jburke

Anybody have any experience good or bad with Raleigh Road Bikes? I was thinking of buying one and just want to do my research...Thanks!!!

slim_77

I bought a 06 Grand Prix (105/Tiagra) and love it. That love is probably more due to the fact that it is my first road bike, nevertheless, it rides quite well. If you are new, like I was, then at an entry level price range go for decent components with a price that will not kill you. At the entry level as long as you are not paying $900 for a brandname with Sora components, you will be happy.

I also had trouble finding anything on the Grand Prix...so do some test rides and go for it.

SharpRace

I have an '05 Prestige that I built up last summer. The bike is fantastically light and seems to be pretty resilient. I can't really say much else, I think as far as frames they're great, but there are a lot of manufacturers out there that do the same product. If the bikes tickle your fancy, are the right price, and fit well, then I say go for it... but that is just one opinion...

Rutnick

I have two Raleigh bikes. One is a 2003 Raleigh International and one is a 2005 Raleigh Inferno MTB. BOTH have the same freaking problem. The problem? PAINT. If I even LOOK at the Inferno, paint just falls off. Right now, the bike has more stickers than paint (an overstatement but you get the idea). The International's clear coat is coming off in some places. The clear is losing the bond with the basecoat. The basecoat seems to be fine but nothing like having clear coat just come off. What ticks me off even more is that the bike is actually pretty sweet. Columbus Zona STEEL and campy centaur 10 speed.

My OLDER raleigh is a 1998-99 Raleigh HT MTB. The paint on that bike is tuff as nails but the frame is currently just sitting in the floor because I built up a Salsa Ala Carte.

Personally, Raleigh's quality is pretty lacking in regards to paint and quality of other components. A friend of mine has a Raleigh and his rear wheel popped spokes constantly. It got to the point that the LBS had to relace the wheel with DT Swiss spokes and charge it to Raleigh.

Also, Raleigh stopped making Full Suspension MTB frames so when I TRIED to get warranty work done on the Inferno they couldn't replace it nor could the paint it so I was stuck with a $1k frame that had maybe 3 rides at the time. No wrecks and paint coming off. Raleigh sold the inferno as frame ONLY. Talk about being ticked off. I got over it by putting stickers where paint was missing. I even called Raleigh repeatedly and I couldn't even get a freaking paint code from them to get touchup paint.

Raleigh = frames made by Kinesis that are Chinese or Taiwanese (if you are lucky) in origin.

Personally, I would pass on it. For the pricepoint, you have other options.

I got my 2006 Lemond Zurich and it has that lovely Made in USA sticker on it and the fit and finish of that frame vs the International is night and day. Unfortunately, the 2007 all carbon Lemonds are now made overseas which is probably fine but not OCLV like the 06 Zurich (carbon and steel).

sancocho

I have an '05 Grand Prix that I got a pretty good deal on last year. I was pretty happy with it until I got a Trek 1200 for my GF. Both are exactly one notch above entry level (Grand Sport / 1000) but the Trek beats it hands down... eyeleted rims (better hubs [tiagra over generic], more spokes), full carbon seatpost vs. the ultra cheesy "carbon wrap"-ed aluminum post that came on the Raleigh... the Trek even came with knock off spd pedals. I got the Trek for about two hundred less than the Raleigh. Price equal, I'd buy the Trek, hands down.

I agree on the paint, too. The clear on my Grand Prix is ultra thin.

EdZ

I have a 2006 Prestige with full Campagnolo Chorus. Its full carbon with an EC90 fork. I only have about 300 miles on the frame so far, but its been wonderful. Very stiff front end, probably due to the fork being so stiff. Despite this, its also very comfortable and soaks up alot of road vibration. The handling is very quick, simmilar to my track bike. This is probably because its a 50cm and has shorter wheelbase. Overall, A+ so far.

draxine

Don't know about road bikes, but looking at some current specs I think that there are much better deals for the same prices.

