SOPHISTICATED VERSATILITY - NEW 2008 PRODUCT

We are excited to introduce the all-new Cadent FT Series, the most sophisticated performance hybrid line we have made. Bridging the gap between road and hybrid, the Cadent FT Series features our Re²P (Relaxed, Ergonomic, Effective Positioning) geometry, which improves comfort without sacrificing performance, and we have equipped all the FT models with flat handle bars for added stability.

Our Cadent FT line invites an array of riding styles; it's designed around the rider who wants the nimble handling and speed of a road bike but doesn’t want to be hunched over or feel unstable while riding on drop bars. The FT line is user friendly, with a frame design that is quick and peppy for weekly interval training, nimble and stable for year-round commuting, comfortable and efficient for weekend century rides, and relaxed for a casual afternoon of trail riding with the family.

The Cadent FT line comes in four models: Cadent FC (C=Carbon), Cadent FT3, Cadent FT2, and Cadent FT1 (men’s and women’s).

{CLICK ON BIKES TO GET THE FULL PICTURE}

CADENT FC
Introducing the all-new Cadent FC (C=Carbon), the most sophisticated performance hybrid we have made. Using carbon technology from our award winning ACE/Direct Connect (Advanced Carbon Engineered) carbon road frame, the Cadent FC sets a new standard in flat bar road performance. Newly enhanced with the super sharp Shimano Sora drivetrain and an Avenir flat bar for responsive stability/comfort, the Cadent FC is the bike of choice for any rejuvenating workout, long road ride, or commute.

CADENT FT3
Sophisticated versatility. Bridging the gap between road and hybrid, the Cadent FT3’s Re²P (Relaxed, Ergonomic, Effective Positioning) geometry improves comfort without sacrificing performance, creating a lively feel when you are pushing your limits. Geared with a Shimano Tiagra drivetrain, light weight hydro-formed aluminum frame, carbon fork, and Shimano R500 wheelset, the Cadent FT3 is one bike that craves speed.

CADENT FT2
Nimble, fast, refreshing, and sophisticated. With increased stability and comfort thanks to the new Avenir flat bar and our Re²P geometry, the Cadent FT2 will conquer anything you throw its way. From fitness intervals up hills or a brisk morning commute – you’ll roll with precision, style and confidence. Complete with Shimano Sora Drive train, carbon fork, and hydro-formed Atomic 13 aluminum frame.

CADENT FT1 Mens

CADENT FT1 Womens

CADENT FT1
Designed around the rider that wants the speed and agility of a road bike, but also wants comfort and stabilit, the Cadent FT1 will get you quickly and safely across town or keep you up to speed with your weekend club rides. Integrated with our Re²P (Relaxed, Ergonomic, Effective Positioning), the FT1 provides comfort well beyond the 25 mile mark and the stability of the flat bar gives confidence while rolling with cars in city traffic. Women’s and men’s models available.


Coming soon to our website: raleighusa.com

A VISUAL PLAY WITH CARBON

COASTING & THE AUTOMATIC SHIFT

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There have been some questions floating around this blog and some other forums inquiring about the performance of shifting with Shimano's Coasting groupo. Here is a question one of our readers left in the comments page of this past post (THE PERFECT SPEED).

Q}It seems to stick in third when I start up a hill. I know this bike is supposed to be a "no brain-er", but am I doing something wrong?

A} No, you aren't doing anything wrong - the auto-shift engages as you slow down going up the hill. The common thing for us to do when starting up a hill is to try and keep our momentum from the flats. So, we push the pedals a bit harder to maintain that speed which makes the shifting box think you want to stay at this speed (hence no down shifting).

With the Coasting shifter you should keep your same pedal rhythm (or COAST) while starting up a hill, the bike will naturally slow down going up hill allowing the RPM gauge in the front hub to shift down to 2nd smoothly.

Plus, an added bonus is you can adjust your gear shifting timing (see graphic above). This knob is located on the box that sits on the seat tube.

Hope that helps and please keep the comments and questions coming. Enjoy.

THUMBS UP!

Whew! It has been a pretty busy couple of weeks. First the Raleigh crew was part of the Brad Lewis Memorial Criterium the weekend of April 7th and 8th, and then we were right off to the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, on the 11th for five days of wind, cold, rain, and bicycle racing!

