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Submitted by
Karen
a Weekend Warrior
from Havertown PA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
switchback in Jim Thorpe | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
An amazing value for the first time bike buyer! Raleigh is to be commended for making an American product that beats the pants of others in value! | | Bike Setup: |
The bike was fully loaded...Deore LX components, nitrox italia saddle, ESP O/S 9.0 braking, ATI grips, Indy SL Rock Shox... quite pleasing! | | Bottom Line: | The best for a first time buy! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sasquatch
a Cross-Country Rider
from tuskegee, AL
Date Reviewed: May 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
stony creek, PA | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
feels nice and tight | | Weaknesses: |
customer service | | Similar Products Used: |
raleigh 700
gt karakoram | | Bike Setup: |
Manitou + lots of upgrades | | Bottom Line: | I first picked up a Raleigh 700(?) about six years ago, and wore it out for around two years. One day the underside of the joint between the bottom tube and the head tube cracked, so I believed it was time for a replacement, as had happened to many friends. To my surprise, they did not want to replace the frame, saying sine it was ridden off road it was out of warranty. After haggling for sometime, I got a replacement, M800 with a cash payment, and the noticed that all the new frames had an added reinforcement in the area that broke?!?!
I love the feel of the M800, aluminum, light and stiff. After several upgrades, it is a sweet ride, though a wee cramped for my size. I have now been hammering this frame for the past 4 years, and it has taken the abuse I ask of it. I really enjoy the bike, but the service reps can @*#?! *#@ !! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a cross-country rider
from Long Island NY,
Date Reviewed: September 13, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I am a 14 year old cross country rider who worked all summer to earn $700 for a '97 GT LTS 3. I went on vacation with my uncle and tried out his M-800, It wasn't an LTS but it was a sweet bike. I loved the weight and the mag21 fork was ok. Unfortunately I flipped over a pot hole and broke my collar bone so I can't ride my brand new GT. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a weekend warrior
from
Date Reviewed: June 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is quite simply the sweetest bike out there for under $1000. With LX components, and a 7005 Alum frame, you can't beat it. I've got a mag21 fork on it right now, which definitely needs to be replaced, but it still rides like a beaut. The light, strong frame climbs like no other bike i've ridden. This bike kicks! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Sweeney
a cross-country rider
from Girdwood, Alaska
Date Reviewed: May 4, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Have had my Raleigh for a month so far, and I love it. After looking through this site and others I narrowed my search down to this bike, the Cannondale f500 and the Klien Pulse.
I went with the Raleigh because of the overall value here. American-made, LX group which I paid $730 for. I do agree that the extra height of the bottom bracket gives a different fell then other bikes, but at the same time it increases your ground clearance. Stumps and rocks that use to make me cringe are feared no more. I am also 6'6, and to me the bike is more comfortable then others.
If you are looking for a bike in the $700-800 price range (which you can talk a dealer into letting this one go for, heck if i can do it in Alaska, you guys in the lower 48 should have no problem) I would highly recommend this bike. I can't find any other bike with this solid 7005 aliuminum frame and component group for under $1,000.
Forget about impressing your friends with a popular name, and buy this bike.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken Johnson
a cross-country rider
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: December 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
First, let me start by saying that I got the sweetest deal imaginable on this bike. Through a dealer who is friends with my brother, I paid only $650 for my '97 LX/XT, Indy SL, LX V-Brake equipped M-800! For that price I give the bike 15 chillies. I rode a rigid fork Specialized Rock-Hopper for years and loved it (even though I beat the shit out of it keeping up with my friends who had suspension.) But as my riding got better and more aggressive, I wanted suspension and some decent components. The M800 is a great bike. The 7005 butted aluminum frame has some handsome welds and is stiff where you need it to be as well as offering a spacious rider compartment. I have changed the stem to a much shorter Kore, and it has improved handling---the bike's center of gravity is a bit high and a little akward to control in corners (my biggest complaint after 8 months of riding). The stock Mavic 221's are good, but my rear wheel is always out of true and I've dented it in two places. I'm looking into some nice hand-built wheels currently.Overall, I absolutely love the bike and would recommend it to anyone looking for a bomber bike with sweet components and a solid ride. It may not be as popular as Trek or Gary Fisher, but with the money you save on the name, get an awesome component package. And what the hell, if you get good enough on this bike, you can always upgrade to a full sus. frame and keep the components! 4 & 1/2 chilies | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeremy Martin
a cross-country rider
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: April 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This my first reasonably light bike. I expected to pay at least $1400 for an aluminum hardtail with decent components and a less-than-entry level fork.
