raleighuk

Ebike Tips take the Strada Electric for a spin

Raleigh have been making their urban Strada bike in a range of builds for a while now, but this is the first time they’ve offered it as an electric bike. For £2,000 you get Shimano’s STePS middle motor system with an eight-speed Alfine Di2 hub, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and a new carbon-bladed fork at the front that’s similar to the one that Raleigh use on the Strada Speed 2.

To fit the middle motor Raleigh have had to redesign the frame, and they’ve take the opportunity to route the cables inside the frame for a cleaner look. There’s no chain case, rack or mudguards so it’s a very uncluttered and classy look with a gunmetal finish and minimal graphics. You do get a kickstand though. Raleigh have opted for a standard dropout at the rear and the Alfine chain tensioner, rather than using a horizontal slot dropout which allows you to get the chain tight without the sprung tensioner. There’s positives to both approaches: a horizontal dropout is neater, but the chain tensioner means getting the wheel out to mend a puncture is easier.

The Shimano STePS system gives you a mid-motor 250W power unit and three assistance modes. The battery is downtube-mounted and swings out from its mount for easy removal and charging. The Strada E we tried had the new, larger display but hadn’t been updated to include the new automatic mode that shifts gear for you based on your cadence and how hard you’re working. Production models should have that, though.

Shimano supply the hydraulic disc brakes, and the seatpost, stem and flat handlebar are fairly generic alloy units; there’s a sporty-profile saddle and standard round grips, and the road/bike interface is a set of Schwalbe Energiser Plus tyres.

Dave says: There’s always a demand for good-looking, stripped-down urban bikes and that trend is likely to make the jump to e-bikes as well. Boutique brands like Electrolyte are already serving the top-end of that market, but the £2,000 price point is likely to be an important one as the e-bike market in the UK grows and the Strada is a great-looking bike for the money.

It’s fun to ride, too. The frame and fork is nice and stiff and direct-feeling; it’d probably be a bit harsh with narrow tyres but the Schwalbe Energiser Plus rubber fitted is big enough to smooth through the bumps and it rolls very well too. There’s plenty of grip and the rounded profile means they’re good in the corners. Stopping from the non-series Shimano disc brakes is excellent too, with one-finger stopping even with the extra weight of the battery and motor.

STePS is a high-quality system and the fact that it’s all designed to be used together makes it a neat solution too. The motor isn’t as quiet as its main rival, the Bosch Active Line, but the power curve feels very natural and in Eco mode you can forget you’re being given a helping hand. Stick it in High and point the Strada uphill and you’ll be in no doubt, though. The twin remotes – one for power mode and one for gear – are easy to use and the new, bigger display is a marked improvement.

If you’re after a leisure e-bike that looks good, this is certainly one to look at. Utility-wise there’s no rack or mudguards but you could easily fit a nice set of low-profile mudguards and chaincase – something from the likes of Curana for example – and still maintain the sharp lines of the Strada E, and make it a bit more UK-weather-friendly.

Find out more about the Strada Electric here >

Three things we love about the Mustang Comp by Cycling Plus

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 >

A Successful Openday at Easy Pedal Bikes

Easy Pedal Bikes

On Sunday 17^th April Raleigh dealer, Easy Pedal Bikes opened their doors to the public for their Spring Open Sunday demonstration event. A warm, sunny day and the promise of refreshments including cakes & sweet treats resulted in an impressive turnout with plenty of people queuing up to test ride the Electric bikes. An extensive E-bike range was available to test with the popular Captus & Motus models featuring from Raleigh alongside Freego’s, Wisper’s and Muller’s to name a few.

Eastbourne’s local MP Caroline Ansell was spotted at the event and is pictured riding a Raleigh Motus. When asked what she thought of the Motus Caroline commented “[it’s] effortless to ride, feels like I’m being pushed along!” Rumor has it that Caroline is now keen to purchase an E-bike for use around Eastbourne and is planning to get her hands on a Raleigh Motus.

When commenting on the event, Mike Crossman, Raleigh’s Area Account Manager for Eastbourne said “It was a really successful day all in all; lots of customers were willing to have a go and that is what it’s all about with E-bikes. It’s surprising how many people have the impression that E-bikes are not for them at first then try them out and just don’t want to give them back!”

Why not try out one of our E-bikes for yourself? Just get yourself down to one of our upcoming dealer demonstration events near you.

Raleigh’s Roker looks like a racer that enjoys a bit of rough

Raleigh has six gravel bikes in its 2016 range, which is topped by the Roker Pro and the 2500 Roker Race. As you’d hope for from the most expensive bike on test the Pro is nstantly likeable. It’s not the lightest machine here, and only gets SRAM’s Apex-level alloy chainset rather than Rival or Force, but it has an immediately fresh and clean feel.

