2011 Raleigh XXIX with Gates belt drive

It's heeeeere -- the 2011 Raleigh XXIX singlespeed mountain bike with Gates belt drive, now in stock and ready to test ride in Medina (16-inch) and Rocky River (18-inch)!

What's the fuss? The website Twenty Nine Inches was eager to get it out of the box and out for a test ride. Closer to home, our Raleigh rep, Sean Burkey, says: "I’ve been on it for nearly a week now with 5 or 6 rides in so far and I LOVE the bike. The belt has performed better than expected and not having to worry about walking around with a 'rookie mark' on my right calf is GREAT!"

Sean recommends going directly to the Gates Belt Drive website to get your questions answered about the belt drive. The New York Times recently ran a good story, "Bicycles, Unchained and Grease-Free," about belt-driven systems for biking, which first appeared on singlespeed mountain bikes (cough, cough) but are now appearing on multi-geared commuter and city bikes as well.

Why singlespeed? For that, look no further than Kevin's comprehensive blog post back in March 2009, The Zen of Singlespeeds.

Specs for the 2011 Raleigh XXIX:

Frame: Raleigh 4130 butted-chromoly
Fork: Raleigh 4130 butted-chromoly
Rims/Wheels: Weinmann XM280
Hubs: Aluminum
Spokes: 14g stainless-steel
Tires: Geax Saguaro 29 x 2.2
Crankset: TruVativ FireX SS
Chainwheel: Gates 46T
Chain: Gates Belt Drive
Rear Cogs: Gates 28T
Handlebars: Avenir 200 Series, riser
Tape/Grips: Avenir File Lock
Stem: Avenir 200 Series
Brake Levers: Avid FR-5
Brakes: Avid BB5 mechanical-disc
Saddle: Avenir 200 Series, mountain
Seat Post: Avenir 200 Series