Raleigh Strada 6

The top model in the Big Heron's range of stripped-down flat bar road bikes, the Raleigh Strada 6 is quick and capable in traffic and geared for weekend trips into hilly country too.

There are plenty of riders who prefer flat-bar bikes like this to the more 'traditional' drop handlebar approach, especially for urban use where the need for different hand positions on long rides is less of an issue.

The Strada 6's relaxed ride posture and the stopping reliability of hydraulic disc brakes are ideal for urban riding. The excellent spread of gears, relatively low weight and durable, fast rolling tyres could make the Strada 6 a good choice for lightweight touring too.

Strada and stablemates

Raleigh lists a dozen bikes in its 'sleek, stylish and agile around town' Strada range. None have a rack or mudguards but for riders who want all the practical trimmings, Raleigh has a similarly priced and more comprehensively accessorised Pioneer range. They're down-specced from similarly priced Strada models to make room in the budget for the utility extras that are a boon on proper urban bikes.

The Strada bikes are much more stripped down, for fast leisure rides or commuting in good weather. The cheapest one costs £300, the most costly one is this, at £650, and there are two step-through frame options.

Sturdy wheels, chunky tyres and the hydraulic brakes mean that the Strada 6 weighs 11.9kg (26.5lb). That's heavier than many similarly priced drop-bar road bikes but much less than typical suspension-equipped fatter tyred hybrids or mountain bikes in the £6-700 range.

The frame

The double butted 6061 aluminium frameset has shapely hydroformed mainframe tubes, formed to achieve maximum weld contact areas at the joins plus stiffness and vibration absorption where it's useful. It's well put together and finished with a stealthy dark grey overcoat that's difficult to scuff in normal use. The compact frame configuration means the top tube has loads of standover room and the seat post extension is long.

The geometry on our Medium test bike measured up at 70.5 degrees at the head, 74 at the seat. The 56cm top tube reach is slightly longer than on a dropped bar road bike of this size as a stem plus flat bars don't need as much reach as a road bike does to the lever hoods.

This felt spot on for flat-backed powerful climbing, with a better stretch to the bars than on other urban hybrids we've tried. The shaped grips make for excellent handlebar comfort by offering a little extra wrist support.

The frame has eyelets for mudguards and a rack. The rear disc calliper sits between the seat stays and chain stays so there's plenty clearance for 'guard and rack stays.

Some might see it as a cost cut too far that no bolts are supplied for the two sets of bottle and 'guard eyelets, but the plastic plugs do create a clean look and there's plenty attention to fine detail elsewhere. The under-downtube gear cables have threaded adjusters on the down tube bosses; there's a generous stack of washers for stem height adjustment; and you could choose to fit even bigger tyres if needed, though they'd be a squeeze with mudguards.

Components

Looking through the complete Raleigh Strada range, the 1, 2 and 3 come with rim brakes, while the 4, 5 and 6 all come with disc brakes, cable operated on the £450 4, Shimano hydraulic on the £550 Strada 5 and £650 Strada 6: Shimano hydraulic discs have excellent stopping power, a well modulated lever feel and a great reputation for durability.

The Shimano Sora crankset and gears on the Strada 6 shifted smoothly throughout the test period and the combination of a 34/50 crankset and a SRAM 11-32 cassette is ideal for most relative beginners, better than the usual close ratio road cassette when it comes to hilly terrain.

The Raleigh 700c wheelset is well built and has fairly deep section rims that sounded a bit clackety on rough ground but they're tough enough to handle occasional trail riding. Ours came ome shod with 32mm Schwalbe Silento tyres, which have Kevlar protection in their tough but fast rolling treads and a reflective strip around the sidewall. The Raleigh web site lists Schwalbe Road Cruiser tyres, but we were happy with Silentos both on and off the road.

On the road

While Raleigh's web site lists a riser handlebar on this particular bike, the flat 23.5in bar on our test bike felt well suited to the sort of fast urban rides where the bike excelled.

The shapely grips and a 40mm steerer spacer stack allow plenty of positional adjustments: you could flip the stem upside down if you want to go lower.

No one found the minimalist Raleigh saddle very comfy though.

The dominant ride advantages of the Strada 6 are easily won speed and easy braking. There are still plenty of road riders who have never tried hydraulic disc brakes. All we can say is that you should try them before you criticise them as overkill.

While braking power is superb, it's not actually the big issue. Side pull rim brakes can be superb too.

The big issue is the stable predictability of braking in all conditions using minimal energy: contrary to cynical belief you're actually less likely to lock the wheels with hydraulic disc brakes because they don't grab and they're not affected by rim distortions or wet rims.

In terms of longer term durability they also mean that your rims won't wear and a slightly buckled rim will still spin freely.

Pad replacement cost is roughly the same as rim brake pads. The only disadvantage is that you're carrying extra weight, a little in the brakes themselves, a little in the fork and frame at the mounting points. In our minds that's a small downside that's well worth accommodating.

We really enjoyed the sprightly ride feel of the Raleigh Strada 6. Handling is neutral, in the best possible way, making manoeuvres in traffic as straight forward as is possible.

The tyres are fast rolling but have a high enough profile to run them at medium pressures for comfort on rough surfaces.

We rarely used the 50 tooth chainring around town and occasionally thought it might be overkill on a bike with an urban tag, but it was useful on longer weekend rides. We were certainly glad of the 34 front/32 rear low gear on a couple of climbs.

Conclusion

The Raleigh Strada 6 is good example of the fast growing breed of modestly priced flat handlebar hydraulic brake equipped road bikes. It lends itself to fast utilitarian duties, lightweight touring or easy going roads and trails use. In short, it's a great all-rounder.

Verdict

Sprightly flat-bar road bike that'll turn its hand to just about anything.