Fuji Absolute 1.5D (2016): ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

The Fuji A2-SL custom butted aluminium frame on the Absolute 1.5D 2016 is well built and neatly welded. There are two bottle mounts, a replaceable mech hanger and a rack/mudguard. The fork and stays give enough clearances to allow slightly wider tyres. The smoothing nature of the frame and fork was immediately noticeable, smothering bothersome vibrations about as well as anything out there. The rear end quietens road buzz pretty well too, though it could not quite live up to the impressive standard set by the front. The geometry still isnŠ—Èt that different from FujiŠ—Ès comfort hybrid bicycles, just marginally shorter in reach and slightly taller at the front.

The Fuji Absolute 1.5D 2016 has a well finished and a tough coat of paint, though the graphics are not really anything special to look at. The bicycle I test ride came in a full ink blue colour. Lack of a secondary colour shade makes the bicycle look very bright in the single shade of blue. The gloss paint job makes the bicycle look shining. The minimal branding on the tubes has made this bicycle look classy but might not be the most flashy or attractive bicycle on the road.

The Shimano 9-speed drivetrain with Acera shifters was simple and dependable during the test ride. The Absolute 1.5D is a Hybrid inclining towards being a flat barred road bicycle which means a Shimano road gearing component would have been the best fit. But Fuji had different ideas, they decided the go with MTB components as seen in most Hybrid bicycles in the market, Shimano Acera as the front derailleur and Shimano Deore as the rear derailleur. Even though there were no complaints about the gearing performance, it could have been much better if the Shimano component hierarchy difference between Acera and Deore had been reduced. This could have been achieved by going for Acera/Alivio or Alivio/Deore.

The braking department in the Fuji Absolute 1.5D 2016 is taken care of by the Tektro Mechanical disc brakes. After the test ride, I was convinced that efficient mechanical disc brakes do exist. From these Tektro brakes you will get decent stoppers, but no more than that, the distance between them and the likes of Hydraulic disc brakes remain rather big. There is no room here for words like Š—…modulationŠ—È, mostly due to the mechanical system, which means all you will get is an on/off functioning, seasoned with reduced braking power. You will have to give more time for braking if you donŠ—Èt want to end up in the side walk by jamming both the brakes.

The handlebar in this bicycle is what makes it incline towards being a flat barred road bicycle. The position of the Oval Concepts 250 handlebar is comfortably upright and the adjustable stem allows some leeway with the handlebar height. Like any other flat-barred bicycle, this also has good visibility and easy handling which are part and parcel of the set-up.

The Absolute 1.5D 2016 rolls on a pair of Vera City Wide 700C x 28C tires duly supported by the Vera Corsa doubled walled rims. During the test ride on flat tarmacs, this bicycle flew and the main reason for that were these impressive wheel sets. The beauty of the Tread on these tires is that it is a little bit of all of these things Š—– a truly versatile package that mixes an appealing design with a whole lot of practicality and performance. The Oval concepts P300 saddle on this bicycle was ergonomically designed to make sure the sit bones are placed perfectly. The smooth texture on the saddle material might feel slippery and could have been avoided if there were a few grip patches on the wider part of the saddle. The over-all ride quality was fast and a bit jittery on tarmacs.