I paid $500 for a Radmission, and another $200 for fenders, front and rear racks, and maybe other accessories. I think I'd paid 3 times more for a similarly equipped Radrunner, and I find the Radmission a much better bike.
Some expensive brands offer different frame sizes. (According to Specialized, I'm XL.) That was also true in the 19th Century. Raleigh was investing in developing superior bikes at unbeatable prices, as Henry Ford later did with automobiles. For dealer efficiency, one size had to fit all. A good handlebar height can keep a rider comfortable on cobblestones without a front suspension. Raleighs had an adequate height adjustment which for stability, kept the hand grips pretty well lined up with the steering axis.
The usual spacing between ladder rungs seems to be 12 inches. I believe I know why. In a closet in my house, a built-in ladder has rungs 14 inches apart. This requires me to lift with a leg bent more than 90 degrees. I need substantial help from my arms. I can easily go up and down ladders with 12 inch spacing. It's about as high as a man can step without bending his knee more than 90 degrees.
Raleighs had a reputation for comfort and efficiency, in part because the seat was back far enough that the rider's knee wasn't bent more than 90 degrees at top dead center. This allowed long, efficient power strokes. It also allowed him to keep most of his weight on the pedal from top dead center to bottom dead center, then switch his weight to his other leg, as in walking. Reducing weight on the saddle increased comfort.
Raleigh put riders of all heights in the ball park by angling the seat tube back approximately 30 degrees. For each inch the saddle was raised for a longer inseam, it moved back for a longer femur. Thus, as a second-grader, my sister bought a new 26" Raleigh because she knew she could ride it. She paid $10, vs $70 for a Schwinn, which was too inefficient to ride far. That was good because it was also unsafe; the bicycle death rate was vastly higher than it is now.
I was in first grade and love to ride it. In fourth grade I switched to a boys' frame in case riding a girl's bike was immoral or illegal. At 18, the same size frame that worked for me at 7 was still ideal. One size could fit all.
I had to modify both my Radpower bikes to position seat and handlebars for stability, efficiency, and comfort. Expensive bikes are appealing, but I think I'd have to modify one of them, too. Better the devil you know than the one you don't.
