Bicycles

Test: FRW Harder xt disc

Details

Parent Category: Bicycles

Category: FRW

Published on Monday, 09 February 2009 16:35

Written by Luca Salvatelli

The Company

We have already described the company in the previous test Hunters Hill referred to all those who have not thoroughly acquainted with this lively Italian company.

The range mtb FRW

The range FRW is fairly complete. At the summit will put the new Eldorado that with its frame to finish 1K carbon itself as one of the best mtb of the moment. Then we have the "entitled" Axum, brought to a successful Olympic Games champion Marco Aurelio Fontana, and based on a titanium frame. Even with the mtb aluminium chassis to Scandium, Lancer. Then the proposals in aluminium or lightened the traditional entry level, not forgetting the small range, two models, full suspension. The model Harder being tested is a proposal economically less demanding of the two top range Axum and Eldorado, which ranks as a model of high-end accessible to a wide audience, ranging from keen wanting a model of high quality to athlete that has not high budget but needs a competitive bike. The entire range is based, as tradition FRW of course, on a small group of qualified suppliers: Shimano, Mavic, Manitou, Selle Italia, etc..

The model Harder xt disc we tried

The model Harder is based on a generous carbon monocoque UD frame. The pipe is generously sized, very deep in the box near the bottom bracket and meets the generous dinghy with steering the series of integrated steering. The top tube is well designed, proportionate to the oblique pipe, and has a generous sloping. The vertical pipe is short and hosts the dinghy seatpost diameter of 31.6 millimeters. The rear carriage is very compact and include the beautiful drop-outs, plenty lighter way. The rear tank contributes to the strength of the bottom bracket area with a section of well-designed connectors. The component is high level, stands out the Manitou R7 Super fork, adjustable for preload and extension. Disc brakes are Hayes Stroker carbon, with leverage in container, pump and radial diameter of 180 mm for the front disc and 160 mm for the rear. The wheels are Mavic Crosstrail disc, while tires are excellent and reliable Geax Mezcal TNT. The stem, handlebars and seatpost are Ritchey with 4Axis models for the stem and Pro for seatpost and handlebars. The saddle is a Selle Italia SLX (but in photo is a SLK), while the group is the Shimano XT complete with controls, chain, derailleur, gear, crank sprockets with scale 11-34. The pedals, supplied as standard, are the Shimano PD-M 520. It is not envisaged the bottlecages, even if there are attacks for the two positions classic. The sizes available range from S to XL. The weight declared by the house is 10.5 kg, while the chassis only has a weight of 1.4 kg, we, with our instrumentation in size L, we noticed a weight of 10.9 kg, with the pedals, but without bottlecage, as it is put out to sell.

The rest of the range Harder

With the same chassis are also selling models SLX / XT disc and the XO 2x9 disc, the most refined and lightweight group with SRAM X0 and double crank. Among the various models change forks, brakes, wheels, tires and the group over the various components. Remains the same, however the frame. The weights are increasing or fall accordingly, as well as prices. Below is a list of available models and the odds of various geometrical sizes:
XT DISC:
Frame: Monocoque carbon UD
Fork: Manitou R7 Super
Handlebars: Ritchey Pro flat
Stem: Ritchey Pro 4 axis
Crank: G. fcm770
Pedals: Shimano PD-M 520
Wheels: Mavic disc Crosstrail
Tires: Geax Mezcal TNT
Seat: Ritchey Pro
Seat: Selle Italia SLX
Brake: Hayes Stroker carbon
Frame: 1.4 Kg.
Bike: 10.5 Kg.

SLX / XT DISC:
Frame: Monocoque carbon UD
Fork: Suntour Axone rld
Handlebars: flat Ritchey Comp
Stem: Ritchey Comp
Crank: G. fcm660 SLX
Pedals: Shimano PD-M 520
Wheels: Mavic disc CROSSRIDE
Tires: Geax Gato
Seat: Ritchey Comp
Seat: Selle Italia XR white light
Brake: Hayes Stroker trail
Frame: 1.4 Kg.
Bike: 10.9 Kg.

XO 2x9 DISC:
Frame: Monocoque carbon UD
Fork: Manitou R7 Mrd carbon
Handlebars: FSA Mtb k.force carb
Stem: FSA OS-99 CSI
Crank: FSA K-Force Light
Pedals: Look Quartz
Wheels: Fulcrum Red Metal
Tires: Gato Geax TNT
Seat: FSA K.force RK 160
Seat: Selle Italia SLR xc White
Brake: Hayes Stroker carbon
Frame: 1.4 Kg.
Bike: 9.9 Kg.

