Raleigh, Getting shabby with age

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Cheaply made

...After having my Raleigh viper stolen from my garage, i decided to claim on the insurance and get a new one. I went down to halfords and was looking around, the raleigh stonefly seemed to catch my eye with titanium frame, alloy wheels, V-brakes, front suspension, 21gears and generally a good looking mountain bike, when i got home i assembled it and then started riding it, i had been riding it for about 3 days when my pedal bent off. This to my surprise was because Raleigh had made the pedal bars with a cheap, soft metal. So i took it back to Halfords and asked for a repair or replacement, which i got. Few weeks later, riding down a hill, put on my brakes and suddenly the back wheel buckled, so once again went back and got a replacement. 2 days later, was riding again and the chain kept falling off on the front gears because it was...

Hellzone 07.05.2001 (06.05.2001) · Read review
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Review of Raleigh Stonefly

Raleigh, the place to party...yet relax

Advantages: Beautiful scenery, yet plenty of entertainment around
Disadvantages: The 'Americanisms' that can be picked up!

...My first taste of North Carolina was when I landed at Raleigh-Durham airport in August of 2004. We all think of an airport and we imagine something like Heathrow, or Gatwick - basically, absolutely ginormous! Well it only took me 20 minutes to get through customs so that should give you an idea of my first impression of the city! But Raleigh the airport is nothing compared to Raleigh the city. Raleigh is huge, with a hundred different places to shop, both inside and outside. Yet Raleigh isn't all about shopping and clubbing, Raliegh, and North Carolina as a whole, is full of National Parks, beauty spots, and conservation areas. I was staying a 15 minute walk from what the hotel described as the 'city center', yet there was a golf course on one side and a nature reserve behind me. I couldn't hear the city life going on unless I...

Kikie705 18.06.2005 (21.06.2005) · Read review
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Review of Raleigh

Raleigh, Getting shabby with age

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Cheaply made

...After having my Raleigh viper stolen from my garage, i decided to claim on the insurance and get a new one. I went down to halfords and was looking around, the raleigh stonefly seemed to catch my eye with titanium frame, alloy wheels, V-brakes, front suspension, 21gears and generally a good looking mountain bike, when i got home i assembled it and then started riding it, i had been riding it for about 3 days when my pedal bent off. This to my surprise was because Raleigh had made the pedal bars with a cheap, soft metal. So i took it back to Halfords and asked for a repair or replacement, which i got. Few weeks later, riding down a hill, put on my brakes and suddenly the back wheel buckled, so once again went back and got a replacement. 2 days later, was riding again and the chain kept falling off on the front gears because it was...

Hellzone 06.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Raleigh M40 (1999)

The Return of the CHOPPER!

Advantages: Retro Chic beyond compare!
Disadvantages: Erm...........................

...!! They came in a variety of shades from 'Fizzy Lemon' to 'Shocking Pink' all with the Chopper Logo (and endless possibilities for accesories....like lolly sticks in yer spokes to make the 'tac tac tac' noise like a 'real' bike (ha....NOT!) The tassles from the handle bars.....the aerial (oh dear....) the list is endless... Then nothing........for 30 YEARS! (almost) until in March this year (2004) Raleigh released the new 'Mark III Chopper' realising that retro was chic and that the generel public would pay silly money to be nostalgic (looking guilty at this point!!!!) So onto the new Chopper.... Sadly, with various safety regs, we can't have a gear stick on the frame anymore.....that's now on the right handlebar (twist action!). Also, no more 'L' shaped seat (noooo I hear you thirty-somethings cry, it's ruined!!!) but as you can see...

Bronze224 30.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Raleigh Chopper

The original freeride skis

Advantages: Ease of turning, handling, style, following.
Disadvantages: None I can think of.

...I go to Sandown ski club ever week, and I always try to get the Salomon X-Screams. They are incredibly easy to turn, have a nice carving action, and are probably one of the best skis around. They have a huge free-ride following, and are used by beginners and experts alike. They are the skis by which all others are judged. The newer X-screams have the Prolink arms 'to guarantee ski/snow contact'. Wether it actually works is another matter... but it sounds and looks cool! So basically, these skis will suit anyone, especially those who are looking to improve their turning and confidence, and want to learn how to carve easily. Excellent skis!...

