Submitted by
Armon Hosseini
a Cross Country Rider
from Alpharetta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2002
Strengths: Great Bike. Nice geometry. nice components. nice price. Will inspire confidence in any downhill situation.
Weaknesses: well, she isnt the best climber, but that could just be me making excuses..The disc brakes got recalled..The suspension seat bugged me..
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks..It has made me a much better rider.. Great front suspension downhill bike..Great value...Maybe you like the seatpost- I didn't..but thats up to you...The brakes got recalled, but your lbs will swap them out for you...I dont like wellgo clipless- too many accidental releases..I rode her for almost two years(beating the sheet out of her) and have now retired her for my new Bonty, but she is an amazing ride that is perfect for the seriously dedicated rider be it beginner or advanced... Raleigh's are built tough..
Similar Products Used: Shwinn Moab, Bontrager Racelight
Bike Setup: mostly stock..switched the seatpost for raceface prodigy..switched the handlebar/barends to titec..got promax disk brakes after recall.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
John Murphy
a Weekend Warrior
from Hyannis Ma 02632
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2002
Strengths: Just generally like the bike althought the shift mechanisms are for me at least located in an awkward spot
Weaknesses: Bolt holding seat on snapped at about 15-18 mph and I got dumped with resultant injury. Anyone out there with any similar experiences?
Bottom Line:
I am very concerned at thios apparent latent defect and wondr if it is an isolated incident. Other than that I have liked riding this bike on the by-way sof Cape Cod
Strengths: The price rocks. It was so cheap, I upgraded the s!@# out of it. Solid frame.
Weaknesses: The discs brakes SUCK!!! Had them changed twice and the still SUCK. The suspension seatpost is annoying(has to much float and squeeks). Would like to have seen a better stem and bars. A bit heavy. Did I mention the spec'd discs SUCKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
Bottom Line:
The best bang for the buck, unless you visit Bangkok (J/K).. A nice stiff, and sturdy frame (I've crashed enough times to attest to this)from which upgrades can be done, still keeping the price under competitor equivalents. If you swap out the brakes, either upgrade with better discs or change to V-brakes (I'm thinking of going XTR myself, with XTR-Mavic wheelset), you'll be alot happier. I own a 1998 Trek 9900(XTR everything) and a 2001 Ellsworth Truth(even better stuff than the 9900) as well, and yet ride the Raleigh more. Of course one reason is that there is NO WAY IN HELL, I'm locking up the Truth, even for 1 minute in Chicago. Bottom line,"A great entry level bike that is reliable, just get rid of those Spiral Stop disc brakes".
Bike Setup: XT Everything, minus hubs. Cheapy seatpost(dumped the suspension post). Time ATAC pedals and switched tires to Panaracer FireXC Pro. Easton EA70 stem and CT2 flatbar. Everything else was spec'd.
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Submitted by
Kris
a Cross Country Rider
from West Chester
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2001
Strengths: Price vs. value. I read a million of these reviews before purchasing this bike. Every one talks about the great value, and for good reason. This bike is priced unbeleivably for what you get. Especially now that it is almost 2 years old. The draw back to this is that it is really hard to find. I spent a good long while finding a new one that fit me (22" frame- I am 6'4"), but it was definitely worth it. The recalled spiral stop brakes were changed out to some promaxes. They work great, as does the judy, and deore lx components. Frame is pretty cool, and has a lifetime warranty. All this is hard to beat for under 700 bucks.
Weaknesses: Tough to find new at this point. Also, I bent the bauls out of the rear rim, and it just never really trued up right. This was my fault, as I am 6'4" 210 and I dropped onto a 3/4 buried cinder block at a construction site pretty hard. This is a shame because the rims are pretty cool, and I dont know where to get another one. Other than that, I have had no problems with this bike.
Bottom Line:
I got exactly what I expected: a great bike for a great price. If you can find one (the 2000 model), the value can't be beat for a bike under ...dare I say 1000 (ok, maybe 800) bucks. The 2001 is not as nice, no discs, lame colors, and more expensive.
Submitted by
Mike Golebiewski
a Cross Country Rider
from Bothell, WA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001
Strengths: Bang for the buck. Overall solid package.
Weaknesses: Seatpost. All it does is squeak and bottom out, at least at my weight.
Bottom Line:
There are no weak components on the bike, other than the seatpost which is a preference thing. The bike, is solid around unlike others in this proce range. Normally in this range there are some really good components, and some crap to offset the cose. However, not on this bike.
I have ridden this bike hard. And I am not easy on a bike weighing at this point a little under 200. On average I have been on it 2x a week covering a wide variety of conditions. To date I have had three problems with it.
1) Bent middle chain ring, I hit a log, I think, not the bikes fault 2) To long of cables, which was a shop problem and was resolved. 3) Bent hanger for the rear derailuer. That happens when you wreck. However, it was hard to get the shifting clean once straightned, but is now good as new.
I am started to see loss of power in the brakes after a while. I called promax and got some setup instructions and the front is as good as new. Looks like the back needs new pads, although if it is a real problem I will post back.
AN UPDATE TO THE PREVIOUS ENTRY>>>>. THERE ARE A FEW DEFECTS WITH THE 2000 M600.... THE STORE OFFERED ME MY MONEY BACK AND I UPGRADED TO THE 2001 M800..... BIG UPGRAGE WITH COMPONENTS......
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Hopewell, VA
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2001
Strengths: Pretty solid frame and components
Weaknesses: The tires, and the cable brakes
Bottom Line:
I really like the bike although it is heavier than a few of the other bike makers. The cable brakes sucked, so I called Raleigh and they told me about a warranty upgrade to Julies for a $100... The company is really kewl, I would recommend them to everyone. On the other hand, AGEE's BICYCLE in Richmond,VA blows.... They have a few good mechanics but for the most part they suck. If you must work with them, go to the W. Broad St. store and ask for Jay (the manager), the other managers at the other stores are dix. (DAVE AND BILL) The owner, Bill, hates to sell things at a great price once I bought my bike, they completely forgot what customer satisfaction is all about....but that s a different story...
