Carbon: Not Just For Roadies Anymore

2013 Raleigh Talus Elite

Carbon fiber road bikes are a dime a dozen, right? But what about mountain bike frames? Well, they have been getting more and more commonplace as well. However; it may still be a bit sketchy to think of the rough and tumble world of off road and carbon fiber in the same sentence.

But don't worry. Take a look at this new 2013 Raleigh Talus Elite as an example.

This is the same frame as the bike I reviewed here. As I say there, this is Raleigh's best effort at a 29"er to date. You get solid components on the Elite model, but the same geometry and the same Direct Connect frame in carbon that the Pro model I tested has. That means it is a bike you can ride in the Mid-West just as well as out West. This bike has tremendous rider comfort, yet is rock solid in the bottom bracket area. It would make a stellar endurance rig.

We have this example in a Medium which should fit a fair amount of riders. Whether you are racing, would like to race, or just would appreciate having a high end carbon frame that just happens to be a great mountain bike, you should come down and check this thing out. It is really a cool bike.

This one features through axles on each end, 100mm of Fox CTD travel up front, and solid Deore components in the drive train. Plus Raleigh spec'ed some funky cool turquoise anodized hubs as well.

Okay, all that's left is for you to come on down and see this rig. We'll have the coffee hot when you do......