The Sea Otter Classic has become more than just a bicycle race; it is a real gathering of bicycle racers and enthusiasts along with the bicycle industry and press. Bicycling magazine, in addition to being a major sponsor of the Sea Otter Classic, uses the event to host its Editor’s Choice Awards and VIP Barbeque. Raleigh has been honored to have bicycles nominated in several categories each of the last three years, but we have always gone home with out a “blue square” – that’s industry slang for the Editor’s Choice Award (see the photo to understand why). This year the 2007 Raleigh Competition was nominated in the Recreational Road Bike category, and WE WON! It is a great honor and thrill to have the technical staff from Bicycling recognize the Competition as a category leader, and from everyone here at Raleigh to all the hard-working members of the Bicycling team – thanks!

The 2007 Raleigh Competition features the totally redesigned Raleigh A.C.E. (Advanced Carbon Engineering) Evolution frame with our proprietary Direct Connect Carbon Technology, combined with our race-proven geometry. Direct Connect Carbon Technology is an assembly process that eliminates the need for lugs, overlapping joints, or expensive fixed molds. By using precisely mitered multi-shaped tubes, joined directly to each other, our design and engineering team is able to add material only where it is most needed, minimizing voids and creating a very light (57cm frame weighs less than 1 kilo), exceptionally strong frame. The Raleigh A.C.E. Evolution frame is also available on the 2007 Raleigh Supercourse and Prestige model bicycles, and as a Team frame and fork.

While every member of the Raleigh team deserves credit for this award, special congratulations should go to Kyle Casteel for a great frame design and product spec, Dorik Downing for the beautiful color and graphics, and finally Toby Webster and Carey Schleicher-Haselhorst for their great work with Bicycling.

For a little more on this year’s Sea Otter event and our adventures down in “sunny” California – take a look at our sister blog www.diamondbackbicycles.blogspot.com.

THE PERFECT SPEED - JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING

Imagine a bicycle smart enough to shift gears for you, keep you comfy on those casual rides around town, and one that will permanently put a smile on your face. At last, a bike that understands you – the Raleigh Coasting bicycle. A dynamic combination of the very stylish Shimano Coasting components featuring a three-speed auto shifting system with a coaster brake and an elegantly designed frame with a “six-pack” front rack – just the right size for six of your favorite canned or bottled beverages and it even has a built in bottle opener. The Raleigh Coasting bicycle is smart, simple, practical, and stylish too.

Shimano’s concept "Coasting" stems from the desire to reunite people that haven’t touched a bike since their childhood with the fun and exhilaration of riding. There has been a lot of great coverage in the past month so here are a few links to get you informed:

Bike Portland
Design & Emotion
Hemispheres - Feb. Issue under "Executive Secrets" (United Airlines In-Flight Mag.) or PDF here
Spirit - Southwest Airlines In-Flight Mag.
IDEO
Coasting
Bicycle Design
GeekSugar
Bicycling Magazine - Great 7 page article in current Buyer's Guide Issue
Industry Outsider
Cycle-Licious

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Women's Coasting - Fresh Mint Men's Coasting - Black Forest Green

We are excited to introduce the totally redesigned 2007 Raleigh A.C.E. Evolution/Direct Connect carbon road frames. By using the most advance technologies available in carbon design, our product development group and engineers have created a frame that is feather light. Weighing in at 1 kilo (960g for a 57cm) – our 2007 road frame holds a unique stiffness: weight ratio making this frame the lightest and most durable frame Raleigh as ever made. So, here is a bit of information to familiarize you with our new carbon technology.

Q: Why does the carbon on my A.C.E. Evolution/Direct Connect frame seems to have inconsistencies?

A: Carbon fiber material is made up of exactly that – fibers. These carbon fibers come in a variety of thicknesses and individually have unique characteristics. When these individual fibers are combined to create a larger strand – undulations, ripples, bends, etc. occur (Fig. 1). This is one reason why the fibers on our A.C.E. Evolution carbon frames appear to have “rough or inconsistent spots.” The other reason is we have decided to eliminate what is called the cosmetic/aesthetic weave finish which reduces the weight of our carbon without sacrificing the strength or stiffness (Fig.2).

Q: It looks like there is a seam on the top tube/rear stays; does this compromise the structure of the frame?

A: Our ACE Evolution carbon frames are made up of Uni-Directional sheets that are oriented in the same direction. Various uni-directional sheets are then stacked together (layed-up) at different angles until the desired mix of layers and fibers is achieved for the appropriate area of the frame. The sheets are then cut to a specific dimension, wrapped around a deflated air bladder, inserted into a two-sided mold where the carbon and bladder are heated. When heated the bladder expands pushing the carbon material against the mold interior to shape the tube and insure optimal fiber compaction. So, what appears to be a “seam” is actually an indention from the mold and will not compromise the strength, performance or integrity of your ACE Evolution carbon frame.

