Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from MA and RI Date Reviewed: March 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Arcadia RI, Foxboro MA
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Very Strong and reliable, cheap, I bought it as a used frame and built it up.
Weaknesses:
You must swivel the front derailleur out of the wat to tighten the pivot joint. Nondisc compatible.
Similar Products Used:
Proflex 5000, Iron horse Stout, Haro, Diamondback,etc.
Bike Setup:
Judy 100mm travel fork, LX components, Brake arches over the vbrakes.
Bottom Line:
A very sturdy reliable trailbike which can handle alot of abuse. Not for the new bike fanatic, but if you need a bike to really use, this is it.
The only problem is that it may last too long.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Snead
a Cross Country Rider
from Central, Oregon Date Reviewed: February 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Three Creeks Loop
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Used
Strengths:
Bulletproof - mostly. Comfy ride, inspires (too much) confidence - Bought used knowing it would need love - LBS replaced front fork with a similar vintage rebuilt Manitou dual crown for under $100 - so at $400 I have a solid XT equipped FS Bike. It can handle more than my Clydesdale bod and old-man skills can throw at it.
Weaknesses:
Both issues were rider induced - 4 foot drop with bad landing on pavement (front wheel) I blew the fork wide open. Sideswiped a rock and ripped the rear derailleur off - LBS fixed with a new dropout and cogs and back in action. Maybe when I have lots of money I can justify a fancy new bike (and I would like one someday) but for now this has been a good ride.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized, Jamis, Stylin' Schwinn Varsity back in '81, wicked cool red tricycle at age 3
Bike Setup:
Rebuilt Dual Crown Fork, eggbeaters, otherwise stock and adequate for my fatself
Bottom Line:
There are finer rides out there, but for a 220 pound amateur, this is a good start and worth the $400 I have in it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brandon
a Downhiller
from Indian River MI, USA Date Reviewed: February 2, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Anything that gets you moving fast
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
Imperial Bike shop
Strengths:
Umm good handelbars...thats bout it on this junker
Weaknesses:
Everything, the whole bike pratcially fell apart on me, Cracked the frame, busted the sprockets, blew the front fork
Bike Setup:
Dumped it, got ride of it
Bottom Line:
Don't ever buy one of these... they fall apart, they can't take any abuse and the fork bottoms over everything (and i weigh 120lbs)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sam
a Weekend Warrior
from Vienna,WV,USA Date Reviewed: September 19, 2003
This bike has stood the test of time. You could hit it with a truck and not hurt it. As you see, I have made a few upgrades since I bought it from Randall(my brother). And there are still a few in progress. I am going with LX hubs, and Sun Rhyno Lite rims, and soon will be adding Avid Arch rival brakes. With a stiff rear suspension setting, and my new 2002 bomber fork, 4 to 5 foot drops are no problem. I have taken it as much as six feet a time of too as well. If you get one of these frames.....keep it! My brother and then myself have beaten this thing senseless, and it just says, "That all you got?!" Great value for the price. This frame just won't die.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike G
a Cross Country Rider
from Taunton, Mass, USA Date Reviewed: November 29, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Franklin State Forest
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$950.00
Purchased At:
Beauvais Bike Shop
Strengths:
Awesome looks, Strong frame, very good handling trail bike
Weaknesses:
Heavy rims, lots of bob when hammering, cheap front fork (Manitou Spyder R)
Avid Arch Rival brakes, Mavic 517 w/XT hubs, LX crank, XT front& rear Deraillers, Manitou Black Elite Air fork Rockshox SID XC w/Lockout Performance Team saddle
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. I bought it early 1999 and have been riding it at least twice a week. Was a little heavy when I first got it, but I upgraded(alot) It now weighs about 28.5#. I eliminated the Bob with the SID,when it is locked, it's almost a hardtail, and I weigh 275#. This summer I took it to Pedrosfest and did the Downhill run at Jiminey Peak. What A rush. Although this bike handled it well, it is not a downhill machine. I just put the Black Elite fork on this fall. I was thinking of getting a new bike, but with this setup I can't justify it. As long as the frame holds up I will be riding it. This bike is agreat choice for someone who doesn't mind upgrading as you go.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
m dog
a Downhiller
from ashland oregon, u.s.a Date Reviewed: July 21, 2002
Favorite Trail:
time worp
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
alls cycles
Strengths:
good back suspention, could use alittle more
Weaknesses:
bad begining front fork. brock it within 60 days, and the gears skip really bad, lots of bruzed knees.
Similar Products Used:
giant, warp
Bike Setup:
dh-2 on the front, 24inch rear wheel hayes disks, sun rims, and 3.0 tioga tires.
Bottom Line:
great for a begining rider, nice ride and easy on the bum, wouldent recamend bying anything from alls cycles though!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Randall
a Weekend Warrior
from Parkersburg, WV, USA Date Reviewed: May 31, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Mountwood Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Bob's Bicycles
Strengths:
Great value...quality full suspension ride for the price. Sharp looking bike! Super durable (i've beat on it pretty well).
Weaknesses:
Could stand a few component upgrades, but when considering the price, there aren't many weaknesses.
Similar Products Used:
Other Raleigh's, Schwinn Moab
Bike Setup:
LX components, Manitou Spyder forks, Rock Shox Deluxe rear
Bottom Line:
Great bang for the buck! I have ridden this bike hard and it has taken the abuse with a smile. Could be a little lighter, but for the price, it is an outstanding package. If you are just getting into mountain biking, and price is a factor for you, this is a great place to start. A great bike at a great price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff A
a Weekend Warrior
from Raleigh, North Carolina Date Reviewed: March 17, 2001
Favorite Trail:
New Light, Scott's, Dunn Rd.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$530.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Logic
Strengths:
Strong as an ox. Fork handles a lot of abuse without a lot of maintance required.
