Raleigh USA Bicycle Company R500

Price Paid:  $380.00 at Used- Craigslist

Bike Setup:
Ultegra PD-6610 pedals
a cheapo cyclocomputer

everything else is stock

Summary:
My first road bike, very fast, feels light to me. I am able to carry it with one hand up and down stairs to and from the subway.

nice derailer and compact frame

the front derailer is a little off sometimes. o well.

Strengths:
105 rear derailer, light, fast

Weaknesses:
BRAKES!! ugh. sora
saddle hurt a lot of my friends crotch area.
im kinda of use to it, though there is still soreness every now and then.

the wheels wear fast

Similar Products Used:
khs flite 300

Price Paid:  $549.00 at carbondale cycle

Favorite Ride:
makanda loop

Bike Setup:
competely stock except for entry level egg beater pedals

Summary:
I have just completed my first ride with this bike on the day that I bought it. Having paid $250 dollars off retail on this bike I am absolutely estatic about how much value I have gotten for my money. The bike was a good deal parts wise for $800 at retail so $549 made the deal even sweeter. Thanks Cho. I am a mt. biker for the most part so I am not used to road bikes in any way. The shifting is a smooth as my cannodale super v and the steering is nice and quick. I weigh 250 and still feel the frame is very stiff, this may be a problem for light riders concerned with comfort.

Strengths:
Having only paid $549 for the bike the parts spec is out of this world. Everything else out there was sora and suntour instead of tiagra and 105. The fact that you can shift up and down from the drops makes this bike worth it compared to others.

Weaknesses:
I have little experience with road bikes so any comments on performance would be uninformed. But first impressions tell me that this is the ugliest road bike I could of bought. Couldn't beat the deal or parts spec though. Why would you put white wrap on the bars? I rode it once and it looked horrible afterwards. Looks don't matter though, this is just a gripe.

Similar Products Used:
I demo'd a giant ocr3, didn't seem like a bad bike at all. adjustable stem was nice but cheesy at the same time.

Price Paid:  $800.00 at macs bike and fitnes

Bike Setup:
cenneli angel aero bar
i recommend an aero bar or a aero clip.
also get a new saddle

Summary:
Very nice smooth ride. I can keep up with about anyone. speed wise im faster on this bike than my dads cannondale. the cannondale i can only reach 32mph flat road, but the raleigh, i can hit 36. its light, around 16-18 pounds.

Strengths:
fast
feels solid
only $800
brakes fast
shifting is quick if kept clean
low rolling resistence

Weaknesses:
stock tires wear down too fast
i get blown around alot more on this bike than the cannondale
i cant adjust the bar height so thats a negitive

Similar Products Used:
cannondale r300 '95

Price Paid:  $700.00 at Agee's Bike

Favorite Ride:
Dirt!

Bike Setup:
105 rear, Sora brakes, all the rest Tiagra (front der, shifters, cranks and hubs), Michelein Axial K

Summary:
As a primarily mountain bike rider, I bought this bike to hit the roads to train. The big plus for me was the newer compact geometry frame and the value of components. When comparing comparably equipped bikes this was the best deal. I was looking for a sub $1000 bike that was better than entry level Sora/Suntour junk and this was the one.

Strengths:
105 rear derailleur, relative lightness to the frame, good crisp shifting.

Weaknesses:
Ditched the saddle, put on a Body Geometry. How much more would it have cost to ditch the Sora brakes and go with Tiagra (10 bucks maybe)? Wellglo SPDR pedals (replace them with Looks).

Similar Products Used:
Several Specialized (sorry the generic carbon fork ain't worth another $300), C'dales, Nishiki tri bike, Bianchi Brava.

Price Paid:  $1125.00 at Bike America

Bike Setup:
Shimano R535 wheelset
Shimano 105 rear deralier
Tiagra shifters, crank and front deralier
Sora br

Summary:
I got this bike to keep up with my husband who bought a 2001 R600.

This bike is fun, I never was a cyclist and now I can't wait to ride. It is easy to go up hills etc. I upgraded to a Shimano R535 wheelset and it was well worth it (thus the higher price).

Strengths:
Light weight, looks great. Shifting is just as smooth as the R600.

Weaknesses:
Brakes. The sora brakes are weak. They are slow to stop.

Similar Products Used:
Trek 1000
Raleigh R600