Raleigh USA Bicycle Company 2001 R-700

Price Paid:  $1299.00 at Now Sports

Favorite Ride:
Ironman

Summary:
I've had this bike for 9 years. I compared this bike to Cannondale and it was $500 cheaper with better components. At 9,500 miles my right shifter went out and had to be replaced. otherwise the only other expense was tires. I'm on my 4 th set and over 11,000 miles

Strengths:
Great ride

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale

Price Paid:  $1500.00 at Bicycle Land

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere with decent roads

Bike Setup:
All stock except the seat. I replaced the factory expensive Sella Itallia seat with a $35 Trek split seat. It is comfortable, still light and a lot friendlier on the little guys.

Summary:
Excellent bike. What a work horse, I have almost 7K miles on this bike and haven't spent a dime on fixing anything. They only thing I've had to change 2 so far are the tires. I am just about done with the 3rd set.

Strengths:
Stiff Frame, great handling, great parts and beautiful looking bike.

Weaknesses:
Wish it was 3 or 4 pounds lighter, I guess then it would not have been 1500 out the door. :-)

Similar Products Used:
Trek, Bridgestone

Price Paid:  $1350.00 at Europa Cycle & Ski (

Favorite Ride:
any local trail

Bike Setup:
Swapped out the bb and chain for Ultegra ones, DA seatpost, Selle Italia Flite Gel saddle, Spinergy

Summary:
One word best describes this bike- value. Nearly full Ultegra, a carbon fork, and nice components on a well-built aluminum frame. I looked at Trek and Cannondale bikes, both of which were 105-equipped at this price point. This was a no-brainer in purchasing the Raleigh. The ride is nice, although in my smaller (53cm) frame a little harsh, which was resolved with a swap of the R-535 wheels for Xaero's. One of my first rides was a 42-mile benefit ride, and for someone who was away from road biking for YEARS the bike was a joy to ride.

Strengths:
Good parts spec, decent frame and fork, nearly $250 less than comparable bikes.

Weaknesses:
Normal haevy/lower end stuff like the seatpost, stem, etc.

Similar Products Used:
Looked at Trek and Cannondale both.