The head angle is quite slack, which should slow the steering down. But the solidity of the
142x12mm front thru-axle helps to keep the steering sharp, and it still feels quick and responsive through RALEIGH ROKER PRO £2000 › Raleigh’s Roker looks like a racer that enjoys a bit of rough the bar. Its chunky chainstays and 142x12mm rear thru-axle transfer
your power well, but the curved toptube and flat wishbone seatstays mean that drive doesn’t mean discomfort even over rough forest roads. It wasn’t knocked off its stride by rutted and rubble- ‘repaired’ farm tracks, either

A lot of the credit for the Roker’s impressive ride quality has to go to the American Classic tubelessready wheelset and Schwalbe G-One tyres. The latter are listed as 35mm but thanks to the wider rim blow up to 39mm. Simply adding valves would turn them tubeless, which would make them lighter, smoother and puncture-resistant in a single stroke. But even with inner tubes the fat, fast-rolling carcass feels great on the road when it comes to
sustaining speed, and off road the stipple tread offers much better grip than you’d expect, even in the wet. The FC350 chainset’s 44-tooth ring is the biggest on test, but this is offset by a super-wide-range 10-42 cassette. The result is that you’ll hit 60kph before you spin out, but can still grunt up walking pace cyclocross climbs if you’re determined.

The flipside is the bigger gaps between gears, which can irritate when you’re riding hallow slopes or rolling terrain on the road.

All our testers appreciated the simplicity of purely sequential gearing offered by a single ring, so you never have to work out which ring and sprocket combination delivers the next ratio. As with the other bikes here, it also results in a clean look, and reduces the chance
of grass or other off-road debris clogging the frame, while there’s no chance of anything getting caught in the front mech as there isn’t one. This is why single chainrings have
become so popular in cyclo-cross races. SRAM’s Rival hydraulic disc brakes also come into their own in filthy conditions. Their fine control and modulation is noticeably better
than rim brakes in the dry – and in a totally different class if you’re dealing with wet, dirty rims.

There are a couple of potential Achilles heels on this otherwise weatherproof machine. For some reason there are no front mudguard mounts, which is especially odd as the rear is ready for ’guards and a rack. We also aren’t fans of the open cable entry holes in the frame and a large aperture for the internally routed front disc brake line, both of which could potentially let water in. You could seal them with something like Sugru mouldable glue, but we’d have liked a neater solution. But those are minor negatives on a machine that offers a comfortable, lively ride, a racy riding position, quick steering, keen brakes and
a wide range of gears.

The result is a versatile ride if you don’t want to be restricted by a pure road bike.

Find out more about the Roker Pro here >

Raleigh Militis Race wins the BikesEtc Best of British test

Before we get round to the enviable task of throttling the Raleigh over a four-hour ride in
the Peaks, it’s clear that the Militis is one well-appointed bike. Running the same frameset as the brand’s pro team bikes, and comprehensively specced with SRAM’s second-tier Force groupset, from shifters to brakes to chainset to derailleurs, it’s festooned with equipment of the level we’ve seen on road bikes costing £1,000 more. It’s
also a real head-turner, not least for its wearing of the traditional Raleigh heron head badge, but especially thanks to its eye-catching tangerine and metal-effect paint job. Turn up on the next club run on this and people will flock round you.

You’ll also batter them. The Raleigh’s race pedigree shows itself from the moment we set off down the descent of the Peak District’s Cat & Fiddle. It’s super-stable at speed in a straight line, and as we weave through the sinuous downhill turns, we need to recalibrate
our head – it changes direction so quickly that less experienced riders would call it twitchy. The way this bike turns, on the flat as well as when rocketing down a mountainside, is with the utmost directness and confidence. Schwalbe’s ever-excellent One tyres assist in this, especially in this 25c size, as a larger contact patch adds even more cornering assistance to these already grippy tyres.

Overall, it’s a lightweight package, making uphill riding far from arduous. Equipped with a compact chainset and 11-28 cassette you could climb anything on this. However, the one
thing that holds us back in the Peaks is the 53/39 chainset, causing some grindingly slow ascents.

Sprints to cafés and up short ramps are made child’s play by the incredibly punchy frame, and Cole’s C27 wheelset is a cut above the usual budget wheels so often found fitted to otherwise highly-specified road bikes. Special mentions go to the all-day-cosseting Fizik Arione saddle and ergonomically perfect 400mm bars on our size 53 frame, topping off a truly excellent all-round package that would not only help you destroy your rivals a crit race but do just as good a job of supplying fun and comfort on your next sportive.

