Battalion AV1 27.5 - Review

The Battalion AV1 27.5 is built on a 661 Hardtail Alloy frame. This frame has a conventional geometry with a slightly slanting top tube. The top and bottom tubes are fused at the front which makes for a solid piece of the frame which can take in a lot of hard hitting and vibrations of the trail and other rough surfaces.This Hardtail MTB comes with a Suntour XCM3 branded suspension fork with an effective 8 to 1mm of working travel and a useful Mechanical lock-out. The lock-out feature makes the suspension rigid and hence makes the ride smoother and easier to accelerate on flatter roads.

This Hardtail MTBs comes with Shimano's Altus M315 2-Speed at the front and Altus M31 8-Speed at the rear. This 2x8-Speed drivetrain was mid-level performance and the shifting was smooth and is ideal for quick shifts on flat trails and urban roads. The Shimano Altus 16-Speed trigger shifters were easy to shift with clear numbered gear indicators.

The Battalion AV1 27.5 which we test rode came in a Black primary colour on the frame with Neon Yellow and White as the secondary colours for graphics. The dark and bright contrasting colour combination blended well. The matte finish paint job was smooth and premium in quality. The Quick Release on the front and rear wheels and seat post are useful design features which make it easier and faster to remove/install the wheels and adjust the seat post height.

Repute branded Mechanical Disc brakes handle the braking power on the Battalion AV1 27.5. These brakes were balanced and powerful when using it on flat trails and even on urban tar roads. The standard brake levers were easy to operate with only 2-3 fingers.The Jiabao Steel 72mm Alloy flat handlebar was wide and gave optimum control on fast turns. A mid-riser handlebar would have made it slightly more comfortable in posture for the rider.

The Battalion AV1 rolls on a pair of 27.5” x 2.1” Kenda branded MTB tires. These tires were heavily treaded with a uniform tread pattern which made sure riding on flat trails was safe. The double walled alloy rims were strong enough to take in a lot of hard hitting from the surface.The stock saddle was ergonomically designed to make sure the rider is comfortable and sore free on bumpy rides.