When I was growing up in the '50s in England and beginning to get a real interest in cycling , Raleighs were regarded, along with Rudge, Hercules, Robin Hood, and the like, more or less as 'entry level' bikes - good solid and reputable names - but relatively unexciting. What you had to go after was a bike that carried someone's name - preferably first and surnames . (Claude Butler was an obvious example). Those were regarded rightly or wrongly as 'serious' bikes. I guess though, when a bike is imported to another country it does not necessarily carry the same everyday reputation that it does in its own country. (Bit like the Jaguar car, which in North America I observe, is treated with some degree of respect, but in England has a reputation of being the car of choice for bookmakers, pimps, and petty crooks (see any BBC crime drama - Morse being the exception proving the rule !!) Fraser