There’s no better testing ground for any bike than the gruelling climbs and precipitous descents of the Peak District, and all three of these bikes handled their duties on this punishing terrain with aplomb. Even the two of our bikes with standard double chainsets were capable of grinding out a climb, and all three offered enough speed to thrill. In fact, if you fail to be thrilled by a 50mph descent on a road bike, you might want to check your pulse to make sure you’re still alive.

What makes the Raleigh Militis Race our overall winner is simple. It offers the best
combination of poise, stiffness, confidence and overall specification to fit any situation.
Yes, it’s built to race, but if you’re looking for a bike to excite you on a long ride, it’ll ably
feed your adrenaline habit, too. Tifosi’s SS26 might be a little too focussed in its current
build to suit most riders, but if it’s a race bike you’re after, look no further. Equally, Hoy’s
Alto Irpavi .004 has abundant character and would be the only bike you’d need if leisure
rides in all conditions were on the cards. What all three bikes prove is that, while we might not be making them in numbers, Britain sure knows how to create a good bike build that’s designed to excel on the varied terrain of this green and pleasant land.

To find out more about the Militis Race click here >

The Observer chooses the Criterium Race as its bike of the week

Raleigh is almost 130 years old. But a decade ago, it was on its knees. You’d never have dreamed of buying a Raleigh – unless of course you came across a vintage Chopper. But in 2012 the huge Dutch corporation Accell stepped in and gave the historic brand the breathing space and, more crucially, the funds to refind its mojo. The Raleigh race team was relaunched to spearhead R&D and the fruit of all that labour is now peddling its way to a bike shop near you. The latest generation of frames are award-winning, and this Criterium Race is a perfect example. It’s lightweight carbon and offers the best balance of stiffness and weight available at this level. It’s a super ride – and the satisfaction of being on a great British bike will last long after the burning in your thighs has eased.

Credit: Martin Love, The Observer

find out more about the Criterium Race here>

Roker Pro wins the Guardians adventure bike test

It is a well-worn joke among cyclists that the ideal number of bikes to own equals n + 1, where (n) is the number of cycles you already possess. However, a new category of bike has arrived in the shops that threatens to disprove that equation. The new genre is known as the adventure bike and for a few pounds more it promises to be the only bike you need. You’ve guessed it: the textbooks about the right number of bikes to own may have to be rewritten.

The adventure bike should be capable of shuttling you to work, carrying you on countryside bridleways and transporting you over long distances for sponsorship money. Granted, many bikes could do all these things but the adventure bike should convey you with less effort and fewer mishaps.

The adventure bike recipe should include all or most of the following ingredients:

1. Tyres with a little bit of grip that are at least 27mm wide, to cushion you from bumpy terrain and give you traction on the soft stuff

2. Disc brakes to stop you promptly in all conditions, including mud.

3. Relaxed frame geometry that’s gentle on your lower back and shoulders.

4. Eyelets for fixing mudguards and maybe some panniers, too.

Optional ingredients include: fixings for a third water bottle; a top tube that is cable-free and flattened for easier shouldering over obstacles; and thru-axles to keep the wheels firmly in place.

raleigh roker pro in ashdown forest
The Roker Pro takes a break in the Ashdown Forest. Photograph: Ian Tucker for the Observer
This bike’s winning feature is its Sram Rival 1X gearset. This dispenses with a front derailleur, which saves weight, ends chain rub and drop and simplifies gear changing and maintenance. Occasionally, I felt like I needed a higher or lower gear but this can also happen with a double chainring. The accompanying Sram hydraulic brakes offer great power and modulation. The 35mm Schwalbe Gravel 1 tyres soak up bumps and have enough grip for most off-road surfaces. In addition to the excellent components, the bike feels well put together – there were no unexplained noises and no mechanical tune-ups were needed to keep it going. Plus the top tube is a hand-friendly flattened shape for when you have to lug it over footbridges and stiles. Pretty light too.

Verdict
A winner. Will deal with pretty much anything you throw at it

Credit: Ian Tucker the Guardian

Find out more about the Roker Pro here>

The Raleigh Mustang Elite gets 4/5 in Out and About Live Magazine

Gravel bikes are all the rage at the minute and I have been riding one of Raleigh’s mid-range offerings, the wonderfully light (10.5kg) Mustang Elite (RRP £1,000). A gravel bike allows you to ride sportily and fast but also to cover moderate off-road tracks such as towpaths and forest tracks and roads.

