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Submitted by
GREG FREGOE
a Cross Country Rider
from ROCHESTER NEW YOUK
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | DENTON PA. | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | THE 8 INCH HADRAULIC BRAKES ARE SUPERB | | Weaknesses: | THE MINUTE ONE FORKS ARE VERY WIMPY...THEY KEPT LEAKING OIL OUT THE BOTTOM DUE TO A RIPPED O-RING. WHEN I REPLACED THE O-RING THAT I PURCHASED AT LOWES I NOTICE THAT THE THREAD HOLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CASTING HAD PART OF A THREAD STICKING OUT LIKE A KNIFE,SO I REMOVED THE LITTLE BUGGER AND REASSEMBLED WITH PLENTY OF O-RING LUBE .....NO MORE LEAKS. ALSO I PUT BELL RAY 7W OIL FROM MY LOCAL MOTORCYCLE SHOP AND THEY WORK 100 TIME BETTER.
WHEN I ALMOST BOTTOM OUT THE REAR SHOCK THE THE REAR SWING ARE HAMMERS THE SEAT TUBE ON THE FRAME... WTF | | Bottom Line: | THE FRAME IS TOUGH AS NAILS, THE 4 WAY SWINGER WORKS GOOD BUT I HAD TO UP THE SPRING TO A 550 FOR THE BIG JUMPS (I WEIGH 160lb's)THE BIKE REGISTERED 38LBS ON A CERTIFIED SCALE... OVERALL GREAT STARTING POINT!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James F
a Weekend Warrior
from Lansing, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Burchfield | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Versatile and strong frame. Pedals really well and takes drops very well. I like to do a little of everything with my bike, stunts, drops and some cross country. | | Weaknesses: | If you bend the rear der. hanger, then the new part is not a standard hanger, and you need a raleigh dealer (or contact raleigh). | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Stumpjumper. Haro Extreme. Giant AC1. | | Bike Setup: | 130mm adjustable fork up front. Manitou swinger in the back. Hayes discs. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for someone looking to do some freeriding, but still hit some trails. The frame itself could be set up as more of a freeride bike with the right fork or as a heavy duty cross country rig with the right fork. I have a history of beating pretty hard on frames, but this one has stood up to everything. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Lopez
a Downhiller
from Phoenix AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | any one I can find. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Completely sick! I can stand out of the saddle in a full sprint and the shocks don't even bob! The frame is rediculously light for a free ride frame. BAD @$$~! | | Weaknesses: | They stopped making them! Crappy.. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Session, giant DH team. | | Bike Setup: | Sherman breakout,swinger, atomlab, bla bla bla...
| | Bottom Line: | I contemplated to myself about buying the frame. first you see smaller then usual tubing and welds, fairly small bearings, Not a very burly looking frame for FR and DH. Quite the opposite! This frame makes oversized bearings and tubing seem pointless! I don't know how Raleigh did it, but this bike is really superior to most...And thats saying a lot considering Ralieghs reputation as an average run of the mill bike co. Its literally a do it all bike! Most Extreme freeride, DH bikes are rediculously big; too much bike for a lot of people considering height and weight of the rider. This bike is about as hard to ride as an All MTN / Trail bike, and handles just as well! I didn't think I could ride it for anything but FR or DH, but again I was wrong..This bike is in the goldylox zone. not hard to ride at all, yet beefy enough to handle about anything in its path.. I still really can't believe as I'm writing this right now, just how well this bike rides! You can literally stand out of the saddle in a dead sprint and not feel any bob! try doing that with some of the newer trail and freeride bikes! Beef it up, lighten it up, switch parts out, make it your oun.. You won't regret it. this thing get 5 chilis all the way. I built the bike from the ground up, but its really close to how it comes stalk. just a couple of things differient. Thats it folks! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Savage
a Weekend Warrior
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Kwohl Butte down to Lava Lk. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Frame only on Ebay | | Strengths: | Geometry, durability, versatility... | | Weaknesses: | None really. | | Similar Products Used: | Stinky's, AC's, VT's, RM7, Switch, Slayer... | | Bike Setup: | Sherman Flick Plus, Swinger 4way, Deore Hydro's with 8" rotors, Mavic F219 rims on C'dale 20mm front and XT rear hubs, WTB Weirwolf 2.5 or Timberwolf 2.5 up front and a Kenda Nevegal 2.3 Stick-E in back, Answer Protaper OS handlebar with ATAC 60mm stem, X-9 drivetrain with RF Evolve DH X-Type cranks, TIme Atac pedals, Cane Creek ZS 6 headset, Easton EA70 seatpost, Terry Fly Ti saddle | | Bottom Line: | This bike is totally sick! I'm so stoked I got it. Out standing trailbike, light enough to climb from Phil's trailhead all the way up around Tumalo and back down Mrazek. Over 30 miles round trip with several thousand feet of climbing.
It'll climb anything and descend even better. Perfect geometry for trail riding and stunts, can handle the hard hits without flinching.
I raced this setup in sport DH last season and was smoking guys on Giant Dh's and M1's with 888's. Alot of that is probably my superior bike handling skills and most guys have more bike than they know how to ride.