Bike Setup: Stock with upgrade to Magura Julies (brakes..)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Stan
a Weekend Warrior
from Erie , Pa
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2001
Strengths: Lightweight, gussetted frame. Deore crankset, LX rear derailer, Zero Stack Headset. Nice looking frame design. Raleigh gives more bang for the money.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
I paid full price for this bike. It is the 2001 model. Though I am new to mountain bikes, I checked out Schwinn, Giant, GT, Specialized, and Trek before making a decision. The Raleigh really does give you better components for the money, and the LightForce frame looks a tad "leaner and meaner" than anything the others had to offer. I love this bike! At 48, I'm gonna get back in shape just so I can really put this thing through the paces! Before deciding on anything else, check out the Raleigh bikes. I think you'll like what you find! Chilius Maximus for the Raleigh!!!
Similar Products Used: My faithful old Schwinn Traveler (Road Bike).
Bike Setup: LightForce frame,Rockshox Judy XC, Zero Stack headset, Deore front derailer, LX rear derailer, Koski Brake Lite brakes, Deore Rapid-Fire shift, Vuelta Vision Rims.
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Submitted by
Kurt
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2001
Strengths: Great price for the goodies u get on this bike
Weaknesses: tires are not the best
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the price, I could not upgrade my ol'trek for the price I paid for this bike. It rides great, nice and stiff and very predictable. I was lucky that my local bike store purchased a few of the 600's from another bike store and passed the savings to me! Everyone's review is right on the money, this bike is better than sliced bread!
If anyone out there is worried about any quality issues, I've bought Raleigh's before, one for my wife and one for my son and both bikes ride great too......
Bike Setup: veliraptors front and back, my trusty ol' time pedels
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Submitted by
James
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2000
Strengths: I got Spiral-Stop Disc brakes. They really are pretty sweet for non-Hydralic. The JudyXC is not quite as good as my 1997 T2 but OK so far.
Weaknesses: The Tires are not the greatest when rideing anything other than perfect/springy but not clingy terain/ like the local park.
Bottom Line:
Good Value and respectably components for the Buck. I was dedicated to GT for a long time and still own one. But this was more than anyone else offered. $1099 for the Avalanche 1.0 the diference being about $150 in parts. Hell you could almost afford to buy this bike and if you don't like the frame buy another one and still come in under what some of the other bikes would cost. Buget and value riders who ar not gram counters are perfect for this bike.
Sure,I've changed several things on this bike,but the basic bike is great,the bike was cheap enough to be able to personalize it,I've not seen any bike with a perfect setup for me yet,The stinkin' dia-tech brakes were through away items,don't buy what they say in the brake reviews,if you manage to get them set up to stop good it will go away by the next ride,however,the Magura julies I replaced them with are tremendous,and cheap,the rockshox fork was ok,I just got a good deal on the z4 and I like it's firm feel better.Buy this ride if you like to setup your own bike and don't want to pay custom bike prices,and have a good local dealer,mine is a real great guy D May MCM #501
Submitted by
Leandro
a Weekend Warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2000
Strengths: Good price, quality components.
Weaknesses: Seatpost/seat is kinda annoying.
Bottom Line:
At $599 ($650 with CA tax), this is an incredible value. Even though the stem, bar, and seatpost are generic (the rest are name brands), they are ALL quality components. Mine came with the Promax disc instead of the Diatech, and it also came with the Vuelta Excalibur Freeride disc, instead of the Cross Country (the Freeride is a bit wider; EXCELLENT customer support from Vuelta USA).
Like many have said, similar speced bikes costs more. If you are on a budget, there is no doubt that you will get your money's worth (if not more) with this one.
Similar Products Used: Univega Alpina 700, Trek 6500/7000
Bike Setup: Stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
shane r
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh NC USA
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2000
Strengths: You name it... Frame, components, ride quality.
Weaknesses: Doesn't clean itself
Bottom Line:
This bike simply kicks ass. I looke at Giant. Specialized, Cannondale...etc. If you want your moneys worth, and you want to not think about having to upgrade right out of the box then go with Raleigh. Love the Diatech disks. One thing most people dont do is READ THE MANUEL. A little attention to setup goes a long way with these mighty grippers. All my friends with rim brakes are whining about the squeal on muddy days, and the lock up on dry ones. Me...don't seem to have those problems.
Oh if you're in central NC, go visit cycle logic on Hilsborough street. They will treet you right!
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte NC USA
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2000
Strengths: Quality for the price, nothing comes close! Durability
Weaknesses: I have had to replace the middle chain gear and the chain. But with my weight and the way I ride (hard) seems normal.
Bottom Line:
Can't beat this deal. Don't belive all the hype you read in the magazines. You won't see a Raleigh anywhere in their reviews, I haved tried there "best buys under $1,000" and they don't compare to this deal. Look at the frame quality and the components and don't be pushed into buying a similar Gary Fisher for $1,000 dollars more. I'd rather ride a bike that the company doesn't spend millions of dollars trying to flaunt an image and in return saves me a few bucks.
Submitted by
Chris Denno
a Weekend Warrior
from St.Louis Missouri USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2000
Bottom Line:
after racing BMX for many years thought it was time to switch to the large wheel bike what an awsum choice this bike was handles anything i can dish out like major air or swooping downhills i`am very pleased with the way it handles great all around bike for anyone at a affordable price the guys at the shop were very informative i`m so pumped cant wait to blow away the comp so look out guys im comin at blazin speeds