The Mustang Elite sits in the middle of Raleigh’s large 2016 range of gravel bikes. A single chainwheel drives an 11-speed rear sprocket with a gear range of 386% and a lowest gear of around 29 gear inches. That’s a huge range off a single chainwheel, great for going fast and steep hill climbing whilst keeping the weight down and keeping the gears easy to use. Impressively, it’s all operated by single gear change lever.

The pimply, 40mm wide tyres have a very off-road look but the bike streaked away on tarmac, helped by the head-down position you adopt. On local tracks, the transition to a much more head-down approach took some getting used to.
The semi-hydraulic disc brakes were excellent, with nice gradual control in
the early stages of braking, giving way to quick and solid stopping power as
you squeeze harder on the levers.

It’s good value for what you get so the Mustang Elite is worth a look for sporty riders wanting to extend their road biking horizons.

Written by Richard Pearce

Find out more about the Mustang Elite here >

Raleigh Power bikes make their debut

A University of Brighton power-bike rental service for staff and students took to the streets for the first time (on Monday, 7 March).

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris, gave the new ‘e-bikes’ a trial run and declared them “excellent and great fun.”

She said: “The issue around sustainable transport and sustainable living is absolutely imperative for not just this nation but for every nation on earth, and the University of Brighton is strongly committed to sustainability.

“If this project in some small way makes a difference to emissions, to healthy living, to transport sustainability, then these are the things we must do. But we must not just practice them, we must research them and to find ways to change our behaviour to a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Associate Professor Anne Mandy, from the university’s Centre for Health Research, was awarded £36,000 to trial a fleet of 10 Electrically Assisted Power Cycles (EAPCs), one of 11 such projects funded by the Department for Transport to “help tourists, residents and workers go further by bike”.

The projects were chosen by Carplus, the non-profit environmental transport non-governmental organisation, which is investigating whether electric bikes are the answer to congestion, transport and health problems. Southern Railway and Eastbourne Borough Council are collaborating with the university’s research which will explore the uptake of electric bikes.

The launch, at Eastbourne railway station, was attended by Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell and Eastbourne Mayor, Councillor Janet Coles. Both trialled the bikes and gave them the thumbs up.

The Eastbourne EAPCs will be available between the university’s campus in Eastbourne and the town’s railway station. Staff members who have completed e-bike training will be given access to an e-bike booking system which will enable them to book one of the ten e-bikes based in Eastbourne station to use while on university business. Staff and students will also be able to sign up to a separate rental scheme enabling them to rent an e-bike for various periods of time.

Associate Professor Mandy, the project lead, said sustainability was one of the university’s core values: “The university’s Travel Plan shows that 43 per cent of staff and 21 per cent of students travel to university as single drivers in their cars. The strategy is to reduce single occupancy vehicle transport by 10 per cent for staff and seven per cent for students by 2016

“This project will demonstrate the value of EAPCs for linking rail and university locations, and will lead to more understanding of the role of storage solutions and innovative support services.”

Paul Best, Southern’s Project Manager which hosted the launch, said: “We are committed to promoting more sustainable ways of getting to and from the station and these bikes certainly fall into this category.”

The e-bikes will be stored at the station and will be able to move to and from campus, to be returned to the station by the end of the day. The scheme is also supported by Blacks Bikes bike shop at Eastbourne station car park. The shop will assist with charging and e-bike maintenance. Eastbourne campus estates and facilities department have also assisted with the initiative.

Earlier research into and trials of electronically-assisted bikes by the university in Brighton showed they encouraged more people to cycle. Dr Frauke Behrendt, Principal Lecturer in Media Studies and who helped initiate the project, said: “This project will demonstrate the value of EAPCs for linking rail and university locations, and will lead to more understanding of the role of storage solutions and innovative support services.”

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Electric bikes are a great way to encourage new people to get into cycling and I hope this interesting scheme encourages more people to take it up. Cycling helps cut congestion and is a healthy, affordable transport option.

“We want to double the number of journeys made by bicycle. That is why we are also investing over the next five years in cycle training and infrastructure.”

MP Caroline Ansel said the power bikes could revolutionise cycling in Eastbourne: “It’s an excellent pilot and I commend the University of Brighton for bringing it to Eastbourne – where we lead, others may follow. It’s good for the environment, good for finances, good for lifestyle – in every way, it’s a real winner.”

Anna Stefanaki, from the university’s Environment Team, said the team was hopeful the scheme could be the first of e-bike initiatives across university campuses in future.

