With the Amber Road, Tout Terrain presents the grand seigneur in this test group. While many other touring bikes now want to shine with tyre width, studs and sporty, wide-ratio derailleur gears, the trekking bike from the Baden-based company relies on more classic virtues.
The comfortable, heavily offset handlebars are finished with Ergon leather grips. This gives you a particularly upright position. The Vittoria tyres with road tread are not all-rounders, but are specially made for rough roads and high durability. This is clearly justified. After all, beyond romantic notions, cycling trips in our latitudes take place mainly on tarmac. However: A little more width would also bring more comfort on the road without sacrificing rolling resistance, as we recently found out in our large tyre test.
The facts about the Amber Road Alfine
- Bike category: Trekking/travelling bike
- Drive: Belt
- Gear system: Shimano Alfine (409 per cent)
- Gear ratio: 46; 24 teeth
- Brakes: Magura MT Sport (two-piston)
- Tyres: Vittoria Randonneur, 42 mm
- Lighting system: f. / h. B & M IQ-XS, 80 Lux /
- B & M Toplight 2C Plus
- Pannier rack: Tout Terrain, 40 kg; Tubus front rack, 15 kg each
- Frame sizes: S to XXL
- Frame: Steel
- Fork: Steel
- Permissible total weight: 160 kg
- Warranty: 5 years
- Special features: Integrated steering stop, belt
Achieving test victory with belts and hub gears?
Comfort and durability take centre stage when it comes to the gears. The Alfine gearbox from Shimano with eleven gears is the cheaper alternative to Rohloff and Pinion. The Rapidfire control levers shift the gears crisply and smoothly even under light load. Only on the climbs is the hub too tightly geared, especially with luggage - unfortunately this is typical of the Alfine and more of a Shimano problem than a Tout Terrain one. The belt, on the other hand, promises maintenance-free cycling fun even on long distances, giving the Amber Road a unique added value in our touring bike test group.
Another unique feature of the Tout Terrain is the integrated pannier rack with maximum rigidity and a maximum load capacity of 40 kilograms. This means that the Amber Road can nominally carry the heaviest loads. However, not all bags fit on the massive struts. Classic Ortliebs, for example, need thinner tubes. With a full load, the bike doesn't always ride optimally due to the gearing and the relaxed riding position. Unfortunately, the Magura brakes never really wanted to bite despite long attempts at braking.
Strong in everyday life and on relaxed tours
So it's better to take a more leisurely approach and let the bike's strengths come to the fore on relaxed tours. The steel frame is beautifully made, the simple steering stop with rubber bumper a fine detail. With its frame lock and belt drive, the Amber Road also offers an undeniably high level of everyday practicality. By the way: Instead of our customised bike, the Amber Road is also available in a similar trim as a ready-made model. Then with straight handlebars a little more sporty and starting at 2999 euros.
BIKE review: Tout Terrain Amber Road Alfine
Strengths
- Low-maintenance with hub gears and belt
- Comfortable, upright sitting position
- Extremely stable rear carrier
Weaknesses
- Narrow tyres and mudguards
- Mixed braking performance
- Gear ratio too tight
Overall grade: 2.1
For details on the composition of the overall score and comparison with other bikes of similar price and range of use, see below.
BIKE Conclusion on the Tout Terrain Amber Road
Amber Road instead of Himalayan trekking: Tout Terrain's Amber Road remains pleasantly down to earth and impresses with its upright riding position, high level of maintenance-free riding, integrated pannier rack and great everyday practicality. The tyres and gearing are somewhat restrictive on long tours. The upright position slows down the forward momentum somewhat. - Adrian Kaether, Editor Test & Technology
Tout Terrain in comparison: How the Amber Road performs in the test
In our latest test, we tested five touring bikes from Maxx, Norwid, Patria, Tout Terrain and Velotraum. The requirement: A classy chassis for long tours up to travelling the world, with reasonably affordable prices of a maximum of around 4000 euros. Here is an overview of the Tout Terrain Amber Road Alfine compared to the competition.
| Touring bikes | Driving safety (20 %) | Driving pleasure (20 %) | Comfort (20 %) | Travel benefits (20 %) | Equipment (20 %) | Overall grade |
| Velotraum | 1,1 | 2,0 | 2,0 | 1,9 | 1,6 | 1,7 |
| Maxx | 1,1 | 2,9 | 1,6 | 1,5 | 2,0 | 1,8 |
| Norwid | 1,9 | 1,6 | 2,2 | 2,0 | 2,0 | 1,9 |
| Patria | 2,4 | 1,9 | 1,8 | 1,9 | 1,8 | 1,9 |
| Tout Terrain | 2,3 | 2,8 | 2,3 | 1,5 | 1,7 | 2,1 |
Note: The assessment is category-dependent and is primarily used for comparison within the test group. The grades awarded are based on school grades. A grade of 2.5 is awarded for average performance without any shortcomings.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
