Roadeo Havoc 26 V (2018) - Review

The Roadeo Havoc is built around a strong steel frame. Steel as a material is heavy but on this bicycle the heaviness wasn’t felt much while pedalling on flat urban roads. Accelerating wasn’t the easiest, especially on inclines, which is when the weight of the steel was felt. That being said the frame's strength keeps you stable on rougher patches on roads in the city.The threadless front suspension fork are from a brand named ‘Orbi Shox’. This brand that has its origins in the UK are now being manufactured in India. The Orbi Shox suspension fork on the Havoc had minimal travel and did the job of absorbing vibration of the surface on minor bumps on urban roads.

This bicycle can be classified as an urban MTB, which is built mainly for commuting on good and bad roads. The 21-Speed gears in the Havoc help with riding on various inclines and decline on the road and also shift the speed according to traffic and body fatigue. The Shimano TZ 3/31 Tourney derailleurs worked well with EF-41 21- Speed trigger shifters. There will be some cable tuning required from time to time to keep the derailleurs balanced in both up and down shifts at the front and rear.

The Havoc which I test rode came in a full black frame with Orange, Yellow and White graphics. The graphics were vibrant and flashy with a racy design. The gloss paint job was of good quality and gave the bicycle a shiny look. The colour coded fork, rims and saddle definitely enhanced the overall aesthetics of this bicycle.

The Havoc's stopping power is controlled by a pair of Power V-brakes. These brakes with longer arms and brake pads made sure the braking is balanced and safe when used on city roads. The brake levers were also in easy reach from the bars.The 6mm bird-type handlebar from XMR on the Havoc is not the widest but the length was comfortable for maneuvering through traffic.

The 26” x 2.1” MTB tires on the Havoc was the most impressive during the test ride mainly because of it's heavy treading. The evenly spaced out tread patterns covering the edges made sure riding on wet and dry roads, taking fast turns and pedalling through flat muddy surfaces was comfortable and balanced. The soft PU XMR Saddle had enough padding to keep the rider soreness free on short commutes.