Raleigh USA Bicycle Company International

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Two Wheel Tango

Favorite Ride:
Adirondacks

Bike Setup:
Campy Chorus (with Daytona brakes); Speedplay pedals; Mavic Open Pro Wheels (Wheelsmith built)

Summary:
I really liked this bike for the price when I bought it, and enjoyed it for 4.5 years of steady, but not great, riding. All told, put 4000 miles on it. Big problem - after a winter on the trainer, and a couple of early rides the right chain stay really fatigued so that the bike was pulling hard to the right. Its toasted, so I'm upgrading to titanium

Strengths:
Price

Weaknesses:
Durability

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Saratoga Battlefield Park

Bike Setup:
Fizik aliante seat
Alex Equation wheels
Campy Centaur Grupo

Summary:
I am surprised. I had ridden many bikes in testing. Found the Raleigh to be very solid for the $. Found to be a smooth ride up to my top speed so far of 39 mph. Just finished my first 100 miles since getting bike last Thursday. Columbus Zona frame pulls well on hill climbs. This bike is easily the equivalent of others that I tested in the $1500-2000K range. My first Campy experience in more than 10 years. Still getting used to the differences from Ultegra shifting. Much more comfortable ride than my custom built hybrid bike.

Strengths:
Campy Centaur
Columbus Zona frame

Weaknesses:
Saddle. I upgraded to Fizik Aliante
Original bar tape not attractive and very thin. Switched out to gel tape.
Too many decals on top tube. No spec data on Raleigh website.

Similar Products Used:
Custom built hybrid road bike. Kona frame, ultegra, SRAM EXP grip shifters, Chris King hubs, Velocity wheels, aerobars.

Price Paid:  $740.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Raleigh International, Through SD North County & Or Borrego Springs to Salton Sea

Bike Setup:
International is still stock. Campy Centaur and Veloce with Avenir Equation Wheelset.

Summary:
Purchased a 03 International based on a Reveiw I read in bicycling. I was really after the Professional Model, But compromised when I got such a good deal on this essentially brand new bicycle. and may stil buy the Professional at some point if the price is right, and deploy the international to my spouse. I became interested in the Raleigh Heritage series bicycless because of the steel frames and classic looks. I have a 1975 International still new in the box. Can't bear to break it out and ride it! I sort of thought it would be cool to own both.

Strengths:
Smooth Ride. Relatively light weight for Steel. Nice Columbus Zona Tube Set, Feels Aluminum Stiff, and is pleanty stiff climbing out of the saddle. Smooth Shifting of the 10 Speed Campy Centaur and Veloce Mix. Stable handling. Very nice on technical downhills, and really corners like it's on rails. Whole ride inspires that confidence and that false sense of security!! 03 model has the Carbon Fork instead of the Aluminum found on the 02. Incredible bike for the money. Lots of compliments on the bike's looks.

Weaknesses:
A little Heavy at 22 pounds. Due to Steel Frame and lower zoot Campy components. Would be nice to have lighter wheels.

Similar Products Used:
My other bicycles are: 02 Mongoose Bosberg Pro. 83 Falcon 531 DB Classic Lugged with 03 Ultegra and Velomax Wheels.

Price Paid:  $980.00 at star bike shop

Bike Setup:
Campy centaur, brooks finese saddle, and soon Ritchy biomax handlebars.

Summary:
I rode in the 70's and 80's extensively and my past stable includes peugot, ross, viner. When I returned to the road bike scene everything had changed. I got a mongoose 5.3 in 50cm alum frame. It was a pretty bike with a cool cutout on the seatube for the rear wheel but really beat me up. It seemed smaller than the raleigh for some reason and it felt squirrly riding it.

I finally woke up and smelled the coffee. I traded it in on the raliegh, also in 50cm. It was marked 1100 dollars because there was a sale or something but I traded my tooth rattler in, bringing the price down. This bike is so comfortable! The first time I rode it out of my driveway I thought I had a flat because the bumps didn't rattle my fillings out of my head. So far I made a couple of changes, brooks saddle and a ritchie biomax 2 handlebar is on order.

I love the handling!! manuverable without feeling tippy! I can easily ride w/o hands, even cornering. The fit is great except for the bars but that's just because the drop is a little to deep for my stubby arms. I am 5'4' with 28' inseam pants and the 50cm frame fits me great. I barely clear the top tube but that's no problem and I feel balenced on the frame.

The components and paintjob are top notch! I'm not especially heavy so I'm not too worried about the wheels, which have held up just fine in spite of riding over some pretty rough bumps.

This is a great bike for fast recreational riders, century riders, someone on a budget, and someone for whom comfort is a priority.

If you are a weigh weenie you might want to look somewhere else. There are no brazed on eyelets for racks so it's probably not a good choice for a commuter.

Strengths:
Beauty
Comfort
Quality
Value
Carbon fork!

Weaknesses:
A tad heavy.

Similar Products Used:
Ross, Peugot, Viner, Mongoose

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at awesome LBS

Favorite Ride:
Black Moshannon

Bike Setup:
Look Pedals.

came with:
equations wheels
campy centaur
san marco saddle

Summary:
The bike is incredibly responsive and the combination of a springy steel frame (columbus zona) and absorbing carbon fork make for an awesome ride. The Campy Centaur group is great, nothing like campy. The paint job with the sponsor decals on the top tube makes this one of the best looking most distinctive bikes on the road. Steel with all the new technological advances is right at the forefront of quality bikes (even carbon and titanium). And this steel frame is no exception, this and Reynolds 853 are about the best you can do.

I went with the 56 cm bike and I am a shade under 6 feet. At first glance I was set on the 59 cm. But be careful the size difference between Raleigh bikes is not as big as it seems, and it is essential to find the right one for you.

Strengths:
Top of the line steel frame.
Great fork.
Great group.
The paint job!

Weaknesses:
Some people think 20 lbs is heavy.
Wheels are nice, but not amazing like the rest of the bike.

Similar Products Used:
KHS flite 300 (reynolds 520)