Q: The carbon tubes seem to flex when I squeeze the tubes in my hand, why is this?

A: Through our A.C.E. Evolution/Direct Connect technology we are able to create thinner tubes without sacrificing the strength or stiffness. Naturally a thinner carbon tube will flex more than a thicker tube - but we have also tactically placed stronger/thicker carbon fiber material in areas on the frame that are load bearing hot spots to make the frame stiffer, stronger, and more responsive where appropriate (Fig 3).





Example on the left is our Cadent Carbon fork raw. The fork on the right is the same fork finished with a clear coat that is applied to all of our A.C.E. Evolution/Direct Connect carbon frames. Note the clear coat glorifies and accentuates the naturally sophisticated pattern of the carbon fibers and lay-up process.

Our Direct Connect has gone through more intensive testing than any other frame we have ever produced. Using both factory testing as well as independent testing – we were able to test every size of both the Team and Cadent frames. In both cases these frames exceeded all international standards– and proved themselves to have more integrity than any road frame we currently produce. In many cases even after 250000 cycles we were unable to compromise the frame. We are extremely proud of these results.

Check out Bicycling magazines rave review of our 2007 Prestige - this bicycle is our top of the line ACE Evolution/Direct Connect complete carbon bike.

{click on cover & review to enlarge}

A rave review of the 2007 Prestige graces page 95 of Bicycling magazine's MARCH issue. "Value Priced Carbon Bikes" is the theme of the article and the Prestige came in as the lightest and most peppy of the five bikes tested, which included Felt, Giant, Jamis, and Schwinn. “THE FACT THAT WE EVEN COMPARE THE PRESTIGE TO HIGH-DOLLAR RACE/DREAM BIKES SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING – IT’S NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE, BUT IT’S CLOSER THAN THE PRICE TAG SUGGESTS,” commented Ron Koch, the product tester. With an outstanding review and a feature cover under its seat, the Prestige is "lightly" brushing up interest. Why not play on an intelligently designed machine that only costs $2,625?

technology

DIRECT CONNECT TECHNOLOGY
By using the most advance technologies available in carbon design, our product development group and engineers have created a frame that is feather light. Weighing in at 1 kilo (960g for a 57cm) – our 2007 road frame wears a unique stiffness:weight ratio making this frame the lightest and most durable frame Raleigh as ever made.


SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
{1} Each tube starts as sheets of High Modulus carbon fiber that are laid-up for specific tube shape and function requirements. Creating our Advanced Carbon Engineering Evolution Tube sets. {2} After a carefully controlled cooling process the tubes are miter cut to very specific lengths for assembly into a frame. {3} Each tube is bonded to another tube while being held in place in a frame jig ensuring exact alignment. {4} The joints are then over-wrapped with a series of high Modulus carbon fiber strips to reinforce the joint. Then the entire frame (still mounted in the frame jig to ensure exact alignment) compresses each joint using proprietary methodology and tooling. Then is re-heated so the resin of the wrapping strips bonds with the tubes creating a very strong and sculpted joint.

THE ADVANTAGES
We are able to produce a frame that eliminates the use of lugs and overlapping joints, which reduces weight significantly. Another advantage to constructing frames with the Direct Connect Technology is the ability to individually give each tube their own specific carbon lay-up (known as our A.C.E. Evolution {scroll down to see this story}). Lastly, this technology gives us flexibility in engineering geometry that is race-ready.

2007 BICYCLES UTILIZING THE DIRECT CONNECT/A.C.E. EVOLUTION FRAME:
Team Frame/set
Prestige
Competition
Supercourse
Cadent Carbon


A.C.E (Advanced Carbon Engineering) EVOLUTION
A.C.E Evolution is the designation used to describe our High Modulus Carbon that is used to create the carbon tubes used in the Direct Connect Carbon frames. It is made up of Uni-Directional carbon layers that are specifically laid up to create a unique profile for each carbon tube.

The Evolution of A.C.E reduces the weight of carbon without sacrificing the strength or stiffness. We have eliminated the cosmetic/aesthetic weave finish to further shave grams and designed the tubing to compliment our Direct Connect process. The result – a frame that is so intelligent it will respond without hesitation to your every move.

Enjoy the Ride!