B'Twin Alur 700

There’s good news and bad news about B'Twin’s Alur 700. The good news is that as this review goes up on BikeRadar in spring 2015 it’s on sale at Decathlon at just £599– reduced from its already impressively cheap £749.99 RRP. The bad news is that it’s selling out fast, to be replaced by a slightly differently specced Alur 700 (more of that later).

• Highs: Low weight, low price and great kit
• Lows: Firm-ish ride; hard to access brakes

Even at its original price the Alur is a bargain. It has the sort of kit, based around 10-speed Shimano 105, that normally adorns a bike costing £1000, and which is virtually unheard of at this price.

The compact 50-34 chainset combines with the 12-28 cassette for versatility at both ends of the spectrum. Some might prefer a slightly higher top gear, but the 34x28 bottom gear should get most riders up just about everything, especially considering the Alur’s impressive sub-9kg weight.

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The brakes are direct-mount Shimano 105s. There’s no doubting the power of these stoppers, even if they don’t have the same smooth control as standard callipers, but we’re not so keen on the positioning of the rear brake behind the bottom bracket, where it picks up road-borne detritus and is harder to access. The internal cabling is a more popular feature, however.

The wheels are usually a major compromise on entry-level bikes. But there are few short cuts evident on BTwin’s own lightweight Aero 2024 wheels, which feature 24 aero spokes on the rear, 20 at the front. Their cartridge bearings should endure durability while their c1800g weight is very good, too, challenging the likes of Mavic’s Aksiums.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com