Vaux Battle 518: ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

The Vaux Battle 518 comes with an Alloy Hardtail frame which is top notch in terms of build quality and geometry. The Alloy material has been used cautiously in a manner to make sure the most sensitive points on the frame which might experience the most vibrations have extra reinforcement. At the same time, the tubes in between are relatively smaller in circumference which reduces the weight of the frame a little. The internal cable routing saves the cables from general wear and tear and is a great feature on a MTB at this price.

Being a performance focused hardtail MTB, the suspension plays a big role in the ride quality of this bicycle on trails. The stock front suspension fork comes with a working travel of 80mm which worked to its limits during the test ride. The suspension lockout was quick and easy to use and helped ride faster on flatter patches on the trails.

The Bicycle which I test rode came in a full Black frame with Bright Red. The model name ‘Battle’ is visible in a bold font across the bottom tube which is very unique. The matte finish paint job is top notch and enhances the quality of the colours on the frame. The slanting top tube with a flat-wide handlebar makes this hardtail MTB look aggressive.

The Battle 518 comes equipped with a Shimano Tourney 3-Speed at the front and a Shimano Tourney 7-Speed at the rear as derailleurs. These are the 1st in hierarchy from the bottom in the Shimano MTB gearing line. During the test ride these gears did perform well and without any lags and glitches. The gear shifting was smooth with no lags and the 3x7-Speed gears had enough range for quick accelerations and fast climbs. The LTwo A2 shifters were sleek in design and easy to shift with trigger type shifting for both increasing and decreasing of gears.

The stopping power on the Battle 518 is taken care of by a pair of Repute Mechanical Disc brakes. They were both reactive and balanced making them safe to use on rough and wet surfaces. The brake levers were easy to engage.

The Alloy handlebar on this hardtail MTB gave sufficient control of the Bicycle on rough roads and trails. The bar ends on this handlebar are not only stylish but also work as a safety protection for the rider. The handlebar width could have been increased a bit as it felt a little compact.

The Vaux 518 rolls on a pair of 26” x 2.1” Arisun MTB tires which were heavily treaded. During the test ride these tires proved its worth by rolling over flat roads and rough surfaces quite easily. The wheelset is strong and can handle vibrations of the surface. The stock saddle on this Bicycle was padded well which ensured the rider was soreness free even on bumpy surfaces.