Domhughes 11.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Salomon X Scream

Freeride Manomano

Advantages: Light, strong, perfect
Disadvantages: absolutely nought for my riding style

...Ok, first I should make it clear that although I'm writing an op for the Kona Manomano bike I only actually run the FRAME from the '98 Manomano bike which I picked up while working at my local mountain bike shop a couple of years ago now. The bike had been stripped down for various parts leaving the frame which I snapped up for a fair sum (£450). I now, and have been for the last 2/3 years, running it as a freeride/downhill rig and I have to say, its perfect. As I'm not one for hucking off cliffs and/or houses the 7005 ally structure is quite strong enough and the fox vanilla rear shock provides 3.5" of plush, lovely suspension even when I havent cleaned out the pivot bushings for ages and I've been riding it in British winter weather!? I run it with 5" Stratos FR4 dual-crown forks and various other dh gubbins such as MRP chain...

davechm 12.03.2003 (13.03.2003) · Read review
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Review of Kona Manomano

Useless

Advantages: Cheap
Disadvantages: Bad gears and overall quality

...Raleigh, an impressive name, but that is the exact opposite of what really makes a Raleigh bike. Firstly, these mid-high price bikes, you would expect to come at a high quality – which in general they are, apart from… ~The Gears~ This is my main gripe about Raleigh bikes, in particular the Raleigh Vex (£200), which generally has 15 gears. I have had my bike for 6 months now, and in that time the chain has snapped twice (and been replaced), and the gears never seem to engage properly, and I have resorted to pushing the chain with my foot to change gear. This is especially noticeable changing to front gear 1. ~The Handlebars and Frame~ The hand grips on the handle bars have come off, which means that they were not properly glued on, both unsafe and bad quality. Also the whole frame seems to have been designed to...

leematthews 10.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Raleigh Stonefly

Dreamy frame ....but what else ?

Advantages: Frame, upgrade potential
Disadvantages: pedals, and other components

...this bike, which leads me nicely back to pedals! First thing to ?go? with a nice little impact on the surface of a stone, and I pedalling home with one pedal and a nice bent metal fixture that use to be a pedal. I ride two other bikes both Raleigh ones a top range thing from specials and the other a racer for general road sprints. I keep this bike for short distances to shops etc. (but you don?t commute you say) well I live on a farm so its 2 miles down hill to the shop and I?m not leaving a brilliant bike outside the shops. I?ve now whacked some shimano cleat pedals with the funny metal surround on you know the ones I mean ! And I love the bike its SOLID upon SOLID (suprising from an aluminium)shell frame means you get just complete power transfer. Braking?s good for such a bike so you?ve now got the perfect bike for a beginner/ expert...

Eatcha 14.12.2000 (13.12.2000) · Read review
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Review of Raleigh M40 (1999)

So good they tried to steal it twice.

Advantages: speed, style, comfort
Disadvantages: tedious to remove chain guard

...My previous bikes had always been "not quite right" so had undergone various modifications, but they still fell short of what I really wanted. The Raleigh Pioneer 160 was the first bike I've ever owned that almost perfectly matches my requirements. The only modifications I've needed to make are the addition of: wheel reflectors, a large bell, bar ends, a bungee cord, and dynamo lights. Further testament to the desirability of this bike can be had from the thief who stole my first one from my own back yard and had to haul it over high walls and a roof. In fact, it is so good that after the insurance company replaced it with the same model, someone tried to steal that one too. This bike is fast and comfortable. The large alloy wheels (700c) combined with the 21 gears of the 48/38/28T chainset and 14-28T freewheel...

k0622146 24.09.2002 (26.09.2002) · Read review
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Review of Raleigh Pioneer 160 Bike

Basic workhorse which matches its rivals

Advantages: Cheap; Secure; Lockable; Easy to mount a bike
Disadvantages: Looks basic

......

blackpuddinonnabike 13.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Thule Freeride 575 Bike Carrier