It’s very easy to be carried away with bike porn; lusting after lighter, more exotic and prohibitively priced machines and components. It can be hard to say no to such perverse desires. There is hope though for sufferers in the form of a MTB that is fantastically well spec’d without a rapacious price tag; it has enough quality to satisfy.

I purchased the Reiker Renegade Pro to use in 100 km MTB races. I was after something that was light enough without being frail, robust enough to deal with roughhandling and varying terrains and conditions and sported quality components that satisfied durability and weight constraints.

2 weeks of sold graft in the hills later, and I can, hand-on-heart, say the Renegade Pro has exceeded my expectations. The bike surprised me with its sure-footed handling, it was very nimble up and down some pretty poorly surfaced hills. The Manitou R7 up front and the matching Swinger rear-shock work in synch and adjust readily to suit rider comfort and trail conditions; the remote lockout on the R7 is very handy, particularly when tired; no more reaching down to the forks when almost asleep. There is no doubting the benefit of that extra 20mm in the front fork over my previous Duke. - it just gives that extra resilience over more technical sections.

As you can see from the following specification, you get a lot of bike for your money - $NZ 3266.

• FRAME-7005 HEAT TREATED ALLUMINIUM WITH INTEGRATED HEADSET
• REAR SHOCK-MANITOU SWINGER AIR X3 SPV DAMPING AIR SHOCK
• FORK-MANITOU R-7 SUPER WITH CLICKIT REMOTE LOCKOUT
• FRONT BRAKE-SHIMANO XT HYDRAULIC DISC BR-M765
• REAR BRAKE-SHIMANO XT HYDAULIC DISC BR-M765
• BRAKE LEVERS-SHIMANO XT ST-M766
• SHIFTERS-SHIMANO XT DUAL CONTROL ST-M766
• FRONT DERAILLEUR-SHIMANO XT FD-M760A
• REAR DERAILLEUR-SHIMANO XT RD-M960SGS
• CHAINWHEEL SET-SHIMANO XT FC-M760C HOLLOWTEC 44/32/22T
• CASSETTE/CLUSTER-SHIMANO XT CS-M760 11-32T 9SPD
• CHAIN-SHIMANO CN-HG93
• HUBS-SHIMANO XT WH-M765QR
• RIMS-SHIMANO WH-M765QR TUBLESS
• CONTINENTAL LEADER 26X2.10 TUBLESS FOLDABLE
• H/BAR-FSA K-FORCE CARBON FLAT BAR
• SEATPOST-FSA CARBON
• SADDLE-FIZIK NISENE II SPORT

The frame is expertly constructed of a 7005 aluminium alloy to provide excellent strength and stiffness at a reasonable weight. In terms of geometry, the frame is quite compact, making use of the 4 point linkage design that harnesses the rear suspension, to afford most riders a chance at close control and energy conserving solid traction. The usual attention paid by Reiker to beefy bottom brackets also aids in providing a very good stable platform for power production. Out of the saddle on loose gravel climbs the bike handled well with reduced pedal bob.

Being an avid fan of SRAM components, I was apprehensive about switching back to Shimano; the Renegade Pro comes with an all XT-level drive train with the exception of a top-of-the-line XTR rear dérailleur. In practice, shifting and braking were effortless; the Shimano wheel-set and its matching drive train provide a strong and reliable platform, the stopping power of the XT discs are adequate to good but lack the feel and elegant modulation of say the Magura Martas or Avid Juicy. Still for the purpose of endurance riding, the brakes are well suited. The real test for components is longevity; I will check back in 3-4 months into a reasonably heavy training program and a couple of services to report on what has worn and if there have been any issues. The signs are good though the bike can handle continual long hit-outs; certainly it may take a pre-emptive nuclear strike to bring grief to the frame!

With FSA carbon flat-bar and seat post (topped with an impressive fizik Nisene II saddle), Reiker have shaved some weight and provided quality and comfort at two of the 3 contact points for body on bike. I quickly and rather savagely hacked off the grips that came with the bike; they do not match up with the quality of the rest of the bike and with heavy use are a point of heat, pressure and pain. It’s not a big deal at all, I just swapped in a new pair of ERGON R2M ergonomic grips and bar ends that are purpose-built for endurance mountain biking.

Pedals are another area of personal bigotry, the SPD’s that come with the bike are a solid, dependable choice that will do the job, no problems. I prefer my trusty Crankbros Eggbeaters as they are lighter, offer more entry and exit options and shed mud very easily. Reiker don’t try and nickle and dime you with tyres as the Renegade Pro comes off the show room floor with the excellent Continental Leader Gravity Arc hose – suited to most surfaces and conditions other than snow, ice and flat out XC racing.

Look, you can pay a hell of a lot more and get a hell of a lot less bike than the Reiker Renegade Pro. It represents outstanding value for money, is beautifully presented and wonderfully supported and is a worthy choice for 100km and 12 and 24 hour racers with its wonderful balance between performance and reliability.

Talk to Reiker and check out their site for more details.