Hi all,

For those of you who have the Raleigh Cadent I11 how are you liking it? I'm considering purchasing bike but have not found a local shop that has it for me to test ride.

Thanks much!

s-one

I dont think this is a very popular bike, I do own an FT2, if you would like to know about the Cadent outside the IGH concerning any specifics let me know. I believe most hybrids from any given manufacturer are pretty much the same bike. For information on the IGH unit maybe try the mechanics, commuter, or winter rider forums. I apologize for not providing a more direct answer.

All I know, is that the Raleigh Cadent i11 is one helluva beautiful bike. Of course, you know this to be true already...Don't cha?

Well here's a mini review for ya:

https://www.bicycletimesmag.com/conte...raleigh-cadent

I'm not a fan of alu bikes, the fact that they weigh little bit less then a steel frame, does not make up for them riding like crap, even with a carbon fork ... It does look realy cool with the disc brakes and igh, would make sense for a foul weather commuter.

Oh yeah,totally. Those CAAD's,buckboards I tell ya.

I'm sure glad I got my steel framed Sawyer to chill me out after riding my crappy riding Dr. Fine!

" Hang on somebody is wrong on the internet... "

Steel rusts. I ride in all conditions. All my bikes are aluminium. I like how they ride. If I had to choose something else it would be titanium. Sadly my wife does not agree with the budget for said titanium toy.

True. Steel does rust. However, there are many thirty year old steel bikes on the road today, in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver that show little sign of rust. I doubt very seriously if any well used aluminum bike could ever reach a service life of even twenty years, not too mention thirty.

I like aluminum too.... I just don't drink the Kool Aid!



BTW - I think that the BF general consensus concerning Ti is unanimous

LOL You made a sweeping statement:

You said ALL alloy framed bikes ride like crap. They don't. So sorry,you're wrong. The OP was asking a question about a specific bike. You replied to him by saying that in your opinion all alloy framed bikes give a poor ride,so you were basically advising him against buying it,when you have no idea how well it rides. If you had said,"in my experience alloy framed bikes don't ride that well,so you should def test ride one before buying",then that would be sound advice. If you owned one,or test rode one,then you could give him an informed opinion. But you replied with a blanket statement. So you were not being helpful and I called you on it.

s-one:I've owned several bikes similar to the Cadent,I have mild CT issues,and my local roads suck. I've never had any issues with ride quality with any of them. I've had those brakes and the the 8spd version of that hub,and liked them. You can Google for reviews,but it really is helpful to test ride a bike before purchase. Raleigh has similar models;if you could test ride one of those,it would at least give you an idea of what to expect.

Thank you for letting me know I'm wrong , for saying something like, the sky is blue ...

hey all thank you so much for the responses. I think this will be the one for me. like you said I gotta try it out first and hopefully I can find one in stock at a REI.

Good thing about REI,you order sight-unseen,don't like it,return it. Plus there's a good chance it'll be 15% off with the big sale coming up.

I purchased one at REI this summer and have so far put over 500 miles on it. I put a rack on it and a front fender and use it for commuting and townie riding. Its comfortable and fun to ride, and the components are outstanding. The Alfine 11 is unbelievably smooth, shifts fast when you are standing on it or stopped at a light.

My previous commuter was a Specialized Tricross Comp which I thought was the greatest commuter and couldn't be beat. It looked a little sportier but was getting expensive to maintain. The Cadent is better for general townie use and comfort wise. The hydraulic brakes are amazing.

I'm especially hoping the Alfine 11 lives up to its low maintenance claims. It is definitely smooth and shifts fast.

Very happy with the Cadent i11 so far.

Great specs and if the price that is listed on Bicycle Times is correct, then that is an awesome deal. At one time I had considered converting my dedicated gravel bike to an Alfine 11. The cost to purchase a premium laced wheelset with the IGH, centerlock rotors, new shifter and cable would cost about $1150. So here Raleigh is supplying the rest of the components for $500. If only they offered this geometry and gear in a steel frame and fork, say Reynolds 520 or 631, then we would have something to get excited about.

I bought it on sale for just under $1300.00 a few weeks ago.I was surprised that I could find one at all and then on sale and my size...I grabbed it.

Ya, great specs. I added a Topeak MTX rack and trunk bag and its just about ideal for year round Denver commuting, beer crawling, etc.

I'm really amazed at how it shifts and the brakes rock. I rode it during our recent flooding and no issues other than I couldn't see the road, the water was so deep.

Hope its durable because I'm going to ride it hard.

Update: I've had the bike back into the shop several times for shifting issues. It's no longer shifting smoothly and I'm considering returning it because it continues to mis-shift, feels clunky, etc.

I have had a Cadent since last November and have put just under 1000 miles on it. I LOVE it, but I also had serious shifting issues, which were solved by installation of a better quality cable. According to my local guru, the Shimano stock cable is useless and 90% of IGH problems are caused by the cable. With the stock cable I had to adjust about every 50 miles; now I adjust the cable once in a long while.
Everything else about the bike rocks. My only other complaint was the grips, which started twisting within a few weeks. I've since changed to Ergon grips but everything else is stock.
Bill

I'm strongly considering a Cadent i8 (I'd love to buy the 11, but there aren't any to be had). My existing "everyday" bike is a Townie with aluminum frame. Don't tell me that it rides rough - I'll laugh in your face. Don't tell me it won't last, either - I'm an uber-Clyde and I torture that bike. It takes it with a smile.

I like the Cadent styling, I like the Cadent features, I like the Cadent price. It looks like a bike that I'd enjoy for a long time to come.

I've been riding an I11 for 9 months and love it. I use it for commuting, and I'm a pretty tough judge of bikes. My "other" bike is a Pinarello Dogma that gets about 4,000 miles per year. Here's my review:

The Good:
-Great geometry which finds the right balance of comfort and aggressiveness
-The 11-speed internal is smooth and reliable. No complaints.
-The hydraulic brakes are amazing. Smooth and precise. I wish I had them on my road bike...
-The carbon fork is excellent at road dampening. Sometimes I forget there isn't a front shock absorber

My only Complaint:
-It's heavy to carry. I carry it up my outdoor basement steps and feel the weight. The rear hub is heavy, which back weights the bike.

My Advice:

Buy it. It's really a great value, and it looks cool.

looks OK . Alfine 11 speed IGH, Hydroform Aluminum Frame , Carbon Fork DISC braked

Taiwan is where the Market is Now. make the vast majority of bikes Now .. most brands ..


A bike shop will order in a Bike for you to test ride , you dont Have to Buy It. someone after you can . they will find it in stock ..