The official price for SRAM's new two-by-ten XX groupset is an impressive 2300 euros - without the SID-XX fork. The price of just 2599 euros for the complete Fast Forward bike seems almost impossible. How can it be that the online mail order company Young Talent Industries, which is only a year old, is offering a top-equipped carbon hardtail a good € 2000 cheaper than what the market has up its sleeve in terms of XX bikes? In addition to the dealer margin and good contacts in Taiwan, the strictly limited edition of only 50 bikes provides an answer. But can the race hardtail with the telling name Fast Forward also compete with the expensive carbon competition from renowned manufacturers?
A look at the rest of the spec with Rock Shox SID XX forks, lightweight Alex Scandium rims, which rotate around in-house hubs, as well as super-light, albeit less practical Maxxis Maxxlite tyres, does not reveal any cheap goods at first glance. This is also emphasised by the YT Industries' low weight of 8.25 kilograms. At 1258 grams (M), the elaborately painted frame, which is available in three sizes, does not break any records, but it is competitive. The same applies to stiffness. With an STW value of 65.4, the Fast Forward is positioned at the top end of the market compared to the Race hardtails from BIKE 12/09 in the rear third.
On the test track, the extremely light bike surges forwards with confidence, accelerates effortlessly out of corners and surprises with its manoeuvrable, playful handling. The reason for this is the short chainstays of just 417 millimetres, which ensure a low wheelbase. Thanks to the unusually long head tube, you sit very comfortably on the bike and have very little saddle rise. However, some pressure is lost on the front wheel on steep ramps.
Bad: After just three test laps, the housing of the rear hub turned out to be undersized - it cracked all around. YT Industries claims to have already rectified this problem for series production. In addition, the bike is to have a 5.5 millimetre lower cockpit with 640 mm handlebars. In terms of points, the Fast Forward still achieves a "very good".
