Raleigh’s 2014 mountain bike range sees two new hardtails, the Tokul and Eva, bring 27.5″ wheels to the range, but in two very different ways. It also borrows the Raleigh Sizing System from the road bikes, and the Talus 29ers get a few upgrades and a new alloy frame option.
The Eva (above) is a new women’s 27.5″ alloy hardtail mountain bike with an entry level price point starting at just $450. Geometry is more like the Talus, so it’s for XC riding, but with a very shapely frame finished with great graphics. Here, they went with the middle wheel size because the average height for US women is 5’5″ (their data), so this let them provide a good fit with a bit better rollover than 26″.
The top end Eva 6.5 comes with ergo grips and size specific handlebar widths, plus women’s specific saddles. It gets Promax hydraulic brakes and full Shimano drivetrain for just $800.
The colors and decoration are feminine without being patronizing, much like the rest of their range. Note the color matching even across the rims on all models.
The top model comes in at 28.66lbs (13kg), but with a triple chainring and full alloy cockpit (and likely tubes in the display model), it’d be easy enough to put it on a diet with a frame that’s worth upgrading. And remember, it’s just $800. And it’s being modeled by Brian.
The new Tokul 27.5 is designed for modern flow trails. It has a slacker geometry, shorter stem and low stand over height combined with a 130mm travel fork. They gave it the 27.5 wheels because it let them make the chainstays shorter than a 29er and keep it super nimble.
The frame is 4130 chromoly and comes with a full Shimano Zee drivetrain and MRP chainguide for $1,350.
The steel Tokul comes in at 28.59lbs (12.97kg), shown on the left. Below that are a few alloy versions, peaking with the $800 alloy version with the Promax hydro brakes and Shimano drivetrain. It’s on the right at 28.4lbs (12.88kg).
The Talus 29 Carbon Expert is a their top end carbon race hardtail. It dropped almost 1.3 pounds from last year thanks to smart parts selection, which includes a SRAM 2×10 group.
The steel XXIX hardtail singlespeed remains unchanged save for paint. It also gets the classic motorsports paint scheme used so heavily on the 2014 Raleigh road bikes.
The Talus 29 Comp (shown in the background) is the new 6061 alloy frame that gets updated geometry. The top tube is a bit longer and stem is shorter, so fit is the same but handling is improved. It’s a bit lighter, too, and it gets Shimano drivetrain and hydraulic brakes, Rockshox XC 32 air fork and wider, lighter wheels and rims. All that’s just $1,100.
The base Talus 29 uses the same frame and has Promax hydraulic brakes and a full Shimano drivetrain for just $700.
