Is Raleigh a Good Bike Brand - ElectricVehiclesFAQs.com

A good electric bike will set you back anywhere from $1000 to over $2000. This is why you must do your homework before committing to a purchase.

A cursory look at the best electric bikes in California turns up in Raleigh. This brand is trendy among e-bike enthusiasts, but is it any good? This article goes beyond the marketing hype and explores if Raleigh’s a good e-bike brand.

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A Quick Look at Raleigh eBikes

We all know of those big-name brands with a presence dating back centuries. These companies have survived this long for a reason: trust and quality.

And Raleigh was established way back in 1887 – that is, over 130+ years of service. Richard Morris and Paul Eugene founded it.

The company started as a small bike shop on Raleigh Street. They realized that there was a growing underserved market for bikes. The duo decided to name the company after the street.

Raleigh has every e-bike variety under its belt.

From mountain e-bikes and commuter e-bikes to road e-bikes and cruiser e-bikes. There is a wide variety of e-bikes that Raleigh specializes in.

The company has since been acquired by Accell, a corporation based in the Netherlands. Accell itself is no stranger to e-bikes and owns brands such as Ghost and Lapierre.

Reliability is of Utmost Importance to Raleigh

At the forefront of their marketing was the promise of reliability. This was demonstrated when Joop Zoetemelk, a professional cyclist, won the Tour de France.

He was riding a Raleigh bike. This further boosted Raleigh’s brand appeal and led to a sponsorship with Panasonic.

Raleigh also donated some of their bikes to teams based in France. Quality control is a significant reason why Raleigh bikes are so reliable.

Engineers are known to go the extra mile to check everything before assembly. This includes wheels, brakes, gears, electronics, frame alignment, etc.

Their e-bikes arrive partially assembled. Completing the assembly of the e-bikes is a straightforward process.

A major disadvantage of choosing Raleigh is that they are UK-based. This means that it will be more expensive to import their e-bikes in California.

However, you can’t go wrong with Raleigh e-bikes regarding quality. They provide their e-bikes in a wide range of budgets to accommodate everyone.

Choice of Components

Raleigh does not hold back regarding component selection. They use a combination of high-end and budget-friendly components to assemble their e-bikes.

This results in reliable e-bikes that also happen to be budget-friendly.

Frames

There are several frames to choose from when selecting Raleigh e-bikes. Options include aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium, and steel.

Steel is a budget-friendly option but highly durable. Titanium is an expensive option but is lightweight and extremely durable.

Raleigh also provides several frame sizes for riders depending on their heights.

Forks

Raleigh makes sure to assemble their forks using high-quality materials. Depending on the budget, they may choose carbon fiber, aluminum, or titanium.

They offer a wide range of suspension options to buyers. These include tail forks and a full suspension for a smooth ride.

Wheels

This is where the rubber meets the road – literally. And Raleigh doesn’t cut corners when choosing e-bike wheels.

They either choose carbon fiber or aluminum when assembling wheels. Buyers can choose from different wheel sizes depending on their experiences and preferences.

Tires

Raleigh tires are designed for commuting, offroading, racing, and more. They offer a wide range of tread patterns and tire sizes.

This ensures that buyers can choose tires based on where they live. All in all, Raleigh is an unbeatable choice for forks, wheels, tires, and frames.

They offer a wide range of products, and buyers will find something they like.

Design

The design is the first thing buyers see when choosing an e-bike in California. Raleigh makes sure their e-bikes make an excellent first impression.

The e-bikes are designed to be aerobic to minimize air friction. They are also comfortable enough that cyclists can ride the e-bikes for several hours.

Warranties

Raleigh provides a wide range of warranties on their e-bikes in California. Standard practice is to offer five-year warranties on steel frames.

Carbon fiber frames are given a two-year warranty. Raleigh also maintains service centers throughout the world. These service centers ensure that the e-bike is kept in good condition.

Price

As we mentioned earlier, Raleigh is based in the United Kingdom. Their parent company is based in the Netherlands.

They have a prominent presence worldwide, specifically in parts of Europe and the US. With that said, these e-bikes are imported from the UK.

This means that the prices are going to be relatively high. Raleigh realizes this and offers an excellent warranty to provide value to customers.

Best Raleigh Electric Bikes in California

This section explores the best e-bikes in California by Raleigh.

Raleigh Detour IE

The Detour IE is one of the more popular options out there. It is reputed as one of the best offerings by Raleigh.

The Detour IE is designed for commuting and will zip past roads and parks alike. It is outfitted with an SR Suntour suspension fork.

This allows the e-bike to make short work of potholes you’ll find throughout the city. Furthermore, the tires are made with Kenda K Guard. This makes them puncture-resistant.

You are bound to encounter sharp objects in the streets. But Kenda K Guard will ensure that your tires continue to effortlessly chug along.

Powering the Detour IE is a Bosch Active Line motor with a torque of 40Nm. This allows the bike to scale uphill terrain with relative ease.

The mammoth 400Wh battery pack by Bosch ensures that you can cover a big distance. The e-bike in California can travel for 50 miles on a single charge.

Using a drivetrain courtesy of Shimano keeps the wheels spinning at low charges. The powerful disc brakes will quickly stop you even at high speeds.

