Firefox Rapide 21S - Review

The Firefox Rapide 21S is built on a full Alloy frame. This rigid frame is well designed, sturdy and lightweight. The ergonomics on the Rapide is the perfect combination of comfort and aggressiveness for a hybrid. You will find yourself forward bent to an extent, which ensures that you are in an ideal position for spirited riding. The frame has a combination of circular, tapered and flat tube profiles across the frame sections. This results in optimizing strength at the key joints, while minimizing weight where larger tubing is not required. The rigid forks are bladed and contribute to keeping the overall weight in check.

The 21-Speed drivetrain on the Rapide is a combination of the 3-speed Shimano Tourney / Microshift M22 as the front derailleur, and the 7-speed Shimano Acera / Microshift RD-M21L as the rear derailleur. Shifting was good across gears, with hardly any lags felt during the test ride. I must make a mention that at this price point to spec the bicycle with this gear combination does make it value for money. The drive train is controlled by Shimano EF / Microshift TS38 shifters, which were positioned well and easy to use.Note: The Firefox Rapide 21S currently comes with a Microshift M22 3-Speed Front Derailleur, a Microshift M21l 7-Speed rear derailleur and Microshift TS38 shifters.</i>

The Firefox Rapide is one good-looking hybrid bicycle. The frame design is unique and eye catchy tube profiles, along with one of the best paint jobs in the market, translates to the Rapide being a head turner on the roads. The bicycle which I test rode came in a full Grey primary colour and Orange, Black and Light Blue as the secondary colour graphics and text. The matte finish paint job was top notch in quality. The Firefox Rapide has always set a new benchmark for design and the same has been translated in the 2 new currently available colour variants.

The Rapide comes with Sparkle branded Alloy ’V’ Brakes. These brakes were solid in stopping power and felt balanced to use even when jamming them. The levers were also lengthy and had an easy spring action which made it possible to operate using just 2 or 3 fingers.The 6mm handlebar with a 3mm raise was perfect in length for a comfortable riding posture. The adjustable quill stem is a useful feature, which enables the rider to change the angle of the handlebar to an aggressive or comfortable position.

The Rapide 21s rolls on a pair of 7x35C tires that are fixed on to double walled Alloy rims. The treading and size of the tire were ideal for city commuting and long rides. The rolling resistance was fast and the tread pattern provided enough traction on wet roads as well. The stock Firefox saddle might look a bit old-school but it has the perfect amount of cushioning to keep the rider sore free on long rides.