Submitted by
senbluto
a Cross Country Rider
from West Bloomfield, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2011
Strengths: Durable, feels solid, really a rock-solid off-road ride.
Weaknesses: Heavy!
Bottom Line:
A very reliable bike for a damn decent price. The Judy forks leave a lot to be desired, but what can one expect for $500? The Shimano components have yet to fail me, which is an impressive statement (IMHO) for their low-end stuff.
Submitted by
Vociferous
a Cross Country Rider
from Stoneham, MA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2010
Strengths: Stable feel, durable frame, good front shock.
Weaknesses: Shifters go out of adjustment frequently
Bottom Line:
I have been riding Raleigh since 1981, so after I read a favorable review in Bicycling.com for the 2000 model, I grabbed a 2001 model in 2002. The bike has never let me down, although I rarely ride on trails. I mostly do agressive street riding; jumping curbs, carrying heavy loads, riding in extreme weather and on bad roads.
The suspension seatpost and Manitou Magnum forks are more than a match for any hard road, light trail riding I might do. This is the first mountain bike I have ever owned, so I was not aware that it was considered heavy by some. I intend to upgrade the forks to Manitou Drake 100mm and the crank and bottom bracket to Stronglight X1.
Bike Setup: Stock, except for Terry Gel saddle, Suntour Bearpaw pedals and Forte Terramax rear wheel.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
TNT AK
a Cross Country Rider
from Anchorage AK USA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2010
Strengths: Rugged, lasting components. Great commuter bearing loads on the tail. Summer fun trail duster for the adventurous.
Weaknesses: Steal is heavy.
Bottom Line:
Solid composition of inspired engineering. This machine has matched a demand for flexibility in terrain and returned no complaints. Since 1996 only the trails end has hampered forward momentum. Miles of joy!
Bike Setup: Stock, less the Weinmann front rim, spoke, hub combo replaced today in lieu of spoke change out. The 559 was replaced by 515 a with slightly lighter duty hub.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
codybean
a Cross Country Rider
from seattle wa. USA
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2010
Strengths: value, wheels
Weaknesses: seat post
Bottom Line:
Bought it in 1998, and have put many miles on it. Mostly on pavement , but a couple DH rides. The Parana Pro wheels are still in good shape, which is amazing. The Rock Shock front is pretty trashed at this point. Overall a good value.
Strengths: Very solid bike, no breaks, no problems. Sturdy as a tank.
Weaknesses: After 4 years the front fork is starting to get squishy.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike in early 2005 and it has performed flawlessly since, the bike weighs 32 lbs stock and can be less with new upgrades. I was T-boned twice while living in Hawaii in 2006 by cars (in the crosswalk) and the frame never cracked, did some damage to the rims and pedals though and had to be replaced. I've ridden cross country and trail in Hawaii, Okinawa and Guam and have taken some HARD falls and the bike NEVER falters. I'm not a pro but I have ridden some higher end hardtails and full suspensions and I'll stay with this bike because I have full confidence in it. I clean the bike and lube all componentss after every ride (2-3 times a week) and it stills shifts like new. Recently I was going to upgrade to a newer bike but after some serious thought changed my mind, the new bikes are lighter but not significantly so, with a few upgrades I can shed some weight from this bike. I will be upgrading the front fork and handlebars soon and probably the chain and gears in the next year due to prolonged wear plus getting some rust due to island living and constant salt air that gets into everything. I just had the internals overhauled and the mechanic was amazed that all components were in great condition.I was a new rider when I bought the bike and have advanced significantly since, I'm sure it's not the right bike for everyone but I've been happy with it and will continue to ride it until it falls apart.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rock Hopper and Giant XTC
Bike Setup: Stock except the addition of Shimano DX platform clip pedals and tire change outs for different rides and new rims and pedals after getting hit by cars (in the crosswalk).
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kirk
a Cross Country Rider
from Tulsa, OK
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2007
Strengths: Good value. Descent components for the price. Love the tires!Solid built frame.Disc brakes.
Weaknesses: A little on the heavy side.Will outgrow if you ride regularly.
Bottom Line:
This is a review for the 2004 model. It was my second mountain bike owned and I loved everything about it except for the weight. When I first started riding it didn't bother me but as I started doing some racing and long-distance cycling it came time to upgrade. I tested this bike on all sorts of environments and held up well and is still in great condition.
Submitted by
Erik
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2007
Strengths: Value, you get some pretty good components for a good price. It is also a nice looking bike.
Weaknesses: People say it is heavy but I don't think it is too bad. The fork and the front derailleur are pretty crappy.
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike for the beginner. I have rode the crap out of mine, taking it places I don't think it was ever designed to go. I just upgraded the fork to a Rock Shox Recon 351 and the bike is so much better. Before the fork upgrade it was starting to slow me down but now it will last me a while longer. I also upgraded the front derailleur because I had problems with that from the get go. My seat post had to be changed out this spring too. Other than that this bike has taken a lot of abuse. I would recommend it to anyone.
Similar Products Used: Taken short rides on various other bikes but this is the one I have ridden the most.
Bike Setup: All stock except for Rock Shox Recon 351 U-turn fork, XTR front derailleur, clipless peddles, and avid bb7 185mm front brake.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
M R
a Weekend Warrior
from B, VT, USA
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2007
Strengths: Rides beautifully - never breaks down - always reliable. If color is your thing - the black paint everywhere is very appealing.
Weaknesses: I will admit this bike is heavy. Definitely not fun on long hills.
