boobymcgoo

I'm just passing along a real-world review of this bike. I purchased my Raleigh Cadent i8 early this summer and absolutely love the bike. I'm a tough judge, as my weekend bike is a Pinarello Dogma with a Di2 groups set.

The Raleigh is smooth and fast, and I particularly like what the shorter wheelbase does for urban maneuverability. Here are the plusses and minuses:

Plus:
-The Alfine internal gear set is flawless
-Great hydraulic brakes
-The carbon fork makes the ride surprisingly smooth
-It looks cool
-A very attractive price. I bought last years model which was on-sale for $1,300

Minus:
-The rear hub is heavy, so it's tail-heavy when you carry the bike up steps.
-The short wheel base might make it to compact for a tall rider. I have the seat slid backwards on the seat rails.

I hope that helps.

NormanF

Its a good town and commuter bike. An updated version of the Raleigh Sports.

abrianb

I have a Cadent fto and it has a great ride. It really is a nimble bike thats fast.

elecnix

I was looking for a lightweight bike for my commute in the winter. Internal gear hub was essential. Hydraulic brakes are very nice. Wide fork accepts 35C tires, which is good for absorbing shocks when you can't see potholes.

Now, the bad. The shifting cable exits its cable right under the belt, which gets snow, salt and water into the cable, freezing it. The disc brake pistons now barely get back after I release the brakes, leading to constant braking friction, even after cleaning the pistons. The crankset is pretty narrow, and the pedals are not far enough so that your shoes hit the frame of the bicycle. The 8-speed hub have non-linear ratios: shifting from speed 5 to 6 is almost twice the change from 4 to 5, which I find frustrating every day. The front wheel hub is rusting from the outside, and many screws are rusting very quickly (disc brake attachment to wheel, strap guard attachment, etc.

Overall, this is an OK bike for your daily commute if you are a casual user that is looking for low-maintenance and performance, but don't beat it too much!

Dahon.Steve

Interesting.

It appears the bike was built up and never tested in the winter. All the issues you described show a poor design. A simple single speed bike with V-brake for half the price would have proven more durable.

elecnix

I have uploaded some pictures on Flickr: flickr.com/photos/elecnix

prj71

Bikes are never tested in Winter. Unless it's specifically a fat bike for riding on snow trails.

The issues he's having aren't surprising at all.

bravotwozero

I've got a cadent i8. Had it for over a year. No real problems with the bike, except for frequent flats, which I've addressed by checking tire pressures more regularly and getting schwalbe marathons. I commute with this bike about 4 miles each way. Very low maintenance, even if you ride this in the rain. Don't have to worry about snow down here, so that's not an issue. This has been my first real bike (i.e. not big box store crap), so I'm not as experienced with gearing ratios, but I find the gears to be sufficient for what I need. Loving the belt drive, have had to do no maintenance, or worry about chain grease. My only complaint was getting a set of fenders was a challenge, as the bike should have had a little more tire clearance in the back, but I got it done. All in all, nice commuter bike that's low maintenance with good components, including hydraulic disc brakes, carbon fork, gates carbon drive.

Beavis5220

Nice looking bike! I have a BMC with that Alfine hub and Gates belt and absolutely love it.....it is heavy but no maintenance, no grease and to be able to shift after you stop are worth it to me. Only drawback I have found is it's so quiet I have to be careful not to scare walkers when I pass them.