FORME MONYASH 2
£899.99 Budget aluminium all-rounder with a fine range of features
In contrast to the Cannondale that’s coming up, Forme’s new Monyash 2 is much more representative of a 2022 allround road bike costing around a grand. It has an aluminium frame, a full-carbon fork, cable disc brakes, front and rear thru-axles and a 34x32 bottom gear. Its all-rounder credentials are evident in its clearance for 35mm tyres – or 32mm with mudguards – plus its three sets of bottle bosses and rear rack bosses. Fittings for mudguards mean you won’t be fiddling around to mount them either.
The sub-£1000 price means you’re only getting Shimano’s eight-speed Claris groupset and quite modest Tektro Mira brakes but Forme does spec a better set of wheels than you’ll find on many bikes at this price, and the handbuilt own-brand hoops are paired with some quality tyres too, in the form of 28mm Schwalbe One tubeless-ready rubber.
Forme – pronounced ‘form’ rather than ‘for me’ – is the bike brand of the long-established family-owned distributor Moore Large. After a quiet spell it has launched some new bikes for 2021-2022 and it describes the Monyash as “the machine to reach for when heading out on an epic, a Sunday club run or even a fast commute”, so it’s absolutely spot on for this test.
Of the four test bikes, this is the one that surprised me most. Forme has less pedigree than Cannondale and Spa and less exclusivity than Oxford, but it has still put together a bike that’s a real treat to ride. It’s a pretty firm ride, but not uncomfortable, and you could easily build in more plushness by upping the tyre width, as the Schwalbes only measure a shade over 26mm when fitted. If I was buying this I’d go to 30 or 32mm tyres to soften the ride a little, and maybe go for something like Schwalbe’s G-Ones for extra grip
on unsurfaced tracks, while still allowing you to fit mudguards.
You do feel rougher road surfaces through the frame and the handlebar tops, which are quite skinny front to back; I prefer fatter bar tops ideally with a bit of ovalising for long-distance comfort. But the Monyash is pretty light for the price and you only really notice its 10kg weight when things start to get steeper. The full-carbon fork with tapered steerer delivers precise handling and accurate steering, but this has a shallower head angle than a full-on road bike so it never gets too lively. The result is pleasingly neutral handling that’s ideal for long commutes, fitness and social riding (with mudguards fitted, of course…).
I’m a big fan of Shimano’s budget groupsets and the Forme’s eight-speed Claris gearing worked as well as I’ve come to expect. The shifts across the cassette to a smaller sprocket (higher gear) are clunkier than you’ll find on Shimano’s higher-spec groupsets, and it’s also a bit more of an effort shifting to the big chainring, but it’s a groupset that should give you years of hasslefree service. With only eight ratios, there are some quite big jumps between gears, especially with the lowest gears, but the 34x32 bottom gear is much lower than you’d have got a few years ago. I’d still prefer a one-to-one ratio 34x34 for that bit more help on hills.
The brakes are Tektro Mira cable discs with 160mm rotors. They are only a singlepiston design but I found the braking smooth, consistent and powerful enough, with only the merest whisper of a squeal on occasions. And the other advantage of disc brakes over the rim brakes on the Cannondale and Oxford, is that your rims should last a good deal longer.
I had no complaints about quality of ride either. It’s a little heavier than the Cannondale, but once you’re up to speed, it rolls smoothly, comfortably and confidently. Forme’s Monyash would make an excellent choice if you’re upgrading from a bike-shaped object and looking for your first ‘serious’ bike, whether for commuting, fitness riding or more. It looks pretty good too for a budget bike, with the designers not going overboard with the paints.
The full-carbon fork with tapered steerer delivers precise handling and accurate steering