FRAME SIZE -------------S----------M----------L--------XL

Pipe CC: ---------------336-------377--------418 ------459
Pipe CF: ---------------400-------440--------480 ------520
Steering angle: --------71 °------71 °-------71 ° -----71 °
Seat tube angle: -------73 °------73 °-------73 °------73 °
H pipe. Virt: ----------564-------580--------595 ------606
H pipe. CC : -----------540-------554.7 -----583.9 ----570
Rear wagon: ------------425-------425 -------425 ------425
Steering tube: ---------110-------114--------126 ------135

The road test

The Harder, like other products FRW, is well made, with a good surface finish and special treated fairly. It is not a top bike and lacking, therefore, those special super refined products typical of high range, but the quality, both in substance and in form, is high. The good fork, wheels, compatible with tubeless tires, the brake with composite levers, complete group Shimano XT, everything is perfect, even in relation to the purchase price. Like other FRW’s models, missing the bottlecage. It is nice, however, that the pedals are include. In saddle the situation is of perfect control and challenging pleased with the excellent knobs, the first cycling bring in shows two advantages of this bike: the rigidity of the chassis and rolling wheels. It goes fast, very, transfers on asphalt and it continues to run the very bottom where the dirt is compact. The rigidity of the chassis allows a transfer of power to the rear wheel and the wheels rolling and tires, combined with the weight, to keep a good pace. The serial tires are excellent funds hard and compact, limit or slightly raised, but not limited Profile allows him to have good performance on the funds muddy, moved, and usually where the grip is reduced to a minimum. Excellent wheels and sliding hard, too, with the result of transferring all of the ground strokes to the frame. The rigidity of the latter is perfect on the funds faster, but may be too much on uneven terrain. To alleviate and resolve these problems, resulting in continuous trajectory waste and loss of adhesion when it goes really high, it is preferable to inflate to a minimum tires and especially good to calibrate the range. The latter is quite sensitive to adjustments, well, hard and sliding; agrees, and then allow it to work with a small hydraulic braking and very little air pressure, thus allowing you to copy the best even the smaller harshness. In this way the chassis lose a minimum speed of integration in curves and speed in the direction changes, but buys in comfort and precision driving, reaching a really good balance. It is an attitude best when the path is very damaged, with holes, ruts and obstacles vary. Those who prefer more nervous behaviour and reactive, however, find this a very good ally frame, with a high-speed response to commands given. A very nervous behaviour that, with a fork prepared so much support, can be very competitive in high-speed routes, full of curves, but with few obstacles. The increased traction is always good, considering the adopted tires, and you can always have a good rhythm. The decision to adopt a 34 as the final report later proved to be valid allowing anyone to overcome even the most difficult slope without any problems. In general, the XT group reiterated its effectiveness, with a crank hard and sliding, easy handling on the commands and a remarkable ease of operation, with passages of the fast and precise, even with the mud, uphill and in the most severe. In longer downhill may not appreciate that the action of Hayes brakes, powerful, modular and with a reduced effort to drive the command; excellent resistance fadding and functionality even in the rain or the mud: a safety. But with the mud, at least in the configuration of the series, the bike is not her best because of tires that let go immediately taken and pedals that are not managing to block the download links by land, but these situations. Instead, all other conditions the behaviour is always effective, with a chassis tendentially rigid and reactive, but whose testy behaviour may be softened by a careful and effective calibration of the fork and inflation of tires.

Conclusions

The Harder has proved a multipurpose bike and above all very competitive. Its rigid frame and responsive, excellent components over the place as ideal locations for lead in fast and nervous, but with a careful calibration of the suspension and a selection tires accurate, it is competitive anywhere. It’s bike that does not put at the top comfort, like other models, but the benefits, which are rewarding for everyone from beginners to more special biker. To top it, though, there is no need to be beginners, because needs a careful calibration of the fork and a certain experience to the limit in the fastest routes. Requires a period of apprenticeship, after which it can keep pace with products much more expensive, almost impregnable on routes where speed can be well in all others.

The price

The price of bike in test is Euros 2.289, the SLX / XT has a cost of Euros 1.789, the X0 2x9 has a cost of Euros 3.989. In all cases it is very competitive prices, both in relation to the content quality of the components that adopted the dynamic quality. Unfortunately there is no frame kit.

Is suitable for

Athlete: not everyone can afford a bike of Euros 5.000, this is a viable alternative to save and have a quality product.
GF cyclist-tourist: for a lover can be an absolute point of arrival at a price not at all exaggerated.
Women: missing a size XS, but the behaviour of fluid controls make it a good choice for women, although lacking a specific frame for the morphology of women.

Positive aspects

Rigidity of the chassis
Quality components adopted
Balance between speed cornering placement and precision driving
Braking
Fork sliding and sensitive to adjustments
Rolling wheels
Overall
Value for money

Negative aspects

In certain conditions the chassis too hard could lead to some imprecision driving
The bottlecage is not set

For further informations:

Freewheeling S.r.l.
via Barsanti, 10
48100 Fornace Zarattini (RA)
tel. +39 0544 461525
fax +39 0544 462096
Web site: www.frwbike.it