Firefox Rapide Owner Review

Firefox Rapide Owner Review by Govind Yadav after riding the bike for 15000 km.

No. of years cycling: 2.5 years
Model Name: Firefox Rapide 21s
Bought on: December 2019
Place of Purchase: Bought it offline from a Firefox official dealer (Harish Cycle Store, Jaipur)

Approx kilometres clocked so far: 14,920+ (as per Strava but I started riding 2 months before using Strava)

Buying experience: Experience was pretty good. Bike was available at the store but they didn’t any other sizes. Other than the small and only one colour available.

Other model considered at time of purchase:
1 Triban R100 (Flatbar)
2 Montra Helicon Disc
3 Firefox Road Runner Pro D

The Rapide with its competition the BTwin Riverside

Reason for choosing this model:
1) It is one of the lightest offering in its price segment as it does not have a front suspension
2) Due to its Acera- Tourney drivetrain
3) As it doesn’t have stickers or decals all branding is painted

Positives of this bike:
1) It has comfortable sitting posture
2) Presence of adjustable stem which helped me to get more aero
3) Good and reliable shifting (as it has Acera rear derailleur)
4) Sufficiently wide handlebars for easily moving through city traffic
5) Nice and sturdy double walled rims
6) Stiff alloy frame which give you confidence while putting down power

Negatives of this bike:
1) Crappy tyres which easily get punctured
2) Handle bar grips moves around while riding
3) Presence of a freewheel instead of a cassette
4) You often run out of gears at high speed due to its 14-28 freewheel

Why I recommend buying this bike:

1) It is a nice bike for getting into cycling and enjoying every bit of it
2) Maintenance parts are easily available at offline market
3) As its paint job has a matt finish, so you don’t have to worry about washing it every time you ride
4) Overall this bike is capable of doing everything you throw at it. Whether its going on flat roads at 40k/ hr or going over cobbles at high speeds