For more information about renting an e-bike here: http://goo.gl/forms/xFxM3Doa7H and for more information on the university’s e-bike research, go to: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/healthresearch/research-projects/university-campus-e-bikes.aspx

To view a video of the launch, go to: https://mediastream.brighton.ac.uk/Play/3239

Cycling Weekly New Tiagra 4700 groupset: first look

Raleigh’s new Criterium Sport comes equipped with Shimano Tiagra 4700. Here are our first impressions of the new groupset.

Shimano’s new Tiagra 4700 groupset looks much more like Shimano’s higher end groupsets than its predecessor. Gone is the “dinnerplate” chainset, in favour of a new four-armed design which looks much more like the offerings in the 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace ranges. It is available in 50/34 compact and 52/36 semi-compact versions with crank lengths of 165 to 175mm as well as a 50/39/30 triple.

We’ve got in the 50/34 compact version attached to Raleigh’s new 2016 Criterium Sport aluminium bike. Raleigh claims that the £750 Criterium Sport is the first bike available in the UK with Tiagra 4700.

The other major visible change is in the shifters which have lost their gear indicator windows and also look much like Shimano’s higher end groupsets. Gear cables have followed the brake cables under the bar tape, rather than coming out of the side of the shifters – again like the higher-end groupsets.

Gearing remains ten-speed rather than being promoted to the eleven-speed of 105 and above. The double set-up will take a largest sprocket of 34 teeth whilst the triple tops out at 32 teeth. Shimano quotes a smallest sprocket of 12 teeth for this set-up. The Raleigh comes equipped with a SRAM cassette which has a range of 11-32 sprockets. The rear derailleur comes with a long cage to allow it to handle the wider range options.

The front mech has been redesigned with a longer cable arm to provide more leverage and lighter shifting option, which again reflects the design of Tiagra’s stablemates. The new 4700 Tiagra brakes also bear more than a passing resemblance to 105 and Ultegra and Shimano claims lower friction within the calipers, a 30% increase in braking power and better modulation relative to its predecessor.

Tiagra brakes are more efficient and better modulated

Overall, despite remaining ten-speed, Tiagra 4700 has much more of the look and feel of Shimano’s higher-end groupsets. We’ll report further once we’ve got out on the road and seen if it matches them in performance.

Road CC Just in: £750 Raleigh Criterium Sport with new Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset

This is the brand new 2016 Raleigh Criterium Sport, a £750 aluminium road bike equipped with the latest Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset. It’s just arrived in the office for testing so before we hit the road and get it all dirty, here’s a quick overview of the key features.

While it’s easy to get distracted by the glittery bikes at the top-end, with price tags that’ll have your jaw hitting the floor, there has been a lot of progress in the sub-£1,000 road bike market in recent years. A lot of the technology once only seen on range-topping bikes is filtering down the price ranges, meaning your pound goes a lot further than before.

On paper, this Raleigh Criterium Sport looks very good value for money. You get a really smart looking aluminium frame with full internal cable routing, and a carbon fibre fork with a tapered steerer tube. Those are the sort of details you just wouldn’t expect to see on bikes in this class a few years ago.

Raleigh has given the frame ‘Endurance Race’ geometry, which basically means it’s taller in the front so you don’t have to possess the flexibility of a yoga instructor to get comfortable on it, but not so tall if you do want to adopt a racy position. Raleigh describes the bike as “fast enough to race, comfortable enough to ride all day,” which provides a good indication of the sort of cyclist this bike is aimed at.

Onto this frame Raleigh has bolted the all-new Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset. It’s a full groupset too, no mix-and-match here. This is actually the first time we’ve seen the Japanese company’s new Tiagra, after seeing it launched earlier this year. We’re pretty excited to see how it performs, and if it’s anywhere near as good as the new 105 (which we loved) Shimano is onto a winner.

Like 105, the new Tiagra borrows a lot of technology and styling from the more expensive groupsets in the Shimano range. In case you’re wondering, Tiagra is Shimano’s fourth-tier groupset, and will feature on a lot of bikes in this price range in 2016.

While it’s still a 10-speed groupset, it does have the same four-arm chainset as first seen on Dura-Ace a few years ago (Shimano doesn’t wait long to trickle down tech from the top-end). This bike has a compact chainset, but it’s available in 52/36 and 53/39 – the 50/34 is right for this bike. That’s paired with an 11-32t cassette, so plenty of ratios for getting up the hills.

The other big visual, and ergonomic, change, is the new shifters. The cables are now hidden, routed as they are underneath the tape. The shape of the hoods and levers very closely resembles 105 and Dura-Ace, and in the hands they feel pretty much identical.

