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Raleigh Sport Bike Review

Although the Raleigh brand bikes that are sold in the US are no longer made in England, they have maintained the original Raleigh quality and style and I can just picture myself riding one of these bikes down some narrow country roads in the English countryside.

OK, the Raleigh Sport is a stylish and well made entry level road bike that can handle speed as well as distance comfortably and without spending a small fortune.

As its name implies, I would call this a sport bike (kind of a cross between a touring bike and a racing bike). The Raleigh sport is an excellent selection for touring, commuting, light racing and general road riding. It does have drop down handle bars and 700x23c tires so make no mistake, this is a road bike.

I had the opportunity to review a number of Raleigh Bikes on a recent trip to a local bike shop (it can be hard to find Raleigh bikes in some locations) and I was very impressed with their road and hybrid bikes. I believe that the Raleigh hybrid bikes are generally priced a little higher than other quality hybrid bikes in their category, but the Raleigh Sport is a very resonably priced road bike.

The Raleigh Bike Company is one of the oldest bicycle manufacturers in the world. Although ownership of Raleigh has changed a few times over the years, the quality of their bikes remains consistent.

A few outstanding features of Raleigh bikes, including the Raleigh Sport, are their style (design), their high quality components and, in my opinion, their very high quality and comfortable seats.

Raleigh Sport Features at a Glance:  The Raleigh Sport has all Shimano derailers and shifter, a stylish aluminum frame, Choroly fork, a very comfortable seat/saddle, 700x23c tires, and excellent components.

Note: As of 8/1/2010 the 2010 Raleigh Sport is selling for $599 (new) at REI with free shipping options. See 2010 Raleigh Sport at REI for the latest price and customer reviews. 

Here's a link to the other 2010 Raleigh Road Bikes at REI for comparison.

Raleigh bikes must be delivered to an REI store.

Raleigh Sport Model Comparisons:

There are really just two Raleigh Sport variations. There is the Raleigh Sport (featured in this review) and the Raleigh Grand Sport.

The main differences are that the Sport has a Chromoly fork where the Grand Sport has a carbon fork and the Sport has 24 gears where the Grand Sport only has 16. Do you really want to pay almost $150 more for the Grand Sport?

See the REI links (above) for their automated comparison feature to see all of the specific details.

About-Bicycles Review:

Raleigh bikes, in general, are excellent quality but some models can be a little more expensive than other comparable brands. As for the Raleigh Sport this is not the case. The Raleigh Sport is an excellent entry into road bikes at a very reasonable price.

I love the components, design and even the quality seats. I would recommend the Raleigh Sport as a great road/sport bike.

Customer Review:

At the time of this review, there were a few positive customer reviews of the 2010 Raleigh Grand Sport (5 of 5 stars) but no formal customer reviews of the 2010 Raleigh Sport.

I did however find the following on bikeforums.net (from tardman91):

"I just recently bought a Raleigh Sport road bike... " "...It's nothing fancy, but it's a great beginner bike. I figure in a few years once I get better and more knowledgeable I'll upgrade to something fancier. But if you're just looking for a nice entry level bike to hit the road in I highly reccomend it. "

You can find the complete post under the Thread: "How to choose a 1st time budget road bike? "

Raleigh Sport FT1 Features:

• Frame Aluminum
  
• Fork Chromoly
  
• Crankset Truvativ ISO Flow Road, 54/42/30
  
• Bottom bracket Sealed cartridge
  
• Shifters Shimano 2300
  
• Front derailleur Shimano 2300
  
• Rear derailleur Shimano 2300
  
• Rear cogs Sram PG-850, 12-26, 8-speed
  
• Number of gears 24
  
• Brakes Tektro Dual-Pivot
  
• Brake levers Shimano 2300
  
• Rims Weinmann TR18 Double-Wall
  
• Front hub Joytech Alloy QR, 32h
  
• Rear hub Joytech Alloy QR, 32h
  
• Tires Vittoria Zaffiro, 700x23
  
• Handlebar Aluminum road
  
• Stem 3D forged
  
• Seat post Alloy micro adjust
  
• Saddle Avenir 200 Series
  
• Pedals Road, with clips and straps
  
• Headset FSA Integrated
  
• Chain KMC Z82
  
• Gender Unisex

See the REI links (above) for specifications on more Raleigh Sport models.

More helpful online bike sales resources:

See Best Buy Bikes Online - for the latest sales and deals on quality brand names bikes for sale online.

Most popular bike brands in US - WIth so many bicycle manufacturers, bicycle types and popular brand names sold in the US, that it can be difficult to find a comprehensive summary of the top 20 bike most popular bike brands.

See Online Bike Stores - for a complete listing of where to purchase the most popular brands for all bike types online.

Recommended Road Bike Brands and Online Bike Sites

** REI.com - Cycling has a great selection of Cannondale, Scott, Electra, Raleigh, and Novara brand Road Bikes that you can buy online. Some REI brand road bikes (like cannondale) must be delivered to an REI store but the brands that can be delivered directly to your home come with only minor assembly required.

See * Road Bikes at Performance for a nice selection of road bikes for sale online including Fuji, Schwinn, Scattante, Mongoose, GT, Focus and SE Racing brand bikes. Bikes can be delivered to your home or to a Performance store for FREE shipping.

See Bikes at Wal-Mart for a good selection of road and comfort bikes at very low prices. Walmart offers Schwinn, Kent, Mongoose, and Huffy brand road bikes for sale online.