This year I have a dedicated DH bike, so I'm lightening this one up for more trail riding sensitivity with a Push'd Float AVA, CrossMax's with a tubeless setup, 6" rotors, etc.
I should mention I had the frame replaced under warranty recently. The seattube was slightly bent at the rocker pivot, maybe due to a weak tube or maybe my not finding the pedals on a no footer over a 15' table and coming down on the saddle and snapping the seatpost almost totally off because it was extended high for xc riding. Ooops. It wasn't really warranty. The guys at a shop had one 04 left over, gave me that frame, and they got an 05 for the warranty. So, we both won.
And I just bought an 05 Ram XT2500 frame for my girlfriend and am going to build it up with a Slider and whatnot for her DH season! I'll post pics in the Raleigh forum when it's done!
The only bummer is that Raleigh has now discountinued this line!!! I don't know what they're thinking! It is such an awesome line and totally gives Raleigh credibility in the mountain biking industry again. They still have the Phase, kudo's, but that's significantly lighter than this frame. Oh well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric Rock
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, Or, USA
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Lower Whoops Section (phil's trail) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | North West Adventure | | Strengths: | Components, Color, Strength, rides very well in all conditions. | | Weaknesses: | None at this Time | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh Ram 1.0 (05), Cannondale V 900 | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Sherman Flick Plus fork, Atomlab wheels and pedals, bike is pretty much stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is great, takes jumps with ease, corners great on dh sections. This is a perfect bike for those who like to do some serious jumping, drops, or even just the local trails. I'm 6'4 and the 20" fits me perfectly, it's a great bike for any larger riders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric Sims
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Worth
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | ZBoaz | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | This bike comes loaded with great components and the frame is beefy and rock solid. The Swinger with SPV holds the rear end up great while cranking the pedals and sucks up anything from small to large hits. The silver and black (2004) color scheme is sick! | | Weaknesses: | The 2004 came with a Minute 1:00 fork. WTF? I've since added a Firefly and now there's no limit to what this puppy will handle. Truvative seat post started drifting backwards within the first month (bending that is, see my review). Does this bike really need a 44t chainring? (No, it does not.)Remeber to check those replaceable dropout bolts...........(I've only heard, not experienced)! | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Coiler, Cannondale Prophet, Specialized Enduro | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Sherman Firefly, Kalloy seatpost, Speed V saddle and Motoraptor 2.4's. | | Bottom Line: | I, like so many other readers on this forum, would've loved to start with a handmade frame and spec it from the ground up but do not have the funds to do so currently. After extensive research, shopping, and talking to my LBSs, I decided to go with the Ram XT 2500. I have been smiling ever since.
I'm a Clyde (6'2" 220lbs.) and love to jump over, onto, and down into things. This bike takes it ("it" being ladder bridges, drop-offs, dirt jumps, etc.) in stride and functions well in both trailbike and freeride roles. I can't complain about weight (I'm one to be talking) but I'm sure there are those out there who would argue that this bike is too heavy for XC use. True if you're a weight weenie, not for me.
All in all I have a love/love relationship with this bike. I plan on using it until it craps out and I don't plan on that happening anytime soon. It feels complete with the Firefly up front and for the price I paid originally (thanks Rocky!), upgrading here and there isn't going to dessicate my wallet. With the component spec that came with this thing really the fork is the only upgrade I needed!
I fully recommend not only the Ram XT 2500 but Raleigh in general. By the way, why are the Ram XT bikes still listed in the cross country category here at MTB Review when they're intended to be freeride bikes and would be considered AT LEAST trailbikes? Just asking............ | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pavel Lyadnov
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Raleigh prodeal | | Strengths: | Component package is much higher than Kona of the similar price, Sram shifting system outperforms any shimano product I've ridden before. This bicycle begs to be abused, I have been able to take on bigger jumps without worrying about the aftermath. Also the decals have no clearcoat on them, so you can get rid of the Raleigh name with no problems. | | Weaknesses: | The bike weighs close to 46 lbs, which is a bit heavy compared to other full suspension bikes...but this is a freeride bike, so what do you expect. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with lock-on grips and chain stay protectors. | | Bottom Line: | Raleigh bikes have gotten much better in the last few years, this bike offers same suspension setup as it's competitiors at a much more reasonable price. If you're on a budget or want a bang for the buck, get the Ram XT, you won't be dissapointed. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
adam cunningham
a Weekend Warrior
from Nashville TN
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | self built | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$850.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | strong as an ox | | Weaknesses: | the 4 way swinger shock is a biatch to learn. i am still learning it. you HAVE to check pressure everytime you ride. no big deal. i wish the front fork had a good solid lockout | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | all stock except for simple little chainslap stuff. Wellgo shin grinder pedals | | Bottom Line: | i love the bike. it makes you a little bit more of a daredevil though, because of it's "abuse me" frame strength. i think i got a super sweet deal on Ebay. i love this bike... if you are into freeriding.. get one. the name Raleigh doesn't mean "piece of crap" anymore.. this bike is a monster | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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