Raleigh? Any Good?

Depends on which model... I ride an older (02) Raleigh Professional and I like it. I had an Raleigh International (02) which was the same frame with different paint and liked it as well... before it got magled that is.

That said, I have seen some Raleighs (the Sport in particular) which have some pretty rough welds. The bikes are OK but you can tell that the craftsmenship just isn't there - they are high-production low-end bikes.

I am sure that if your friend is just getting into cycling and the bike fit's his budget a Raleigh will be fine. Just know that as he gets more serious he will want something nicer.

Yes, espically the vintages. I was rearended by a speeding car a couple days ago on my Raleigh, and the frame is only tweaked a little. Nothing too bad to fix. The bike flew about 20 feet, I flew about 30, and I am still amazed that the bike wasnt destroyed. [img]cyclingforums.comeek.gifOpen ↗[/img]

I got 5 road bikes, and my 5th one was a modified 06 Raleigh Prestige with 05 1350 gram Ritchey Protocol wheels and a Stronglight Pulsion crank for $2000 mail order. It was an excellent deal but the 1st bike shipped to me had a defective bubble finish, 2nd replacement a gouged frame from the front brake, then the 3rd bike was fine. Had to wait 4 months to finally get it riding!

My 50cm Prestige weigh 16.8 lbs and it's fast. It also looks beautiful. I'd say what I got for my price is better than any same priced Trek, Giant, or Cannondale. I think the dealer cost for the Prestige is $1495, so if a dealer asks you retail for $2400 try to get it at $2000.