Bike Ark Fixie Orb (2019) - Review

The Bike Ark Fixie Orb is built on a Hi-Tensile Steel frame. Hi-Tensile Steel is the most common material used for a fixie or single-speed bicycle frames. Even though an inexpensive material, it is the strongest and also has a decent strength to weight ratio. This helped in keeping the overall weight in check. The frame geometry had a perfect combination of comfort and aggressiveness, which made sure acceleration and cutting through traffic, was easy. The rigid fork is also made of the same Hi-Tensile Steel material.

As in the name of this bicycle, the Orb is a fixie, which comes with Joy-tech flange flip-flop interchangeable hubs. These hubs help in changing the drivetrain between fixie and freewheel models. The fixie mode does take some practice to ride if you are a beginner but it did feel smooth to pedal and once the rhythm sets in it is easy to ride. There is no quick release at the rear for quick hub reversal but the nuts are easy to remove and put back using a spanner.

Bike Ark's design has always set them apart and been their USP in all their bicycle models. Fixie's world over is known to be stylish and the Orb is no different. The bicycle which I test rode came in a Olive Green colour with a matte finish paint job and minimal White/Black graphics in a few places. The Red coloured front and rear hubs were stylish and stood out.

Internationally, a fixie bicycle does not come with brakes and the rider has to depend on jump stops and drags to slow down the bicycle. To make the fixie safer for Indian roads and traffic, the Bike Ark Fixie Orb comes with a pair of Z-star Alloy V-brakes. The brakes along with long arms and wide pads get the fixie to stop quickly and in a balanced manner.The Orb I test rode came with a bullhorn handlebar wrapped in a cushioned black bar tape. They were comfortable to hold on to and easy to navigate in traffic. There is a 6mm flat handlebar variant also available for this bicycle at the same price.

The Compass 7x28c tires at the front and rear were fast rolling and perfect for urban commuting. These lightweight wheels with double walled alloy rims and magnesium tri-spoke alloy contributed to keeping the overall bicycle weight at check. The ergonomically designed stock saddle from Bike Ark had the perfect width and cushioning for urban commuting and can handle slightly bumpy roads.