Raleigh RX Comp cyclo cross bike review

This must be the fourth or fifth Raleigh I’ve ridden over the last few years, most in tests for Cycling Active. As something of a self-professed expert in the recent history of Raleigh bikes, I have to say I like the way things are going. Last month, I was impressed with Raleigh’s all new Strada 6 hybrid, and now Raleigh is heading off-road.

For 2014, Raleigh has drawn up a to-do list, with a couple of major boxes to tick. First is to reintroduce a time trial bike to the range, something that it hasn’t had for a few years. The second is this, the RX range of cyclo-cross bikes, Raleigh’s first collection dedicated solely to cyclo-cross.

It has done a great job with the looks. Co-tester Dan said that his Cube looked great out of the box, but personally I don’t think it can compete with the Raleigh. The RX’s graphics are definitely a step in the right direction. I’ve seen enough red-and-black bikes to last a lifetime. Along with the bang-up-to-date finish, the Raleigh has a solid spec sheet. There’s a lightweight alloy frame, and an even lighter carbon fork. SRAM Apex takes care of the shifting, while Avid BB7 brakes make for fast stopping. A cyclo-cross-specific chainset, which is the common feature among all our test bikes, served me well for the rolling terrain I had planned.

The chunky wheels are Raleigh’s own, and they’re fitted with Schwalbe’s fast and very capable Racing Ralph tyres. They’re a good choice, certainly very capable off-road but also not too knobbly for tarmac duties. They proved themselves to be at their most comfortable on muddy terrain, switching between dry and wet conditions.