Strengths: Good recreational bike for money. Disk breaks work well. Full suspension is easy on the back.
Weaknesses: Frame. The frame just above the bottom weld for the shock snapped in half. I’ve been riding the bike nearly everyday for the past 3 years (about 50/50 road/trail for a total of 14,000 miles).
Bottom Line:
Nice bike while it lasted. Just keep an eye on the frame for metal fatigue.
Bike Setup: Xt Rear derailleur lx front, Fox float r rear, stock fork, Easton Ea 70 xc monkey lite, Cannondale Stem, Egg beaters, to much junk to list
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Racer
from Highlands Ranch, CO, USa
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2007
Strengths: Great for heavy down hill riding. Very stable over 60 mph down pikes peak. Its better than any bike I have ever used for the price. Great handling. Best Jumper for a four inch travel. Beast like
Weaknesses: Heavy, awful components, no disc brakes, Terrible rear shock and front shock
Bottom Line:
For the money you can buy a lighter bike that cant take the abuse i put this bike through. I would buy the 2005 model simply because the paint didnt chip like my friends 06 model. The bike should have Upgraded parts. BUY THIS BIKE
Strengths: This review is for the 2005 model: http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=11&itemid=213
Great value, shock combination works really well, no lockouts but there is no pedal bob (platform shock) so I wouldn't bother using them anyways. Comes with some pretty good components. Rides like a much more expensive bike. Same basic frame geometry as a Trek Fuel Ex.
Weaknesses: No disc brakes initially but they are pretty cheap to add on.
Bottom Line:
BUY THIS BIKE IF: you are buying your 1st full susp. and have a budget, some other bikes in the same price range or even up to $1,500 will dissapoint. If you want a good value and great performance.
This bike simply cannot be beat for the money. If you can find a 2005 (best shock setup) then buy it by all means. I test rode several full susp. bikes before I bought this one and it performs better than most bikes at even twice its cost. It rode very similar to a Fuel EX7 i rode (same geometry so it makes sense that it would perform similarly) which says a lot since that bike retails @ $1900.
Bike Setup: Black Elite 100, Radium R, Shimano Mech. Disc Brakes and a Salsa chainring guard (44t)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Don Alexander
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2006
Strengths: I bought this new from a dealer that sells on Ebay, it is the 2005 model. The bike is a good value for mid level components. Bike rides lighter than the 31 pounds that it actually is. The travel on both the fork and shock is smooth and fairly responsive for mid to low end products. The Manitou Radium rear is simple in design but works quite well and is pretty much fuss free. The Weirwolf tires are a nice addition to the mid level components and really hook up well it the rocky Central Texas terrain.
Weaknesses: A little on the heavy side. The Black Elites plastic rebound dial on the bottom of the right leg seems weak and vulnerable. It currently is very loose and seems that vibration from simply riding the bike would chang it's postion / setting. This may not matter much as turning it 100% in either direction seems to have little effect on the rebound rate anyways.... it could have shipped broken. My freinds Black air has the same adjuster but it seems to be have more friction when turning it. The scew that holds it on is tight but it still flails around and overall reaks of cheapness, i don't expect it to last long. The grips are offer no absorbsion properties whatsoever and should be changed out before your first ride.
Bottom Line:
For $560 i think the bike was a steal. It really is a pleasure to ride in all conditions. The suspension (while obviously made with plastic to reduce costs) works amazingly well from tiny to big hits. I took this bike yesterday for a grooling 16 mile on one of Austin's most technical trails (The Good Water Trail on Lake Georgetown), and it soaked up all the rocks, off cambers and climbed well up it's many switchbacks. By mile 12 i was beginning to feel the weight but this really is a freeride bike and not an XC (why is it listed here under XC full suspension?). The bike only retails for $880 which i think even at this amount is a very good value if you price other bikes in it's range. I don't think it was as good of a deal as the South American Voxer that i bought on Ebay but it's close and with a few lighter components it could really blaze. So i'd like to update it in a month or two as i'm worried a bit about the quality of a few components, namely the fork.
Similar Products Used: Scwinn Rocket 88, Voxer Ascent, Fisher
Bike Setup: Pretty much stock, I changed out the Shimano pedals for some lighter Times that i had for spares.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Charles Cao
a Cross Country Rider
from Marietta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2006
Strengths: Great frame. Light yet strong. For a full suspension and for the price, the frame is great. Feels very together. Very solid feel
Weaknesses: Raleigh paint is reputed to chip easily, but I shot a clearcoat over it before I started assembly and have had no problems.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike frame only and have built it to my liking based on a compromise between durability, weight, and money. I must say, after having used two other full suspension bikes (giant warp and fuji discovery), this bike is just awesome. I tried to shave off weight by using some carbon parts and light rims, but i probably made the difference back with the Deore components. Either way, it is easily 5 pounds lighter than both the Giant and Fuji. The Giant weighed almost 39 pounds! I would say for a beginner to intermediate rider, this bike would be great. Also, the price has been pretty slashed down from when it first came out, and there are alot of places selling it for under $1000. The only complaint I have ever really heard is that Raleigh paints chip easily, so when i first bought it i put on a coat of clearcoat and off-road use wax made for Jeeps. So far, still looks terrific.
