Interbike 2013: All Roads Lead to Raleigh...

Over the past few years I have really taken an interest in the Raleigh brand. Their bikes, across the entire spectrum - road, mountain and cross, have piqued my curiosity. I dare say, I would be more than content to ride one on a daily basis. The inclusion of an outdoor paddock at this years Interbike afforded me the opportunity to move beyond the simple ogling stage; while the big component makers were all out there, there were not that many bike makers. Fortunately Raleigh was one of those who were. Thanks to Dave Pearson for setting me up on both a Revenio and a Militis. 

The Revenio, a more endurance-oriented frame, came equipped with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting, while the race-oriented Militis rolled out with SRAM Red. Regrettably, I did not have my shoes with me, so I rode flats - no real sprinting was going on. Truth be known, I favored the Revenio - its rigidity, the smoothness of its ride, and its handling in the corners. The Militis was noticeably more twitchy, and while I rode fast and sure through the corners almost immediately on the Revenio, it took me longer to figure out the handling of the same corners at speed on the Militis. That race geometry certainly required a little more time to get comfortable on the red Militis. One thing they both had in common was good power transfer. Had I been wearing real cycling shoes, rather than sandals, I would have been even more impressed. As it was, both bikes responded quickly to my power surges (those damned E-bikes kept attempting to pass me, and I couldn't let them get away with that).