Have you been searching about the web looking for budget gravel bikes? And came across this bike? It is one of the most recommended gravel bike under $1,000. And Raleigh have build the Willard into 3 different model of bikes. We are going to dive into all the bike options and their differences. While also seeing weather of not the Raleigh Willard is a bike that is worth buying for gravel grinding.
This bike is probably best suite to someone who normally rides paved roads but is looking for a multi-use bike that is also up for the off-road job to! It is made with geometry that inspires confidence in loose gravel or dirt, this ultra-versatile bike allows you to go where most road bikes can’t.
So just quick the three options are the Willard 1, Willard 2 and Willard 3. The low and mid range bikes (Willard 1 &2) offer 700x35c tires and the Willard 3 has 700x40c. Giving you such wider tires provide confidence in loose conditions and roll smoothly over rough roads.
The Willard is strong. It is a bike that you’ll be able to ride as hard as you want and it will do a good job to hold together. The components on the low end Willard options are decent for the price point, and it is a comfortable ride. The components are solid, and cheaper to replace than more high end bikes when they wear out. It seems to handle as well as any bike on the road, though it doesn’t have all the top end crank, and it handles equally well in the gravel.
You have to understand for how cheap this bike is and how well it performs. You really do get a rather good gravel bike for the money here! It is a great machine, that does well at shifting and braking and cornering!
But at the end of the day it is still a entry level gravel bike as the price of the bike shows in some of the material and the weight of the bike. The bikes comes in at around 23 to 24 pounds or almost 11 kg! From only $787.36 you can buy this entry level gravel grinder!
Raleigh Willard Bike Options
Again there are three options with the Raleigh Willard gravel bike. Lets have a look at what each bike has to offer and which one might be best for you!
Willard 1
The Raleigh Willard 1 is a full aluminium build gravel bike that features the AL-6061 Alloy Gravel, Thru-Axle, Disc Tabs, Taper HT frame and Alloy SPF Formed, Tapered Steerer, Thru-Axle, Disc Post Mount forks. You get a simple and modest component level groupset with the Shimano Claris 2×8 speed setup.
That means a Alloy 3peice Road Crank, with 46/34 Tooth, Square Taper. And a Shimano Claris HG-50 8 Speed, 11-32 rear cassette. The Tektro Lyra Mechanical Disc brakes. This is the cheapest bike in the lineup coming in at $787.36 at Amazon
Willard 2
The Raleigh Willard 2 is a very similar bike to the Willard 1. With this slightly upgraded bike you Shimano Sora components that are a 2×9 speed compared to the Willard 1 2×8 speed. The FSA Omega Adventure, 46/30 Tooth, Mega Exo crankset and Shimano HG400 Cassette, 9 Speed, 11-32T cassette.
You still get the same mechanical disc brakes, same full alloy build. But the retail price comes in at $999.
Willard 3
My personal favourite bike is this one out of the three! I am a sucker for the 1X gravel drivetrains and it once agin looks really nice on the Willard frame. This bike comes with the same standard alloy frame but you get the extra benefits of the Carbon Monocoque Tapered Steer,Flat Mount Disc, 12mm Thru Axle fork.
It features a mid-range SRAM Apex 1 groupset with a 1×11 speed. The crank is a Praxis Works Alba M30, 38 Tooth Direct Mount. And runs a SRAM PG1130, 11 Speed, 11-42T rear cassette.
With this bike you still get mechanical disc brakes, but they are the upgraded TRP Spyre-C Mechanical Disc, with 160mm Rotors. This build also includes HED Tomcat Disc, 28 Hole, Tubless Compatible rims and Donnelly X’PLOR MSO, 700x40c, 60TPI tires! With this model you get slightly wider tires and the extra-wide tires provide great traction on gravel yet roll smoothly on pavement.
The 1×11-speed drivetrain keeps shifting simple without sacrificing gears for the hills. Pavement … or dirt? On the Willard 3, you need only choose to follow your sense of adventure. The Willard 3 is closer to a great entry level gravel bike them most. Costing $1,349.99 over at Amazon!
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