Its evocative name If you were around for the early days of UK mountain biking, you will have seen the original Raleigh Mustang, its exotically painted tubes promising uninhibited exploration. Before the drive for lightness, comfort and more performance, early mountain bikes opened up a whole new world. With a drop bar, 1x transmission and balloon tyres, today’s Mustang maintains some of the original bike’s ethos.
Its all-round ability Raleigh’s Gravel Road geometry, with its long wheelbase and lower bottom bracket, offers oil tanker-like stability over rough terrain. A shortish stem
ensures positive steering, and there’s clearance for even bigger rubber, or full mudguards, and rack mounts too. Fitted with 26mm-wide American Classic TCX tubeless-ready rims and Schwalbe’s 35mm G1 gravel tyres, it rolls quickly on tarmac and has plenty of grip on everything short of wet mud, as well as excellent cushioning.
Its component spec SRAM’s Rival 1 hydraulic levers and disc brakes ensure heaps of modulated power, but the real bonus is the drivetrain. Despite our doubts, the 44t chainset and 10-42t cassette covered all bases. From long, steep climbs to fast descents, we didn’t want for gears, and the gaps were reasonable too. It’s simple, reliable and child’s play to use.
To find out more about the Mustang Comp click here >
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