– First look: New Shimano Tiagra 4700 groupset

The bike is then finished with an aluminium handlebar, stem, seatpost and saddle from Raleigh’s in-house RSP brand. And it’s fine kit, not flash, but it looks the part. The RSP AC2.0 wheels are fitted with 25mm Schwalbe Lugano tyres with a K-Guard puncture belt.

The Raleigh Criterium Sport is available in six sizes from 49 to 61cm. The test bike is a 56cm and weighs 9.95kg (21.94lb).

And you like the like of this bike but your budget won’t quite stretch to £750, then the entry-level Criterium at £475 is worth a look. It has the same frame but swaps out the Tiagra parts for Shimano Claris.

It’s a good looking bike don’t you think? We’re (well I am) going to hit the road immediately to put it through its paces, so watch out for the review soon.

Raleigh Mustang features in Cycling Weekly’s “Top 5 adventure bikes to see at The Cycle Show”

With over 280 exhibitors to choose from at The Cycle Show it can be hard to see everything, but if you’re into gravel biking make sure you don’t miss these five beauties

So what separates a gravel bike from a road bike? Geometrically speaking, a longer wheelbase, shorter toptube, slacker headtube angle and they all have a much wider space for chunkier tyres.

These five bikes will all be exhibited at this year’s Cycle Show at the NEC in September, for more information head to www.cycleshow.co.uk.

Raleigh Mustang Elite £1,000

image: https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/Raleigh-Mustang-Elite1-copy.jpg

Raleigh introduces the Mustang this year, featuring SRAM’s 1x groupset, offering all the gears you need with only a single chainring on the front. The Mustang will be on show for the first time at this year’s Cycle Show.

NEW! The Raleigh Captus colour now in stock

Raleigh have bolstered their best selling range of eBkes with today’s launch of the Captus Colour.

The Captus Colour shares the same specification as the current Captus but with an emboldened blue colour scheme.

“Electric Bikes are leading a quiet revolution, gaining respect from enthusiasts and encouraging both the young and the less able to enjoy the freedom and health benefits of cycling. The Captus Colour is available in both light blue low step frame and electric blue cross bar frames and will appeal to the fast growing younger eBike target ” commented Pippa Wibberley, Sales and Marketing Director for Raleigh.

Raleigh have seen its electric bike sales double year on year and are now the biggest electric bike company in the UK. With a broad range of eBikes from Raleigh, complemented by specialist town and mountain eBikes from Koga and Haibike, Raleigh stockists have an eBike for everyone.

To find out more about the new Captus colour click here >>

Raleigh becomes bike sponsor for the www.cxmagazine.com Racing Team

Three of the http://www.cxmagazine.com Racing Team’s young riders will be tackling the forthcoming 2015-16 Cyclo-Cross season on Raleigh’s RX Race bikes, thanks to a new deal with the cycle manufacturer.

The team’s three under-23 category riders Hannah Saville, Joanna Rycroft and Edwyn Oliver-Evans, will be competing in both National and Regional race series, plus the season ending National Championships in January 2016. They will all be riding bikes from Raleigh’s new 2016 Cyclo-Cross range, which for the first time includes female specific bikes.

The trio have already tasted success on two wheels in 2015, with Hannah the reigning Yorkshire Junior Champion, Joanna holding the Three Peak under-23 title and course record and Edwyn a recent double medallist in GB colours at the European Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships.

The http://www.cxmagazine.com Racing Team is run by veteran riders Steve Smales and Ted Sarmiento and Ted believes the Raleigh deal will give the team a significant boost: “We are all super excited by the additional help Raleigh is offering the team. Having top-class equipment is crucial in a sport which puts both riders and bikes through extremely demanding conditions. Hannah, Joanna and Edwyn will all benefit hugely from Raleigh’s support. All three are training hard and can’t wait to test their new hardware in race conditions. Roll on winter!”

Pippa Wibberley, Raleigh Sales and Marketing Director commented. “Raleigh has always been committed to supporting young riders to help progress their careers in cycling. Cyclo-Cross offers us an excellent chance to help these young riders become the World Champions of the future.”

Hannah, the team’s newest and youngest rider is hoping to live up to Raleigh’s prestigious reputation as a world-class bike builder: “I’m really looking forward to racing the ‘cross season aboard a Raleigh bike, especially at the Three Peaks race this September, where, hopefully, the bike will help me be competitive. I really appreciate the support from Raleigh and I’m stoked to be able to try out a race orientated female specific bike. It’s a vast improvement from the current bikes I’m riding and I hope I can do them justice this season by racing hard and getting them muddy!”

http://www.cxmagazine.com Racing Team

Team managers:

Steve Smales and Ted Sarmiento

Supported Riders 2015-6:

Hannah Saville (U23)

Joanna Rycroft (U23)

Edwyn Oliver-Evans (U23)

Raleigh provide first electric bike fleet to Center Parcs’

Raleigh have had a long standing reputation as one of the most popular hire fleet brands in the UK, so what better than working with one of the biggest hire fleets around. In June Raleigh won the tender to supply Center Parcs with their first ever electric bike hire fleet.

