Disc brakes are making ever-more appearances on road bikes, but they’ve been pretty common on drop-bar commuter bikes for a while now. And they make sense.
- Highs: Tough and capable all-rounder
- Lows: No rear rack mounts
In the case of the Tifosi, the braking is good, though not noticeably better than a good set of callipers, but the wheels’ lifespan will be much better, without the rims being ground down on a daily basis. The rest of the kit’s pretty tough, too, and should survive the rough and tumble of commuting or the occasional off-road outing.
It's nominally a ’cross bike, but we think this will get in more miles in the city than in competitive outings. It’s got front and rear mudguard eyelets (with clearance) but the lack of rear rack bosses is a bit of a surprise for an otherwise capable tourer.
The tyres are okay on the road, and great on tracks and rough stuff, though we’d go for slicker, lighter rubber if we were purely riding on tarmac.
The compact gearing is well suited to commuting and the Forte’s real strength is as a tough city bike. It has come down in price too, and we’d consider getting some cross-top brake levers for heads-up city riding with the money saved on what is a good value all-rounder.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
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