ON-ONE VANDAL GX
£1,968.98 (w/ upgrades, shipped) Ti goodness for a moderate outlay
This popular UK direct-sales brand have been releasing well-priced bikes for years and make everything from drop-bar gravel machines to hardcore hardtails. The Vandal 29er is peddled as a trail-thrashing rig with all-day adventure capabilities. But, does its performance match the desirability of its titanium frame?
THE FRAME
Ti has long been a premium bike material due to its strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, durability and ‘springy’ ride feel. On-One keep things simple with external cable routing (with a port for a dropper post cable) and a BSA threaded BB. You get a single bottle cage mount, plus Boost hub spacing.
Geometry-wise, the Vandal sports a slack 65-degree head angle and a 74.5-degree seat tube angle. There are four sizes available, with reach figures of 417mm, 437mm, 455mm and 495m. All share the same 445mm chainstays. We tested the large, which has a 460mm seat tube.
THE KIT
On-One let you customise the components on their website. Our test bike had the stock GX build, but with a dropper seatpost and tyre upgrade. SRAM provide the drivetrain – a GX Eagle mech, shifter and cranks, paired with an 11-50t SX Eagle cassette and chain – and brakes, while a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork delivers 130mm of travel up front. Reasonably wide (30mm, internal) WTB rims are laced to Formula hubs. As standard, the wheels come shod with basic Panaracer tyres, but our test bike had Schwalbe Nobby Nic ADDIX Performance rubber instead. Finishing kit is from Selcof, including a 780mm bar, 50mm stem and, on our bike, a Watchtower dropper.
THE RIDE
The first thing we noticed about the Vandal is its high front end; the frame’s tall stack height sits you in an upright position. This isn’t necessarily a negative and gives a comfortable seated position. If you’re riding steady all-day epics, you may be thankful for it. The high front end also keeps you feeling safe and confident on the descents, especially when combined with the relaxed head angle. However, on flowing singletrack, we’d have liked a more aggressive riding position and more direct steering. A flatter handlebar or a zero-stack headset could help here.
We found the titanium frame gave a good ride feel on a variety of trails, and allowed us to tackle rough, rooty descents with composure. Even fitted with narrowish 2.3in tyres, the Vandal never felt harsh or left us feeling beaten up. At the front, the RockShox 35 fork did an admirable job of taking the sting out of the trail, too, with its sturdy 35mm chassis and Motion Control damper. The SRAM drivetrain and brakes worked well, and none of the rest of the kit hindered our enjoyment of the bike, despite its relatively low price (for titanium).
Overall, the Vandal is a good bike with great potential for upgrades, as its Ti frame should last a lifetime. It may not suit those looking for a stretched-out ride, but it’s got most trails covered with its impressive ride character and decent high-speed stability.