Electric bikes have come on leaps and bounds in recent years with advancements in battery life and motor reliability and Raleigh have been at the forefront of this development by working closely with manufacturers like Bosch and Yamaha to produce the best electric bikes in the market. All of these new advances mean that electric bikes are perfect for hire fleets, the make cycling accessible to anybody no matter their fitness level or capability by offering exercise and fun without exhaustion.

Geoff Giddings, Raleigh Product and Sourcing Director added: “By introducing the new electric bike hire fleet Center Parcs have opened cycling up to a whole new range of customers. Offering them the ability to enjoy cycling with the whole family.”

The company currently have 10 Raleigh Motus bikes per site in the UK that are regularly maintained to a high standard so customers looking to take one out for a spin can look forward to excellent availability and an enjoyable experience.

To find out more about booking a stay visit: http://www.centerparcs.co.uk/

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Hit the trails with Raleigh’s 2016 Gravel road bike range

2015 has seen many new markets take shape in the cycle industry with the likes of 27.5″ becoming more dominant and the introduction of Boost seeing a new discipline being introduced.

One market that has been around for a while in many forms is the utility bike. It has many names, Adventure, All Road, Gravel and even Graventure.

After the introduction of the Raleigh Maverick range of utilitarian bikes we realised that it was time for us to take control of this market and expand our range and give it a clear and specific name. For 2016 the Gravel Road range was born….

The whole range is designed to be used on a multitude of terrains and give cyclists a bike that has one pure purpose, to enjoy cycling. The Gravel Road range is happy on loose surfaces, mud or tarmac, it can be fitted with mudguards, a rack and wider tyres making it completely adaptable. Our range is designed specifically to suit British conditions.

Models range from the alloy Mustang range up to the full carbon Roker range with the Maverick steel range sitting in the middle of the two. Our range will suit the beginner to the enthusiast, giving them a bike that is ready for the short trip to the shop right up to the weekend sportive or cycling holiday with the family.

The Cycling Weekly team recently came to visit us to take a look round the new range of Gravel Road bikes that are coming soon. Here is what they had to say.

Nine new carbon framed Roker and aluminium framed Mustang bikes greatly extend Raleigh’s adventure road bike options

For 2016 Raleigh has launched a new carbon adventure road bike range and extended its aluminium offerings. Named the Roker, the new carbon bike has a bang up to date spec. This includes SRAM’s 1x drivetrain with post mount hydraulic disc brakes on many models, thru axles front and rear and space for 35mm plus tyres. All cables and hoses are routed internally and the frame is equipped with bottle cage mounts.

The top spec Roker Race costs £2500 and comes with a SRAM Force 1x drivechain with SRAM Force Hydro disc brakes. Wheels are American Classic Hurricane tubeless ready disc wheels. These follow the trend for wider rims with an internal width of 18mm and are 24mm deep. With 32 spokes laced three-cross front and rear, American Classic quote a weight of 1646g for the pair. They come shod with Schwalbe G-One gravel tyres, a brand new design from Schwalbe which uses its Tubeless Easy technology and has a small knobbed tread.

The Roker Race comes with a carbon seatpost and a Fizik Aliante saddle, which is well-padded to adsorb some of the jolts off-road.

Below the Roker range sits the Mustang range which has aluminium frames and carbon forks. The top spec Mustang Comp model costs £1000 and comes with SRAM Rival 1x drivechain with Rival hydraulic disc brakes. The range extends down to a Shimano Claris equipped 16-speed bike priced at £650.

Raleigh will continue to offer its existing steel framed Maveric range, which extends up to the £1150 Elite equipped with SRAM Rival drivetrain, TRP HyRD hybrid mechanical-hydraulic disc brakes and 35mm tyres.

The bikes are due to be launched soon so keep a look out for them on the Raleigh website.

New Team Raleigh Militis

Team Raleigh captain Ian Wilkinson unveiled his new Militis Team carbon bike to Cycling Weekly at the recent Eddie Soens race, in which he sprinted to a well deserved podium place.

Resplendent in its new striking colour scheme of red, yellow and black, that gives a modern twist to the famous colourways of the dominant TI Raleigh squad of the 80’s this new styling matches perfectly with the retro styled team kit launched last year.

