Urban Trail HT4 V - Review

The UT HT4 V comes with an alloy hardtail frame. The top tube and the bottom tube aren’t fully flat or circular. The flattened shape in between is where there is less material used, as the impact from the trail is less in these places. The place where the top tube and bottom tube near the headset at the front is chunky as that's the place that will have to take in maximum impact. The frame geometry was a bit aggressive which is positive for riders looking to get maximum performance on the trails.The SR Suntour front suspension fork worked efficiently during the test ride and had a comfortable 6~7mm travel which functioned well on bumps.

Gears on an MTB not only help you go faster but also help you keep the speed in control when on trails. The UT HT4 V comes with a Shimano Tourney TX5 at the front and TX35 at the rear as derailleurs. These derailleurs are the most basic gearing in the Shimano MTB hierarchy and for the price of this bicycle I was expecting to see a minimum of Shimano Altus at both the front and rear. These Tourney derailleurs did perform well during the test ride but they do have their limits.

UT's design has always been top notch on their hardtail MTB's. The UT HT4 V which I test rode came in a blue frame with red and white graphics. The graphics looked neat and gave a refreshing new look. The full black side-stand and front suspension fork created a good contrast to the blue frame. The black bottle cage with a silver sipper bottle makes this MTB look fully loaded.

The UT HT4 V comes equipped with a pair of V-brakes at the front and rear. During the test ride, these brakes weren’t the best in performance. The brakes were a bit sluggish and weren’t balanced when braking on turns. I was expecting to see mechanical disc brakes at both the front and rear for the price of this bicycle. Mechanical disc brakes would have improved the stopping power and reaction time on trails.This MTB comes with a Zoom alloy handlebar with a very minimal raise from the middle. This handlebar is wide and gives an aggressive and performance focused riding posture for the rider.

The Kenda 26” x 2.1” MTB tires were heavily treaded and is capable of rolling over the roughest of trails with ease. During the test ride these tires rolled faster and also handled rocks and bumps well. The stock saddle on the UT HT4 V had the perfect amount of cushioning which made sure the rider does not experience any soreness on bumpy trail rides. The overall ride quality of this bicycle was comfortable on flatter trails.