The only Raleigh that I did own was a crummy MT260 mtb. I bought it in a sale at Halfords 6 months ago for a daily 22 mile commute in London, and it has lasted me exactly for that amount of time. Sure, the bike is still rideable, but you can sure tell when a bike was built with the cheapest of components. I don't know how much it had to do with Raleigh and how much to do with Halfords, but I'm staying away from both from now on.
Incidentally, I just replaced my commuter with a Genesis Day 00. A lot more expensive than what I paid for the Raleigh, but it rides like a dream and I'm sure (fingers crossed) that it'll last longer than the Raleigh has.

Punx

They look ok. I'm thinking about maybe getting a Raleigh Sport my lbs sells them for $480

bassplayinbiker

The bike shop I work at sells raleighs. I have put together probbly 10000 of them. They are good bikes, especially anything at the compition level and above.

I ride a 07' raleigh team, and it is the sex. The new 2007 frames are supa badass.

Rutnick

what pedals are you using?

Rick G

I have a Grand Sport.I love it.I wanted a Giant OCR 3 but they made me such a good deal on my GS that I could not pass it up.
I would buy a Raleigh any time and not have a problem with it.

Strong Bad

I just bought a new (06) Raleigh Rush Hour Fixie.
I hadn't seen any Raleighs for a long time and didn't even realize they were still around until I started looking for a new fixed gear. I got their latest catalog and the bikes look pretty good. The Rush Hour seems like a great bike for the price (a little over $500). Here's a pic:

DXchulo

If you're looking at one with the aluminum/carbon mix, stay away. I had a 2005 Prestige (they changed the name- the same frame is called the Competition now, I think) and it developed cracks in the paint in the areas where the carbon met aluminum. At first I thought my frame was cracked, but another guy on the forum had the same problem and he said that someone told him that the glue Raleigh used to join the aluminum and carbon expanded, resulting in the cracked paint. I rode it for a few thousand miles after I noticed the problem and everything was fine.

I finally got sick of looking at that and worrying about the glue eventually failing. Not only that, but the paint situation was a nightmare because there was no clearcoat, but the frame was white and it had cheap black and white stickers covering the areas where aluminum met carbon. It all added up to a bike that was impossible to keep clean.

So since winter I've been frame shopping. I tried a few that didn't work out. I shouldn't really have bought one of them, but it was a killer deal on a titanium frame and the size was close. I had a weak moment of an itchy e-Bay trigger finger, so what can I say? Anyway, I just recently settled on my final frame and I'm kind of glad and sad at the same time that I won't be frame shopping anymore.

I still have the old Raleigh frame just in case I crash or something and need an emergency frame. I'm not sure what else I can do with it. I can't sell it on eBay and I'd rather not throw it away.

Adgooroo

My personal experience with Raleigh is from another generation (70's), but I've been watching their newer offerings, and things look very good. Bicycling had a very favorable review of their $2500 carbon frame bike in a recent (Jan?) issue. If I were in the market, I'd seriously consider Raleigh - and another name from the past, Schwinn.

deyendznyr

Raleigh is trying to fight their way back into the market. There were a few sketchy years where it didn't look good for them. they are trying to secure market share by offering bikes that are competitivly priced and/or better speced. Their frames are made over seas, I believe in china and Taiwan, depending on the model. But that shouldn't be a shocker. Anything competively priced in made in Asia.

I'd definately by a Raleigh before buyng a bike's direct bike. Any LBS that sells them will often have good deals on them.

EdZ

They are Exustar Look type pedals.

blu3d0g

I'm delurking to throw in my two cents on this forum (I'm usually over in SS/FG). I have an '06 rush hour, and I had the same problem with losing spokes on the rear wheel, I was losing a spoke every couple of weeks until I had the wheel rebuilt. The paint is definitely pretty weak, I have some serious chipping from the wrecks I've been in. On the whole though it's a great bike, and a nicely assembled frame, I'm working on getting the money together for some new wheels, but the stock ones are pretty solid. Oh, and the stock saddle is garbage, but that's a pretty personal thing anyway.

baj32161

I hope they are decent. I just found this on Craigslist for $250, and I am going to pick it up on Sunday



I will be seeing it and riding it for the first time. I won't pull the trigger until i see it and ride it. The seller seems decent enough.

cocoasprinkles

It's from 1994 but it's still a great ride.