The team bike features the latest Sram Red 22 groupset, Cole carbon wheels, Schwalbe ONE tubular tyres and finishing kit from FSA, Fizik and Elite with Wilkinson’s bike featuring the new Fizik Aliante saddle.

Further details of the team bikes will be launched later in the year by Raleigh UK

Follow the teams results and progress this season at http://www.teamraleighgac.com/

Raleigh support for triathlete Sophie Coldwell

Rising British Triathlon star Sophie Coldwell enters into her second year of support from Raleigh.

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Sophie aged 20 and living close by the Raleigh offices in Nottingham is a member of the British Triathlon World Class Podium Potential Squad. After a fantastic season in 2014 Sophie is looking forward to another good year ahead with the distant target of the Rio Olympics in her sights.

Raleigh have supplied Sophie with the latest top of the range Militis Team, this lightning quick carbon frame comes equipped with Sram Red 22 groupset and Cole carbon wheels a bike also ridden by Team Raleigh to great successes on the road.

Further details on the bike Sophie will be using can be found at, http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=14&pg=10718

Abraham ahead of Tommy Godwins 1939 record

Long distance cycling specialist Steve Abraham set off on an epic journey on 1st January 2015 to break a long standing record of 75,000 ridden in a year held since 1939 by the late Tommy Godwin.

Raleigh along with other iconic British cycling brands have chosen to sponsor Steve on his epic adventure just like they did with Tommy over 76 years ago.

Steve’s progress to date is awe inspiring having totalled over 15,500 miles which now puts him over 2500 miles ahead of the record, his daily progress can be tracked on Strava or on his website http://oneyeartimetrial.org.uk/

The bike Steve chose to ride was a Raleigh Sojourn touring bike, as a long standing Audax rider, comfort, lightweight and reliability where high on his list of priorities, but this bike also offers a modern twist with its fitment of disk brakes something which Steve has taken to because of their robust nature and the simple fact is he doesn’t wear out the rims as you would with standard brakes.

You can read the full article about the bike on the Road CC report http://road.cc/content/news/143511-steven-abraham%E2%80%99s-raleigh-sojourn-year-record-bike

For further information about Tommy Godwin go to his website http://www.tommygodwin.com/

Please join us in wishing Steve continued success with the record as we move into lighter nights and warmer weather

Raleigh’s Birmingham Bike Boost

Raleigh will be supplying 5000 city bikes to Birmingham City Council as part of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution. 2000 of these bikes will be used for community hire programmes and the remainder given away to people who will use them for their everyday journeys and leisure.

Based on the popular and proven Raleigh Strada, the bikes have light but strong alloy frames and 21 gears to make it easier to ride up hills. They are fitted with specially selected durable parts including rust resistant chains to minimise maintenance.

Terry Blackwood Raleigh’s senior product manager said. “ We have worked with the team at Big Birmingham Bike Initiative to produce a bike that is a pleasure to ride but durable enough to stand up the use these bikes are expected to get.”

Birmingham City Council have secured £17million of funding from the Department for Transport to improve cycling within the city. The Birmingham Cycle Revolution combines infrastructure improvements with the bike giveaway, cycle training and other programmes to encourage the people of Birmingham to use the bicycle more.

Mark Gouldthorp Raleigh’s MD commented that “Raleigh is delighted to supply bikes to this programme in Birmingham it’s part of our continued support of initiatives to encourage cycling in the UK”

Raleigh extends sponsorship of Mallory Youth Cycling League

Raleigh UK enters into its 2nd year of sponsorship with the Mallory Youth road race league which consists of a series of races running from April through to August for riders between 8 and 16 years of age.

Now into its second year this popular series for the champions of tomorrow has an increased race program, making for more exciting racing and keeping the challenge for the overall honors competitive until the last race.

This year Raleigh are supporting the league with race leaders yellow jersey’s supplied by the Manchester based clothing manufacturer Lusso.

Established in 1982 Lusso pride themselves on being a British manufacturer of cycle clothing who are continuously improving their products with new designs and fabrics to ensure their garments stand out and perform to the highest level.

Another exciting addition to the sponsorship is the inclusion of the U14 and U16 boys and girls overall winners being included on the Raleigh Supported Riders Program for the following season.

This sees the riders receiving a Raleigh Militis Race bike retailing at £2400 to use for the 2016 season

Raleigh UK Product/Marketing Director Geoff Giddings commented “Both Raleigh and Lusso being UK companies are passionate about cycling and are committed to the development of the sport in the UK and finding the champions of the future. With our support last year the Mallory Youth RR league grew in stature and is fast becoming the best Youth league in the country”