Corsair Bikes has been sailing under the radar for the past couple of years, but with a new UK distributor at the helm the firm's been whetting our testers' appetites at BikeRadar HQ once again. The Toro is Corsair's 4X/jump bike, and we were keen to see how it handled out on the trails.
Ready for some hefty hits
The burly alloy frame with its tapered head tube and CNC-machined seatstay yoke and bottom bracket area tells you that this bike is built to withstand some big hits and hefty landings. The seatstay junction also houses a tidy integrated seat clamp that, unlike some we’ve tested, actually works really well.
The seven-speed DH gearing on our custom build hints at the Toro’s versatility
Sliding bolt-on dropouts hold the 135x12mm axle and derailleur hanger. An integrated chaintug to keep a singlespeed setup under tension would have been a nice touch here. ISCG tabs suggest that Corsair has 4X racing and general razzing in mind for the Toro rather than it being an out-and-out dirt jumper, and this is backed up by the frame’s racy stance and relatively low bottom bracket (305mm).
Our test bike came direct from Corsair’s new importers Resurrection Cycles decked out in top-end SRAM X0 DH kit – the seven-speed system is ideal for a bike like this. Matched with Race Face Evolve cranks, a RockShox Pike DJ fork and SRAM Guide R brakes, we had no problems sending jumps at full speed from the get-go.
Also making an appearance on our Toro were an Atomlab Pimplite bar and wheels. The rear hub packs 120 pick-up points, so there was never a problem getting those bitch-cranks in!
Speed is of the essence
The Toro feels far more like a 4X racer than a dirt or slopestyle machine, especially when specced with gears and a front brake. The low bottom bracket meant the cockpit felt really high with the original 3in-rise dirt jump bar fitted, so we swapped it for a lower-rise Atomlab DHR cut down to 760mm, which put us in a much more familiar-feeling riding position.
The relatively long geometry fires you in and out of corners and feels nice and stable, unlike some of the more BMX-inspired jump bikes we’re seeing a lot of these days. The Corsair just wants to go fast, everywhere!
The Toro soon had us grinning like Cheshire cats
Hitting all of our fav street spots we felt right at home on the Toro, and it was the same story at the local pump tracks. Racer whips, squashing jumps and manualling through quad rollers was the order of the day and it’s the closest we’ve come to completing the reverse pump track challenge yet.
Our local DH spot is fairly suited to an aggressive hardtail – if you like a challenge – and the Toro lapped it up, leaving us grinning from ear to ear as we razzed down the trails, perhaps slower than others, but having way more fun.
Spec as tested:
- Frame: Aluminium
- Fork: RockShox Pike DJ, 100mm (3.9in) travel
- Shock: N/A
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 DH with Race Face Evolve cranks (1x7)
- Wheels: Atomlab Pimplite
- Tyres: DMR SuperMoto 26x2.2in
- Brakes: SRAM Guide R
- Bar: Atomlab Pimplite, 750mm
- Stem: Atomlab SL, 35mm
- Seatpost: Atomlab Pivotal
- Saddle: Atomlab Pivotal
- Weight: 12.18kg (26.87lb) with pedals