For $1050, I get this all Shimano LX + and XT rear mech, aluminum lightweight, with an Indy SL shock. I ditched the LX rapidfires for GS X-rays and replaced the WellGo pedals with Shimano 636's. Somehow, with heavy pedals and bottle cages, the bike sits on the scale at 25.25 pounds!
Everything's solid as a rock, except the machine-built rear wheel, which requires near monthly truing. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
L.J. Williamson
a weekend warrior
from Jamaica Plain, MA USA
Date Reviewed: November 21, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
First, I can't believe that Stanton and me are the only mtb-ers who took advantage of this sweet deal! After selling my old Diamondback to get a tougher bike, I really shopped the market, too. I was actually set on the '97 Hoo Koo E Koo - until a dealer ran the M-800 by me while I was comparing prices on the Gary Fisher.The frame, tires, suspension, and components blow away the HKEK - and just about anything else under $1100. With a 7005 double-butted aluminum frame (sweet welds, too; can't believe one cracked), Shimano Deore LX drivetrain & hubs, IG chain, STX RC brakes w/Diacompe levers, Grip Shift 600 (24 speed), Mavic 238 wheels, and Rock Shox Mag 21s you can't beat it at -- how much? This bike retails around $899 (at least $200 less than anything in its class), but you could find it cheaper. My dealer (who also sells Gary Fisher), brought the tag down to $729 - same thing another dealer was asking for the '97 HKEK.So Raleigh isn't trendy in the US right now - I'd rather be riding on a solid, light mountain bike than a trendy name.I haven't noticed any negatives with the crank height or center of gravity. And it is LIGHT! The only upgrade purchase I'll make off the bat is a travel extension kit for the Mag 21s, which tend to be a little plush. Other than that, HAPPY TRAILS! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stanton Kramer
a weekend warrior
from Illinois, USA
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I need to update my previous review of the M800 that was posted on June 18th.
With another 1/2 season on the bike there are some things that are now obvious
to me that I wasn't aware of before.
The M800 geometry is a little different than most of the alumuimum bikes on the
market. The bottom bracket sits a little higher than most of the other frames that
I have since tried. Though this adds about 3/4 extra ground clearance at the
bottom bracket, this pushes everything up, not only creating a higher center of
gravity, but changes the way one's body weight is distributed between the pedals,
seat and bars. In my case, this caused too much weight to go to my hands. I had
to get a stem with a 25 degree rise to compensate for this.
Once balanced out (with an appropriate stem), the bike handled pretty well, but
(compared to other bikes I've since ridden) the higher center of gravity made
it seem like balancing on a teeter totter. Making the bike track straight
at very slow speeds was difficult. The higher center of gravity also made it
quite a challenge to climb steeper hills.
I'm sorry to have to report that my frame cracked at the weld on the seat tube
where it meets the top tube. Though ridden hard, this bike was not abused.
The good news: The componentry on the bike was high enough that I could simply
buy a new frameset and just change everything over. I did elect to put a better
bottom bracket in my new frame (Litespeed Obed), than the Raleigh supplied UN51.
The LX rear derailler works fine as do the LX/Mavic wheels. Considering the cost
of replacing the wheels, Mag 21 forks, brakes, head set and other components,
the bike is still a good value, because the parts, ala carte, would have cost me
more than the complete bike did anyway.
Because of all that I stated, I have to downgrade my previous rating to 3 stars. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stanton Kramer
a weekend warrior
from IL, USA
Date Reviewed: June 18, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
As a first time MTB buyer I wanted a good bike to start out on. A friend of
mine who races in the expert category turned me on to the M800. It has an aluminum
frame, Mag 21 shocks and a mix of LX/STXrc components.
For about $900 an aluminum frame with LX is almost unheard of! I really shopped the
market, but everything else with similar frame/component groups were in the $1100-
$1200 range.
The M800 is a solid riding bike. It is extremely light weight for its price point.
I'm planning on changing to light weight tubes and tires which should shed another
half pound and put it in the sub 25 pound range.
The Mag 21's, though an older design
seem to work well for this newbie MTB'r. As a new rider, I don't tend to thrash my
bike yet, so all I've had to do is occasionally pump up the shocks with air. I know
that the Judy's and Mach5's will be more plush than the Mag21's, but I like them
better than the Quads, which seem like pogo sticks to me.
The STXrc brakes are solid stoppers, and though they don't have the power of
v-brakes, they do the job, especially when set up properly. The STXrc front
derailleur works flawlessly. The rear LX derailleur works fine with the Gripshift
600 shifters...especially now that I've added an Avid Rollamajig.
For people with limited funds this is an excellent value. I think Raleigh puts
their money in their bikes, not in their advertising. | | Overall Rating: |
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