Favorite Trail: Soap Creek/Chattahoochee National Reserve
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: Ebay
Similar Products Used: Giant Warp DS3, Gary Fisher Tassajara, Fuji Discovery 1, Schwinn SX2000, Gary Fisher Mako, Trek 4100
Bike Setup: 20" frame, Deore derailleurs and shifters, Hayes MX-2 Disk Brakes, Avid AD-1.0L brake levers, Manitou Axel Elite, Sun DS-2 rims laced to Deore hubs, Panaracer Fire Pro tires, FSA K-force carbon bar, Ascent carbon seatpost
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lucas
a Weekend Warrior
from Durham, NC
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2005
Strengths: Frame and shocks are solid. Front and rear suspension move nicely together. Great bike for the price!! Entire setup is nice quality.
Weaknesses: No weaknesses found yet.
Bottom Line:
Great quality bike for a nice price! This is an amazing setup and I highly recommend anyone to do the same upgrade (mentioned in the "Bike Setup" section) if it's available . I paid $100 more for the RAM 4.0 components. The RAM 4.0 suspension was not as good (too soft and spongey). BOTTOM LINE: BUY IT!
Similar Products Used: 1998 GT Timberline hardtail. Tested many products prior to this purchase.
Bike Setup: Frame, front and rear suspension are RAM 3.0 setup. The entire rest of the bike is the RAM 4.0 components including wheels, hubs, derailer, crankset, pedals, handlebars, brakes, etc.-(everything except frame and suspension)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brandon Jagow
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2004
Strengths: Price! Disc brakes are awesome. The tires are freakin' huge and (so far) indestructable.
Weaknesses: I don't get much travel out of the fork, no matter how I adjust the preload. The stock pedals are cheap. The screws that hold the "bear-claw" on pull out easily and strip the threads. The inside is plastic and cracks easily; needs more durability. The bike is a little heavy, but I'm a little weak, so its probably good for me getting stronger.
Bottom Line:
Great bike! This is my first MTB since the one I had when I was 10. I am very happy with my choice. I don't plan on racing; I just like to go out and ride and this bike does the trick. If you have the extra cash, splurging for the 4.0 with hydraulic brakes might not be a bad idea, but this bike is just fine. If you are just getting into this activity, this bike is for you. Almost all sales people tried to stear me away from this bike, they said it was cheaply trying to be a hard-core MTB. Well, I'm glad the guys at Quality just told me to ride it and decide for myself.
Weaknesses: a little squeaky, brakes take a while to dial in, REAR SHOCK
Bottom Line:
Very nice setup. The fork takes a while to dial in to your size (im 6'4 220 lbs), and the brakes take a while to break in, but once everything is adjusted as you like it, this is a crazy bike. climbs very well partly due to the fact that the rear shock doesnt do much and its very hard to find a shock that will fit the space (6 1/2 inches) alloted. If you can get ANY other shock get it FAST. otherwise the bike is very nice, and can tear up most anything I throw at it.
if youre over 5'10" definately get the large frame, i barely fit.
Strengths: Great starting bike. Overall setup functions well together. Disc brakes are awesome and components aren't bottom line. It has 4.5 inches of travel which I have used all of before. Best deal for the buck, but it will give you a great idea of what you want (or should I say you don't want) in your second bike that you'll buy 8 months later if you are a rider like me and have a bigger pocket book or good credit.
Weaknesses: Rear shock is crap... Used it for 2 weeks and it started to make noises. After 6 months its the equivalent of riding on a pogo stick! Finally got Raleigh to send me a new rear shock. They sent me an InSync p.o.s. Also, from the beginning the rear bushings were loose and now seem worse. I'm going to change out the rear shock for the piecer, but I am already putting together the build specs for the new bike.
Bottom Line:
First off, I'd like to say that I'm not exactly the weekend warrior. I'm the weekday warrior and weekend extremest. Its all about going faster and harder. The bottom line is that this bike has been really good to me considering where it has gone. I have taken it through Moab and it has lasted all summer long on back woods trails. I've also been up doing some downhill at mount hood's ski bowl and nothing seems to slow it up although you'll know I'm coming from a hundred yards away due to the amount of noise it makes. Just go faster and you don't notice it =)
It has the ability to do some drops as I found out in Moab. Simple beginer stuff like 5 footers and wheely drops. Fast in the corners and pretty agile and weighs in at about 33-34 lbs (I think???)
I'm not going to get rid of this when I buy the new one. I don't know if its because I would like to still have a campus bike for college or if it's that I'd feel bad selling it to someone for money. Most likely I'll keep it on hand as a secondary bike for my friends who fantisize about full suspension while riding the hardtails.
Strengths: For a stock bike everything works flawlessly. Well put together value package of moderate goodies. Good all around bike for the money, provided your not looking for an instant racer.
Weaknesses: A little on the heavy side. Clear coat paint would be nice.
Bottom Line:
I have used the bike for a month now. Everything has worked as advertised. The jury is still out on the Judy XC fork. As my riding becomes more aggressive I am afraid that a stronger set up may be needed. The Shimano discs have worked flawlessly, stop great, very little noise. The rear suspension works just right for my style of riding, 4" of travel seems to give me the best balance between the downhill bumps and trying to reach the the top on my climbs. I definitely would recommend this bike to anyone looking for full suspension that works well, and is not intending to go racing right away. Best of all, you don't have to mortgage your house to ride it out of the bike shop!
hi all, first post. same story as a lot of people, been looking for a first bike. i went to the lbs and found a raleigh RAM 3.0 2005 for $699. id like to get a fs bike because my b Read More »
I just finished building this bike for Cross Country. It has either a 3" setting or a 4" travel setting. Which eyelet is used for each? The shock is now in the front or closest to Read More »