Click here to buy this e-bike from Amazon.

Raleigh Retroglide 2.0 IE

If you are fond of offroading, this is the e-bike for you. The Retroglide IE is one of the best budget electric bikes in California for offroading.

The center of gravity in this e-bike is relatively low. This increases the balance when traveling through gravel and sand.

It features a powerful mid motor by the Bosch Active line. The only problem is that its top speed is 20mph.

So if you’re a fan of breakneck speeds, this isn’t the e-bike for you. The range on this e-bike is very good. A single charge can easily cover 40 miles.

You may crank out an extra 10 miles on the low assist. You can expect to ride for two hours on a full charge at max speed.

To make offroading easy for you, they went with Kenda 2.3” tires. This allows you to tear up the sand and gravel with ease.

The Shimano Tourney groupset comes with seven gears. This makes it easy to get around town. A major disappointment with the RetroGlide is the mechanical disc brakes and gears.

Both feel they could have been better at this price. Raleigh isn’t known to skimp out on quality, so this is a first for them.

The good news is that the bike is relatively more affordable.

Raleigh Misceo IE

The Misceo IE is aimed at the budget crowd at an affordable starting point. It is an all-rounder with various color options and a rear-hub motor.

We are surprised how Raleigh squeezed so many components at this price range. There is an 8-speed Shimano Altus, integrated fenders, rear rack, and hydraulic disc brakes,

A front suspension fork is used to make the ride smooth. Buyers can choose from two frame styles depending on their needs.

The e-bike looks clean and impressive at first glance. The SR Suntour hub motor is excellent at doing its job. But don’t expect it to reach top speeds of 30mph or more.

The motor provides several modes of assistance to make the ride easier. The removable battery can be removed from the bike.

This allows you to charge the battery at home or wherever convenient. The best part is that the bike weighs in at just 55.1 pounds.

This allows the 417Wh battery to cover a whopping 50 miles of range per charge. Charging takes quite a while at 5.5 hours. A removable battery makes overnight charging at home more accessible and more convenient.

A major disappointment is the lack of throttle. There is only a pedal assist with this e-bike. This means you will have to exert more effort to activate the pedal.

This can be a significant hindrance when you are traveling uphill. Most of the components mentioned above are entry-level at best.

If you want quality, durability, and speed, this e-bike is not for you. However, the Misceo IE has a good price point if you are on a budget.

All in all, we recommend this bike to those who are new to the market. You can upgrade once you get the lay of the land.

Raleigh Special IE

The Special IE is priced slightly lower than the Misceo IE. This makes it one of the more budget-friendly offerings from Raleigh.

It is marketed as a cruiser electric bike. And there’s a lot to admire about the Special IE. The hydraulic disc brakes can bring this e-bike to a grinding halt at high speed.

The SR Suntour rear hub motor provides enough power to climb uphill. A 410Wh battery takes you 62 miles on a single charge.

The combination of the battery and motor makes this a must-have for beginners. The Special IE has other components such as a rear rack, kickstand, lights, and fenders.

It has an admirable design for a stable ride and well-rounded aesthetics. The laid-back geometry of the bike allows it to go very fast.

The double wall aluminum wheels provide extra stability cornering at high speeds.

The Special IE is set up reasonably well for quick commutes and running errands. In addition, it can also handle some offroading due to its tires.

All these features make the Special IE a good choice for beginners new to bikes.

RetroGlide Royale

The RetroGlide Royale is a fast, stable, and fun bike. It has a stable ride feel due to its wide tires and powerful motor.

It competes with other premium-level e-bikes without being expensive. The mid-drive motor is quiet but powerful, reaching up to 20mph.

The torque output of the motor is 40N. This ensures quick acceleration on flat surfaces. Climbing steep hills is also relatively easy.

Unfortunately, the motor isn’t as powerful as we expect from a premium e-bike. However, it gets the job done.

The 400Wh battery (Bosch Powertube) can take 45 miles per charge. It comes with high-quality Shimano 8 Speed gear.

The Tektro hydraulic disc brakes have great stopping power. This e-bike in California is designed to be comfortable.

Everything From the handlebar and grips to the saddle and frame feels luxurious and premium. The frame is made using the incredibly lightweight 6061 aluminum alloy.

This ensures that the e-bike feels light. It weighs in at a featherweight of 45 pounds. That said, this isn’t the lightest e-bike in the world.

This e-bike should feel relatively comfortable to riders of all heights. Whether you are 5 feet or 6 feet and above, you should comfortably handle it.

We recommend the step-thru option for shorter cyclists. The stand-over option is ideal for taller riders.

If you’re outside the 5 to 6-foot range, we recommend other Raleigh e-bikes. Besides that, this e-bike is a no-brainer given all its outstanding options.

Is Raleigh a Good Bike Brand

Wrapping Up

Is Raleigh a good e-bike brand? We certainly believe so. Raleigh is a good choice with hundreds of years of experience backing and world-class engineering.

Their budget-friendly option, the Special IE is a wonderful starting point for budget buyers. The RetroGlide Royale is a great choice if you have a higher budget.

Do you believe that Raleigh is an excellent e-bike brand? Please share your experiences with the brand with us.