A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to head down to
Bike Motion to pick up my new 2015 Raleigh Militis Race; the bike I’ll be
racing for everything draft legal this year. After riding it for a couple of
weeks and making it round a 100km road race in grim conditions at the weekend I
thought I’d share my thoughts on it with everyone.
The first thing you notice about it is the striking
paintwork, a sort of velvety satin black with bold yellow detailing. I could
see how it wouldn't be everyone’s cup of tea but personally I think it looks
brilliant, and really stands out from the majority of bland coloured bikes of
recent. It’s certainly been getting a few curious looks from people, both at
races and as I’ve been riding it about. The frame is complemented well by a
yellow and black saddle from Fizik and black finishing kit, mainly from Raleigh’s
RSP brand, as well as a set of black and yellow Cole Rollen Elite Wheels.
The Militis Race that I’m riding uses an identical frame and
forks to the Militis Team model as used by the pro team of Raleigh GAC, proving
its pedigree. The frame weight is a measly 880g which is incredible considering
the muscular downtube, headtube and bottom bracket area. With the SRAM Force 22
groupset and 1570g Cole wheels it comes in at under 7.3kg! I put my tubular race wheels on for the weekend and this knocked a further couple of hundred grams off the bike, getting it pretty close to properly light bike territory!
When first riding the bike, you’re instantly reminded that
this is a race machine, and no corners have been cut in order to give you a
super racy bike. The frame is super stiff under power, with only a small amount
of flex being detected from the 1570g wheelset on climbs. The 53/39 carbon Sram Force
Chainset, paired with the 11-27t 11 speed cassette gives you a wide range of
options no matter what gradient you’re confronted by. It powers along beautifully on the flat, and
my 57cm top tube model, paired with a 120mm stem gets me in a comfortable, but efficient
position with ease. Riding it for 100km in a race position at the weekend was a
lot nicer than expected. I was dubious about comfort after being in the saddle
for a few hours, due to the racy nature of the bike, but never did I notice any
substantial road buzz or crashiness at all. It handled beautifully as well, with a really predictable and solid feeling nature, something that isnt always apparent on lightweight bikes. This thing really felt planted through the fast corners, even on the wet and poorly surfaced roads, and the brakes are super predictable and positive also.
Overall I have been super impressed with how its performing,
and I’m super excited to be riding and racing this bike this year. The only
issue I can see with the bike so far is the wheelset perhaps taking more maintenance
than some to keep running true. I’ve had to give the rear wheel a little true
up already, but to be honest I can’t imagine any sub 1600g wheelset being any
different whilst training on Devon’s road surfaces through the winter!
I'll keep you updated throughout the season on my progress with this bike.
Cheers,
Oli
No comments:
Post a Comment