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Special Reports
Alutech Wildsau FR Test Ride...
Fellow Dieselbikes member
Crazy Fred
has ridden many mountain bikes throughout his years in this sport. One
of his favorite full suspension bikes is this Alutech Wildsau FR. This bike
is manufactured in Germany and was just returned to Fred sporting their '06
Horst Link Rear Suspension Arm and sweet looking paint job.
I was given the opportunity to test
ride the bike in Lynn Woods and pass it around during our group ride for
others to give it a spin.
Considering this bike is designed to
handle big drops and categorized by the OEM as a freeride beast, the bike
traveled through Lynn Woods with ease. The bike was assembled by
John Fagone
of
Bike Medics whom selected a sweet build kit
keeping this freeride rig under 37lbs. Some of the featured build
components are the Marzocchi 66 SL 1 ATA fork, Manitou Swinger Coil SPV
6-Way shock, Hope Minis w/ 6” rotors, SRAM X.O drive train, XT Cranks, XT
Bottom Bracket and Spinergy Wheel Set. With an additional diet of components
this ride can easily be brought down to the low 30’s for weight.
Why are we telling you (the local
mountain bike community) about this Germany crafted bike? In short,
this is a 6-7 inch travel bike that rides and feels like a light weight
trail bike but has the strength and stiffness of a big drop bike.
Riding this Alutech in Lynn Woods was like riding the trails sitting in a
foam pit. From the loose rocky pothole sections of Overlook Trail near
Balance Boulder, to the pine needle covered off camber short downhill trail
near Boston rock, the bike absorbed everything I threw at it. Uphill
climbs were not impeded with this plush suspension. Trail climbs that
I normally have trouble cleaning in one pass, I was able to achieve
surprising myself. Pedaling this bike seemed effortless and in some
instances the rear suspension felt like it was helping.
I found the frame had a number of
adjustments that would allow you to change head/seat angle and bottom
bracket height. This is a valuable feature that few bikes have.
We are sure there are other bike companies whom have similar designs and if
we at Dieselbikes ever get the chance to demo them, we will be sure to let
you know how ride.
This is Dieselbikes second test ride
on a bike utilizing the Horst Link Rear Suspension design. Earlier
this season, we road Fred’s
Turner 6 Pack RFX which was a fun bike. In a comparison
between these two bikes, our hat goes off to the
Alutech Wildsau FR. Trail riding felt
great on both bikes, but in our opinion, the Alutech had better handling,
smoother rear bump control and minimal feeling of rear frame flex.
If you have any questions and or
comments about this bike, drop Crazy Fred and e-mail (fredb@dieselbikes.com)
to get the 411.
By: Diesel
Date: 11/12/2006
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