Omo Munnar Road Bike: ChooseMyBicycle Expert Review

The OMO Munnar is built using an aluminium 6061 alloy material which is durable and has been used to build bicycle frames for quite some time. This frame is 19.5 inch mostly aimed at tall riders, and weighs 11kgs as per manufacturer. One distinct feature which is seen on the frame design is that the seat stays are not welded at the top of the seat tube close to the top tube, unlike standard bike designs. This helps in frame having a small flexibility to make the ride little more comfortable. The standard stem provided is 100mm which sometimes might be difficult for few riders to handle the bike due to increase in reach. Possibility for a smaller length stem would help. The bottom tube of the bike looks like aero foil shape which could reduce bike drag. The rigid fork also has a little flat profile which would also reduce some wind drag. As the bike comes under gravel category there needs to be mounting choice for a rack and some bottle holders. There are one too many holes for internal cable routing on top tube which could let rainwater into the frame. There could have been lesser holes, or the holes could be plugged properly. I would also like the manufacturer to make these frame in many sizes as the current size will not be suitable for majority of the buyers.

The bike comes with only choice of one colour Beige, blue and black. The colour looks a bit dull to me, well it is in the eye of the beholder. The bike is equipped with only one bottle cage may be due to the aero profile down tube where you might have to add a clip-on bottle holder for extra carrying needs. Fender mounts are also included but I am not sure if you can fix a fender with larger size tyres.

The bike is equipped with 2X9 Shimano Sora full group set which does a good job in elevating the bike’s riding experience. The gear shifting is very responsive and helps to accelerate quickly and has sufficient low range gearing available for climbs as well. The bike falls under the gravel category as per manufacturer, in the time I had ridden the bike I was not confident to try out the rough patches of the road.

Tektro mechanical disc brake setup works well with this bike. Initially braking was not sufficient to as it was brand new, after two to three quick braking the pad started to bite well and had good stopping.

The handlebar is traditional drop bar, which is between 400mm to 450mm in length which should be comfortable width for tall riders. The position on the bike is a little aggressive even when the bar is mounted above the spacers. The bar tape is very thin or less cushioned, it felt like directly holding the tube. For softer hands there might be a need to double tape or completely change to a new softer tape. The handling of the bike seemed difficult as even though I am 175mm tall and struggled to reach the brake lever to stop. To change gears, I had to shift towards the tip of the saddle.

The bike comes with alloy rims which houses the Ralson 700x23c. The grip on the tyres is not sufficient, an upgrade would improve the riding experience. The current setup of wheels is good enough for beginners. The wheels could fit max 32mm width tyres, there does not seem to be much room between the forks to go for larger volume tyres.

The comfort aspect of where you sit “the saddle” is soft and comfortable can handle bumps. There is little flex at the centre of the saddle which makes it feel bumpy when putting full weight on it and on rough roads.