Bottom Line:
These people who are so technical have got to be kidding me. This bike works great in all areas...whether going to the store for milk, a weekend race, commuting...whatever. The Manitou shock is awesome...it springs...isn't that the point. One of the most comfortable bikes I have ever had and is one of those I will keep until I depart the earth. I love this bike...no issues at all other than the weight. Tires, components etc etc. are great. What any bike really comes down to are the legs and lungs of those who sit upon them. I have done downhill, cross country racing and hill climbs on it and have done mediocre...but it isn't the bikes fault. I have done no maintenance whatsoever to it other than keep it clean and the occasional dose of lube to the chain. Great bike...highly recommended.
Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007
Strengths: Nice geometry, wide handlebars, nice shocks, good Hayes mechanical disc brakes, excellent Weirwolf tires, Shimano Dura-ace components.
Weaknesses: Weak pedals. The Manitou shocks probably wouldn't stand up to the type of use a racer would put on it. Usually, new, I guess the bike would cost somewhere between $500 and $600.
Bottom Line:
I'm someone what would probably have been happy with a Specialized Hard Rock Sport (about $350). I'm thrilled to death with this M80. If you're a beginner or intermediate cross country rider, the wheels, tires, shocks and disk brakes ought to be enough to spoil you.
Similar Products Used: I tested Trek 4500 and a Specialized Hard Rock Sport.
Bike Setup: Stock except for toeclips.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
saintowner
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Fun (Collins) Colorado
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2007
Strengths: Strong frame. Beautiful colors. My '06 is like a misty light blue/silver that is awesome. Semi Integrated headset. I'm sure the OE bits are less then stellar so I purchased the "frame only" online.
Weaknesses: Nothin' I can think of. Maybe whatever OE components came on the complete bike from factory?
Bottom Line:
These frames are sweet. Nice welds, great graphics, amazing paint. Strong enough for light DJ and can handle a beefy All Mountain build like mine forever. Bike rides perfect with a 130mm fork. Component spec from factory is really nothing specail but you could sell that junk on Ebay and build a beautiful bike yourself. I've had Raliegh frames/bikes for years only broke one while wheelie droping into a cave. My fault really. Never wheelie drop into a cave with no seatpost in frame. You may lose control and frame may crash along cave walls braking your weld on seattube just under seat collar only because you did not have your seatpost in your frame. Uh...I mean....I was just riding along and the thing broke...ha...
Bike is good! Frame is Better! Ride the bike until stuff falls off then throw some quality bits on and ride happy!
Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from Greensboro, N.C USA
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
Strengths: Components for the price, brakes are great for being mechanical, WTB Wierwolf tires are GREAT for being stock
Weaknesses: FORK is terrible this fork could literally be sold on a mongoose at wal-mart without a second thought, the original oil in the fork lasted 6 months before going bad which left me in the land of rigid because the fork totally locked up, Shimano LX rear derailluer is not a good choice, it is fast to get out of adjustment, stock seat is litterally hard as rock
Bottom Line:
I am writing this review as a follow up from my other review written 6 months ago,I bought this bike as my first mountain bike and now I have matured into a hard core rider and this bike just can't handle what I want to do these days, this bike really isnt bad for my local trails which are made up of some technical singletrack, however I am riding in the mountains a lot more now and this bike litterally wants to shake out of my hands on the downhills, the fork only travels about half of its full potential, the geometry is kind of funny it sits you up front leaving me with a lot of neck pain because I am hunched over the handlebars, this is one of those bikes that seems to be unbreakable which is a plus, Please don't get me wrong even though this review sounds all negative this is a great bike for a beginner it is very stable and tough, however now I am riding with the full suspension crowd on some knarly downhills where I have to stop when I know I could take that next drop if I had some suspension, The bottom line is that I have grown out of this bike and I am frustrated with the terrible rough ride asscociated with hardtails and the fact that the fork doesnt help at all, I will give this bike a 4 out of 5 in value because it does boast some impressive components for a bike in its price range, and I will give this bike a 3 out of 5 on overall because of the aweful fork and the fact that it just won't hold up over time to the hits I am taking, I raved about this bike when I first got it but now that I am ready to tackle the hard core stuff this bike is limiting me.
Similar Products Used: Giant Yukon, I havnt really riden any really similar products because I am going to make a change to full suspension in the near future
Bike Setup: 2005 raleigh m80 hayes mechanical disks, Sram X.9 shifters and rear derrailuer, Cane Creek Thudbuster, Crank Brothers Stainless eggbeaters, specialized bg seat, specialized frame wrap for annoying chain hits
Strengths: Mostly good solid parts. Smooth shifts. Great tires. Brakes work great when dry.
Weaknesses: The fork is hardly better than kmart. Shimano hubs can't take alot of use. This bike weighs alot, my large is 35lbs. The seat made me cry. Plastic pedals, seriously.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike thinking I could avoid spending alot more on the other bikes I tried. It is a really solid bike with decent parts, better than on the Hardrock for a similar price. But this bike is just not fun to ride, it weighs alot and the always sucked, maybe the geometry too. I thought this feeling would go away, but it never did. Now the hubs are shot and I wish I got the 6700.
Weaknesses: comes with junky seat and heavy post, and my crankset cracked after one year
Bottom Line:
possibly the most bang for the buck out there. Not race quality, but perfect for the guy that wants to get a good bike with nice components for as little as possible. I bought this bike to use as a cabin bike, as I wouldnt need another bike for home or racing, and it is great. It handles almost anything you can give it, ive even taken the thing off some 7-10 foot drops and not hurt it a bit. its a wonderful bike also for commuting, if a straight fork is used and different tires are also used. Overall a great buy for someone looking for a high quality recreational ride
