Tech Sub £1k alloy sports bikes Saracen Tenet 2 £749.99 Off-road brand turns its hand to drop bars British brand Saracen may be best known for legendary off-road bikes such as the Kili and Tufftrax, but in recent years it has had a crack at road machines, initially with the urban-themed Hack bikes, and now its open-road-friendly Tenet range. Frameset After all the crazy shapes, bows and square edges we’ve seen so far in this test it’s nice to return to a relatively traditional-looking bike. This is no old-fashioned frame, though: the top tube arcs very subtly, while the tube profiles are rounded but not always perfect circles. Through-cable routing for the rear brake and a full carbon fork keeps things racy. And as with the B’Twin, such are the Tenet’s speedy intentions, there’s no provision for fitting a rear rack. Mudguard eyes are present, though, meaning you can stay quick all year round. In all, the Tenet is a very pleasing machine to look at — we reckon the vibrant finish is just about the nicest on test. Components It’s a case of ‘as you were’ when it comes to equipment. Proving that B’Twin really is out on its own with that 105 set-up, we’re back to Shimano Sora for the Tenet 2’s gears, but a non-series Shimano compact crankset is fitted. We know Sora works well, and a wide-ranging cassette with 32-tooth biggest sprocket means climbing anything short of a wall is not just achievable but even spinnable. Like Giant, Saracen has gone to Tektro for the brakes. They’re OK, just about average for this point in the market, but a good place for an early upgrade. Much more impressive is the all-up weight of 9.1kg — that’s very reasonable, and makes for the second lightest bike on test. Wheels Spec sheet warriors will probably feel the Araya/Formula wheelset doesn’t seem particularly impressive, but they don’t prove to be bad hoops. They’re certainly pretty sturdy, coping well with Specification Frameset Aluminium frame with carbon fork Gears Shimano Sora 12-32t Brakes Tektro R359 Chainset Shimano FC-R345 compact Wheels Araya AR713 rims on Formula hubs Tyres Schwalbe Lugano 25c Bar Saracen aluminium Stem Saracen aluminium Saddle Kore Seatpost Saracen aluminium Size range 52, 54, 56, 58, 60cm Weight 9.1kg (20lb) Size tested 56cm Contact www. saracen.co.uk the worst of Surrey’s potholes, and they don’t feel as lifeless as some. They’re also nicely colour-coded with the frame. Schwalbe Lugano 25c rubber keeps traction shipshape, and their smidgen of extra capacity over the B’Twin skinnies does have a small effect when it comes to ride comfort. Riding While square-edged tubes call to mind girders and industrial levels of rigidity, round tubes are actually strongest. So it’s probably no surprise to find the Tenet is up alongside the B’Twin in terms of ride experience. It’s as stiff as one would expect from a typical, modern aluminium frame, but it’s also eager and responsive too. That stiffness translates to discomfort when you encounter poor road surfaces, though — unlike the B’Twin, the ensuing shocks tend to manifest themselves more towards the rear. But as always, it’s a trade-off; in return you have a bike that gets up to speed well and handles very securely. All in, it’s a great road bike from a mountain bike maker — whatever next? UPGRADE TIP Shimano Sora brakes, £19.99 each How about some quality brakes for your brand-new Saracen? A front and rear matching set of genuine Shimano Sora dual-pivot caliper brakes will cost you two pennies shy of £40, which really isn’t very much at all. Stick some better brake blocks on as well, and you’ve got anchors worthy of a big ship. I said ‘ship’. www.madison.co.uk Strong, sturdy tubes give plenty of stiffness SPECIFICATION LEVEL BUILD QUALITY ROAD HANDLING RIDE COMFORT VALUE FOR MONEY OVERALL RATING 18/20 18/20 19/20 16/20 17/20 88/100 54 CYCLING ACTIVE SEPTEMBER 2014
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FITNESS NAIL IT! Out of the saddle
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FITNESS Pedalling to prove a point
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Fitness World cycling Around the wo
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Thanks Peak Cycle Sport in Macclesf
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HEADS UP An easy, traffic-free, out
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