Weaknesses:
Rear derailer doesn't always work to good. The Rock Shox rear shock eats up a lot of energy no matter how tight.
Similar Products Used:
Raleigh M-50
Bike Setup:
Stock except with clip on's, heavier brake pads and new rapid fire shifter.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this bike rocks. I have abused it constantly for two years and have never had a major problems. This bike is very versatile and a good buy for a serious rider who has to worry about cost. Don't buy this bike if you want high end componentry bike and a high zoot fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kurt diserio
a
from wellsburg WV usa Date Reviewed: September 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Seven Springs
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Summit bikes
Strengths:
The m7000 is great for trail riding. The handle bars are nice, so you don't have to worry about buying a better pair. It comes with suspension that's good for most trails.
Weaknesses:
The chain and derailer have constant problems. It is not the best for jumping, and the tires don't grip too good.
Bottom Line:
I would chose the m7000 if you don't plan on going hardcore with it. It tends to have problems shifting gears sometimes, but nothing that can't be fixed with simple tools. It's not a bad bike at all, but it could be better if you put money into getting better shocks and sprockets.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
alex sandy
a Downhiller
from scranton, pa, usa Date Reviewed: July 27, 2000
Favorite Trail:
anything that goes down
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
it's cheap,performs well,good looking
Weaknesses:
generic bars and stem and the shifters and levers could be better.
Similar Products Used:
this is my first full suspension bike.
Bike Setup:
stock except for a new fork,manitou x-vert t, and shorter stem
Bottom Line:
it's a good bike for the money, the only problem I have with it is that the back rim is a little bent so the brakes are far away from the rim.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeff
a
from Raleigh,NC Date Reviewed: May 3, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Scott's, Goldston's, New Light
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Price value. I looked at a lot of much higher priced bikes w/lesser quality components for a lot more money.
Weaknesses:
Brakes are a little cheap, but some heavier pads should do the trick. Clipless pedals are a needed upgrade for the serious rider.
Similar Products Used:
Tested Specialized Rockhopper FSR.
Bike Setup:
Stock. Will add clipless pedals in the near future
Bottom Line:
Great first full suspension bike to get into, especially for the price. It has just about all the components I need except the pedals. Great for climbing in the Carolina clay and sucking up the bumps.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jimmy
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh,NC,USA Date Reviewed: April 28, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Rocky Road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Excellent package for the price for anyone who would like to upgrade to full suspension.My bike was purchased for $600 as a '99 closeout. I have had this bike for almost one month, and have pounded this bike to death on extremely rough terrain, and it handles everything you throw at it.This bike has very little bob or pogo action, even though I weigh 180 lbs.
Weaknesses:
Weight approx. 31 lbs. for 20",which seems high,but is comparable to the VRX,GT, and some of the other higher priced bikes it was compared to.The Manitou Syder fork is great, but I'm sure I will eventually need to upgrade to stiffer rebuild when needed.
Similar Products Used:
tested VRX 300, GT XRC4000
Bike Setup:
stock-except xt pedals, cut the handle bar down for trail riding.
Bottom Line:
My situation demanded a low price with the most bike for the money. This bike is made to order for anyone in this category. Sure you can probably find better overall bikes, but you will pay over $1000 for anything equal in quality to this bike. I intend to ride the bike until it wears out and then upgrade in a few years anyway, just like most people. The trails I ride are full of weekend warriors riding $2000-3000 dollar bikes, they only see my back tire.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Thad Engar
a Weekend Warrior
from Salt Lake City Utah USA Date Reviewed: January 28, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Gooseberry Mesa
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
This bike had a good component group for the money. I liked the Manatou spyder. It was extremely low maintence and preformed well.
Weaknesses:
The unified rear triangle. When climbing, or braking, out of the saddle the rear tire would not get any traction. The seat clamp was cheap and had to be tightend almost every time I rode. The Rock Shox Deluxe was cheap and loud.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Rockhopper fsr.
Bike Setup:
Everything was stock. I added some Nashbar clipless pedals.
Bottom Line:
This was a good beginner bike but I am much happier with my Rockhopper. It is lighter,and gets alot better traction, especially when climbing. It was a good bike for the money (750) but there was so much I wanted to replace it nulified the value of the bike. I got much better components with the rockhopper at the same price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Downhiller
from Bremerton WA, Date Reviewed: August 8, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Green Mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
For the components, the Price!! Very Strong bike, fairly light. well balanced.
Weaknesses:
Shifters and Brake levers could be better.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized FSR Comp. Trek Y3. Connandale Super V 500,700. Giant Warp DS1. Pacific YX 2500.
Bike Setup:
Stock, except Put clipless pedals on it, and a shorter stem.
Bottom Line:
The bike is the best looking bike out there(in my opinion), I do get a lot of complements on the bike. The components are good and strong on a well balanced bike for the downhill. All full suspension bikes made like this one will feel a little loose in the rear and will also bob up and down as you power up a hill(unless you have a lockout rear shock). The price of this bike is great!! thanks to the fact that Raleigh bikes are such a huge company. This bike is hundreds even a thousand or more less than the other bikes I tried over the months. It is the absolutely best bike for your hard earned money, that is why I will stick with this bike for a good long while.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester, NY Date Reviewed: April 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
Tight front end, strong rear end. Great handling bike
Weaknesses:
Price, I think I bought the wrong size
Similar Products Used:
Lotus, Trek, GT
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
Its a little more than I wished to spend but I think I got a good bike for it. Great all-around bike. Very comfortable and the handling is above average.
Overall Rating:
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