Shame on me! I'm not one of those mechanics who constantly tinker with their bike with white gloves on. In other words: oil on the chain, the occasional car wash, that's it. The Stevens wasn't impressed by my rude treatment.
It was clear from the very first test ride: the Fluent has a pure race geometry. Not really my thing, I'm a touring cyclist! The saddle is a good way above handlebar level and you sit quite stretched out. The offset handlebars at least provide some relaxation. But I got to grips with the position surprisingly quickly. The bike is extremely lively and encourages you to heat it up on the trail.
When pedalling fast, the pedalling power is completely converted into propulsion. The agile and fine rear suspension plays a large part in this. It even suggests more suspension travel than the 100 millimetres actually available. Super! The shock is optimally positioned in the frame, protected from dirt. The lockout lever is also easy to reach. The drive and brake components from the Shimano Deore XT groupset are visually and functionally on a high level.
The "serious case" for the Fluent was a five-day stage ride through the Swiss Jura with luggage in my rucksack. The riding position was too extreme for me in the long run. Too much weight weighed on the front wheel and the 100-millimetre suspension fork offered hardly any reserves despite the corrected set-up.
ConclusionThe Fluent ES is more the right bike for sporty marathon riders than for touring bikers. However, it is blessed with well thought-out equipment and a very good price/performance ratio.
Change:
- Saddle swapped for Fizik Aliante / My usual saddle simply belongs on the bike
- Shimano PD-M54 pedal fitted / Heavy freeride pedal, but I love it!
Web: www.stevensbikes.de
You can also find the entire endurance test as a PDF download below.
Photos: Colin Stewart, Robert Niedring
