's Raleigh and have a 74 Competition model. I am sort of looking for a 2011 International. I am pretty sure if my size was available, I'd buy it just to have a steel frame current model. I don't know if Raleigh dealers will search for new old stock for you.

StephenH

I've been riding a Raleigh Sojourn for several years now, and to be honest, it doesn't strike me as being underrated. It's obviously aimed at the touring-bike market, but wheels were not what you'd want to tour with; bike is heavy and was made in China. Raleigh has changed hands a lot, and once all production is in China, there's not much telling who actually designs what any more. Your comment may say more about Trek than it does about Raleigh.

Garfield Cat

Pon Holdings, Bicycle Division, owns Derby which owns Raleigh and other brands such as Cervelo.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/inter...e#.Up8rosRDuls

[Derby is part of the Pon Bicycle Group, a division of the 7 billion euro Dutch trading company, along with Gazelle, Cervélo and Union Bicycles. Derby sold 482,000 bikes last year under its Focus, Kalkhoff, Rixe, Univega and Raleigh brands (Derby holds the license to sell Raleigh in Europe’s German-speaking countries).]

Their latest acquisition is Union: https://www.bike-eu.com/Home/General/...ings-1096540W/

Sounds like their approach is quality in Europe.

Dahon.Steve

There are a number of Raleigh bikes that look very similar to Giant bikes, especially the hybrids. There's no question, they are the same frame with different components and paint schemes.

However, there is nothing like owning a Raleigh made in England.

StephenH

I kind of get the impression that you can do a vast amount of engineering and design and market research and then go get the resulting bike made in Taiwan or China to your specifications. Or you can do zero of that, tell the same factories "I'd like 10,000 of a nice road bike with "StephenBike" on the headbadge", and they'll work out all the details. So when you get some of these companies like Schwinn, where they're obviously not high-end designers, I'm not so sure that they design anything at all.

WestPablo

Raleigh makes some of the very best bikes in the world.

Raleigh is most definitely underrated!

the engine

I recently bought a 2011 Raleigh Record Ace ... Ultegra drive train and 105 brakes were stock. I added Weinmann DP wheels, and a Terry Fly saddle. I love the ride ... Reynolds CrMo frame. I am told they resurrected the old jigs to build the new steel frames.

The 2012-13 models are not the same as the 2011 ... they dropped the components down a level (to 105 throughout).

It was bought from my LBS. They have several in stock, and they are selling them at a great price. I couldn't resist. I use it as a training bike, saving my Ti bike for events mostly.

I don't know about Raleighs carbon lines, or any other recent Raleighs ... but, the newer steel frame bikes are excellent.

All in all, I loved the Raleigh Professional and Competition in the 70's, and I think the new steel frames have a similar ride to the older models, but with STI shifting, ect. I highly recommend Raleighs steel bikes. They are no longer made in England, but they are made well.

And, yes, they (steel frame models) are underrated.

Garfield Cat

Watch for Raleigh bikes as Pon Holdings exerts its influence.

big chainring 

I wish they would make bikes like this again.

cyclist2000

Back in the 70's I owned a Raleigh Pro. one of the best bikes that I ever had. I don't think that they are underrated but they don't make them like the Pro anymore either.

Coluber42

I love my 1974 Raleigh Pro. It is a bike I can sit on for four days and nights and still love it. But basically the only relationship between the Raleighs from then and tho new ones is the name. The brand has changed hands a couple of times and today is fairly interchangeable with lots of other Taiwan-built bikes in similar price ranges, often capitalizing on the reputation of an older brand name.

But that said, those Taiwanese factories really do know what they are doing when it comes to building bikes. They aren't going to be cutting edge like the latest Trek Wunderbike, but for basically good, solid, standard technology in the middle of the road price range, they are no different and probably a bit better value than something equivalent from the bi name brands. So maybe the technology is five or ten years behind whatever won the TdF this year, but we're talking bicycles here, not smartphones, and most of us are not buying the real cutting edge anyway.

We like to scoff at "cheap Chinese knockoffs" but the bike factories in Taiwan make good stuff to a high standard of consistency (within the still-applicable rule that you get what you pay for). Even though a new Raleigh isn't from the same company as an old Raleigh, it's still a good bike for the price, and so yeah, it probably is under valued WRT its brand image.

WestPablo

The 2013 Raleigh International runs rings around anything aforementioned...

Definitely underrated!

fietsbob

They went the way of British Leyland. the was is not the current company,

Raleigh USA went to Asia, to get the bikes made and raise profits, Like,everyone else.

knobster

One of the few times I'll side with fietsbob, but I completely agree.

They are viewed as a ordinary, mediocre bicycle company. Right where they need to be. Not like they use to be. Similar to say a company like Masi. Big business bought the name, hoping to cash in on people's emotions for a bike they had 20 years ago.

WestPablo

So ah...Which of the major bike companies makes better bikes than Raleigh?

StephenH

I'd have to go ride some of the others and see which ones had wheels fall apart after 4,000 miles and which ones didn't.

WestPablo

Employing the scientific method, that's exactly what you'd have to do. However, you can spare yourself the trouble because I personally own a 2011 Record Ace that has over 12,000 trouble-free miles on it.

*If you do your research, you'll find that most bicycle companies suffer negative anomalies like the occasional broken fork, collapsed wheel, etc...

You'll also find that Raleigh has fewer recalls than at least two of the other big three companies.

knobster

Well lots do. But those companies have much larger variety of bikes than Raleigh. If you compare apples to apples, say a Sojourn to say a Trek 520, I think the Trek is a better bike. Compare a Sojourn to a Surly Long Haul Trucker and I think you got about the same bike. But those are comparable companies where Raleigh isn't the same company as Trek. Masi is a comparable company to Raleigh now and I think their line of bicycles are about the same. Not great, but not bad either. Raleigh doesn't create the bike, but mainly just the frame and sometimes the fork, it's the choice of components to keep the price of the bike competitive with the market they are after while making a decent profit for the parent company.

StephenH

I suppose the first question is "Does Raleigh actually manufacture bikes?", and I honestly don't know the answer to that one.
Raleigh changed hands a couple of years ago (that's when my local dealer quit selling them), so I have no idea if they are using the same suppliers now that they did then. I know the Sojourn has had its components changed each year, so it's hard to venture a guess as to the current qualify from a bike built two or three years ago.

dedhed

IMO Until you get into higher end or special application models, at any given price point pretty much any bike, from any major brand, are all about the same, quality and component wise.

Garfield Cat

Ultimately Raleigh is owned by parent, Pon Holdings of the Nederlands. Same company that owns Cervelo. Pon Holdings, bigger resources, better supply chain results.

StephenH

So does Raleigh actually make anything?

steve0257

Not sure who own what, ut I've been very happy with my 2012 Port Townsend.

WestPablo

Talk about apples and oranges...

Comparing Raleigh to Masi, is like comparing Kroger to Joe's Butcher shop.