Hero Octane Gyrfalcon 27.5 - Review

The Hero Octane Gyrfalcon 27.5 is built on a full Alloy frame. The frame geometry was perfect for a MTB with a slanting top tube which gave more standover clearance and a comfortable riding posture. The frame is built in a way to make sure Alloy is used more in high impact joints like the top/bottom tube intersection and lesser in other areas like the chain and seat stays. This made sure the frame is as light as it can get while retaining its tensile strength.The Gyrfalcon 27.5 has a Suntour XCT front suspension fork with 1mm travel and a useful suspension lockout.

The Hero Octane Gyrfalcon 27.5 comes equipped with Shimano Altus M31 3-Speed at the front and Shimano Acera M36 8-Speed at the rear as derailleurs, the derailleurs shifted smoothly during the test ride and was ideal for quick shifts on rough trails. The 24-Speed Shimano Altus RapidFire trigger shifters were standard and easy to use.

This hardtail MTB that I test rode came in a full Black frame with Neon Green and Grey as the secondary colours for text and graphics. This shade of Neon Green looked bright and added a good contrast. The matte finish paint job along with the colour coded saddle and the internal gear cable routing enhanced the aesthetic appeal of this bicycle.

The ‘JAK’ branded Hydraulic Disc brakes handled the stopping power on the Hero Octane Gyrfalcon 27.5. These brakes felt powerful and safe to use during the test ride on rough trails, especially on fast turns.The 68mm stock Alloy handlebar came with a flat design which made it aggressive for fast trail rides.

The Hero Octane Gyrfalcon 27.5 rolled on a pair of Chaoyang 27.5” x 2.2” MTB tires. These MTB tires were well treaded and provided a lot of traction on rough trails. Along with double walled Alloy rims, these tires were strong enough to handle rough patches. The stock sport Hyper Aero Saddle was ergonomically designed with comfortable padding.