Last weekend's Hargroves Cycles demo day at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire allowed us an opportunity to check out the 2011 mountain bike range from German manufacturer Stevens.
As we reported earlier this week, this year will see a selection of their mountain bike range go on sale at Hargroves Cycles' five shops and via their website (for UK mainland delivery only). A more comprehensive roll-out, including Stevens' road and cyclocross range, will begin in 2012. For now, we took a closer look at five of the bikes that are currently available.
Fluent ES
A mid-range bike from Stevens' full suspension cross-country range, the alloy Fluent ES is one of their best-sellers. It boasts 120mm of travel, a claimed weight of 11.9kg and complete Shimano Deore XT groupset. You also get Fox 32 F 120RL forks, RP23 Boost Valve shock and Mavic XM317 wheels for £2,399.
Stevens' in-house Scorpo components are used throughout the MTB range, including the Fluent ES
Haze ES
The full carbon, lightweight (9.9kg) Haze ES forms part of the Performance range, and Stevens say it's built for speed and acceleration on both the uphill and the flat. You'll get full Shimano Deore XT and Fox 32 F100 RL fork for your £2,299, while Stevens own Scorpo brand make up the bulk of the components, including Oxygen wheels, stem and handlebar.
The Haze ES offers 100mm of travel and is also available in a red/white colour scheme
Fluent Lady SX
The full alloy women's specific bike from the Fluent range has a claimed weight of 12.7kg. An SR Suntour Axon RLD front fork and X Fusion 02 RLX rear shock make it an entry level bike within the range, while the groupset is a mixture of Shimano components (FC-M552 crankset, CS-HG81 cassette and SLX M663 derailleur). Again, Scorpo features heavily in the rest of the set-up.
8 S
The top end of the all round S Series, Stevens say the £1,099, 11.9kg, 8 S is designed for 'pleasant tours.' Again a mixture of Shimano components make up the drivetrain, with Deore XT (RD-M772) making an appearance in the front and rear deraiileurs. Also available in a white/orange colour, the alloy 8 S sports a Rock Shox Recon Gold front fork and Oxygen Scorpo wheels.
The 8 S is the highest point of the S-Series, which starts with the £459 3 S
Glide ES
At £2,799, the Glide ES sits in the middle of the All Mountain Fully range. With a claimed weight of 12.5kg, Stevens call it a 'bike for any circumstance' and boasts full Shimano Deore XT groupset. For your money you get Fox Talas 140RL forks, Float RP23 Boost Valve and DT Swiss M1800 wheels.
The Glide ES uses an X12 through-axle system on the front and rear wheels, which is said to be lighter and stiffer than conventional systems
