United Shadow Nagato - Review

The Shadow Nagato is equipped with a Hydroformed Full Alloy frame with a cross-country inspired geometry. The frame is built using hydroformed heat treatment technology which made sure the perfect balance of light weight and strength is achieved. This was evident during the test ride when the frame responded well to acceleration and climbs.The Shadow stock suspension fork was responsive during the test ride and absorbed most of the vibrations on the trail. This was possible because of its 1mm travel and an easy to use Hydraulic remote suspension lock-out which immensely helped in making the ride faster on flatter patches.

Shimano's Deore MTB derailleur on the Shadow Nagato is known for the quality of shifting across its rings. This may be Shimano's best racing groupset option on a budget, but that hasn’t resulted in a lack of attention to detail: each chainring is constructed differently to balance use against weight and longevity. The 1x12-Speed drivetrain has enough range for difficult climbs and for picking up speed as well. The dropping of the front derailleurs has truly become a norm in Performance and Race specific MTBs as it helps in keeping the shifting easier and quick. This gearing setup is complete with Deore shifters which were easy and responsive to use.

This Hardtail XC MTB which we test rode came in a Black primary colour with Yellow as the secondary colour. The internal cable routing for the both derailleur and brake cables made the Bicycle look neat and organized. The matte finish paint job was top notch in quality.

The Shimano MT2 Hydraulic Disc brakes were as powerful as it can get on a Performance focused Hardtail MTB at this price. During the test ride, these brakes were not just powerful but also felt balanced on wet trail surfaces. The brake levers required only 2 or 3 fingers to engage the brakes.The 72mm stock handlebar was lengthy and perfectly suited for fast trail rides. That being said this handlebars length makes it uncomfortable for those tight maneuvers.

The Shadow Nagato rolls on a pair of Kenda 29” x 2.1” MTB tires. These hard compound heavily treaded tires were tough and can easily handle the wettest and roughest of trails.The stock saddle on this XC MTB is designed to make sure the rider is sore free even when he or she spends long hours on this saddle during XC rides and races.