Men's Journal 2015 Best Road Bikes: Raleigh Tamland 2

2015 Raleigh Tamland 2: Amazing Gravel Bike

More people are looking to ride drop-bar bikes off-road, and Raleigh is catering to these gravel-loving cyclists with the Tamland 2. The Reynolds 631 Chromoly butted steel frame ensures a comfortable ride over less-than-ideal terrain, while Shimano Ultegra provides precise shifting. The Tamland 2 comes with TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes, and clearance for wide tires. It's plenty capable for tarmac rides, but shines when the pavement ends.

• Reynolds 631 Chromoly frame with gravel race geometry
• Powerful TRP Spyre dual actuated mechanical disc brakes
• Clement X'PLOR MSO 40c tires give maximum cushion and traction in bumpy gravel
• Shimano Ultegra 11sp drivetrain
• Weinmann KMAX Double wall rims with Novatec sealed bearing hubs

(from ridinggravel.com)

Ride Feel:

"The ride feel of the Tamland was immediately apparent within the first few miles. The feeling of smoothness was uncanny. I eventually pulled over to check the tire with a squeeze, fully expecting to find that I needed air, and me without a pump! The thing was, the tire was fine. The smooth ride feel continued in the front of the bike as well, showing that it wasn’t just the rear end of the bike, but the entire front end and the fork were working in concert to damp vibrations and mitigate bigger impacts."

Handling:

"So while the Tamland Two is smoother than most bikes, that doesn’t tell you much about whether or not the geometry is worth it here. In terms of handling on gravel roads, so far I think the Tamland is firing on all cylinders with this lower bottom bracket, slightly slacker head angle, and longer fork offset. Purposely pushing the bike into loose patches of gravel on my recent rides shows me that the stability necessary to keep the wheels underneath you and give the rider confidence that the bike won’t swap ends is there.

The bottom line though is this- The Tamland is the standard by which gravel bike specific design will be judged going forward. It is hands down the best handling bike on gravel I’ve ridden to date."

-Guitar Ted

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