GIRO AVANTI F2
THE BRAKES HAVE GOOD BITE AND A BALANCED FEEL
`45,900/- as tested www.avantibikes.com
CYCLING IS MY THERAPY AND ESCAPE. It’s something that I always look forward to whenever I get time, so when the Avanti Giro F2 turned up at the evo India office, I was the first person to call dibs. I’ve spent a month astride it and here’s my take on it. Before we begin, a little overview of the brand first. Avanti Bikes, founded in 1985, is a company originating from New Zealand and it distributes bicycles in many countries across Asia and Europe. The Giro series is the brand’s lightweight commuter bicycle aimed at the fitness enthusiast and the F2 is the latest model in this series.
It sports an ADT 6061 Formtech alloy frame which is unbelievably light and the bike feels well built overall. Avanti rightfully takes great pride in its clean welding; all of the components are of the highest calibre and appear to be long-lasting. It felt sturdy whether you were picking it up or carrying it up the stairs because there was not a single awkward or unsafe weld on the frame. You can go on and on and ride it for hours without stopping. Its big handlebar is wellspaced, giving you a dominating posture and allowing for quick steering. One big gripe of the Giro F2 is that it’s unsprung. So on bumps, which you’ll encounter plenty within the city, the bike gets pretty uncomfortable. The slim seat is also only good for short stints.
The Giro F2 gets Shimano EF505 21-speed shifters. The gear combo — a 3-speed Shimano TX510 front and a 7-speed Shimano Altus rear derailleur — is smooth shifting and very tactile. But I always encountered a bit of a lag when shifting gears quickly. Still, they held up pretty well at high speeds.
Braking duties are handled by 160mm Shimano MT200 disc brakes, both at the front and rear. They have a solid bite and a balanced feel. That said, the brakes don’t suffer from fade even after heavy usage. The bike rides on Kenda Kwick Roller 700 x 35c tyres which provide good grip even in the corners, despite being of the slim type.
With a solid frame, tactile gearing and head turning looks, the Avanti Giro F2 is a good package overall. But at `45,900, it surely is on the expensive side considering there are rivals out there that are able to offer similar levels of performance for at least a `5,000 lower price point. ⌧ Prathmesh Chouhan (@prathmeshchouhan)