CHARGE GRATER 1
£449.99 › Entry-level flat-bar runabout
Charge’s Grater range starts with the singlespeed 0 at £349 and reaches up to the Grater 5 at £2,199, which boasts a titanium frame, hydraulic disc brakes and SRAM Rival 1x11 gearing. It says a lot for the Charge brand and the Grater platform that it can pull this off. Not only are those polar-opposite bikes credible and competitive at their prices, the spec of each bike in-between looks well judged. The Grater 1 has a 1x8 drivetrain, with a Shimano Altus rear derailleur. The combination of a 38t chainring and 11-32 cassette is a proficient one and we never found ourselves without a suitable gear, while the Altus under-bar shifter is snappy and intuitive to use.
The Tektro V-brakes and Promax levers look a bit low-rent on a bike of this price – you might reasonably hope for mechanical disc brakes – but there’s no questioning their performance. The Grater is even able to out-brake some similarly priced disk-braked bikes, so there were no stopping worries.
The 32mm Charge Coaster tyres are made by Kenda, and while 32mm is pretty big, the nonbutted frame and steel fork are far from compliant and need all the help they can get from a big air chamber; that said, it’s a firm ride over bad surfaces. They do at least roll briskly, though the wheels flex noticeably. Some comfort is salvaged by the Charge Spoon saddle, which is one of the finest saddles of all time and the winner of numerous tests. It also looks great with its contrast stitching.
SPECIFICATION
Frame 6061 alloy PG aluminium (L) Fork Charge Whisk steel Gears Shimano Altus, 38t Truvativ chainring, 11-32 Brakes Tektro BX1 V-brakes, Promax levers Wheels Tough Urban Finishing kit Charge stem, 660mm bar, seatclamp and Spoon saddle, 32mm Charge Coaster tyres