A THOUSAND CROSSINGS X

Dear Diary...
KTM Score RC 3.0 Review
samedi 11 décembre 2010

Just had my maiden ride off-road at the BT mountain bike trail today on my KTM, so I decided to give a review on this monster of a bike :D

First, a little bit of history of KTM Fahrrad GmbH: Motorcycle fans would know that KTM is famous for the dirt bikes they manufacture. KTM has won every Dakar Rally since 2001.

1934 Hans Trunkenpolz opens a repair workshop in Mattighofen Austria.

1951 Hans Trunkenpolz built his first motorcycle.

1953 The company is now officially known as KTM “Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen” After company founders Hans Trunkenpolz and Ernst Kronreif and the Austrian location: Mattighofen, where Hans Trunkenpolz began and the manufacturing plant was built.

1964 KTM starts bicycle production.

Since 1964 KTM produced and sold almost 3000000 bicycles.

KTM Bicycle Ltd. is offering a full range of bikes.

Design and Production of 150 different models: MTB, Road, Cross, City, Trekking and E-Bikes (pedelecs).

Sales and Distribution in 30 countries worldwide.

Sales of KTM bikes per year (2008): 163.000 bicycles.

Moving on to the KTM Score RC 3.0, the bike I'm riding is equipped with the following:

Fork: Rockshox Reba SL 100mm (Dual Air Spring, Blackbox Motion Control) w/ remote lockout (Poploc)
Rear Shock: DT Swiss XM 180 100mm
Headset: Ritchey Comp Press-Fit integrated
Shifters: Shimano SLX Rapidfire plus
Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX Downswing
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT
Chainset: Shimano SLX Hollowtech II 22/32/44T
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Cartridge
Chain: Shimano HG80
Front Hub: Shimano SLX Disc QR
Rear Hub: Shimano SLX Disc QR
Rims: DT Swiss X430, Aluminium
Spokes: DT Swiss revolution
Tyres: 26x2.10" Schwalbe Rocket Ron
Brakes: Shimano SLX Disc 180/160mm
Brake Levers: Shimano SLX
Handlebar: Ritchey Comp flat
Stem: Ritchey Comp
Grips: Ritchey WCS True
Saddle: Selle Italia XR Flow light
Seatpost: Ritchey Comp
Pedals: Wellgo Platform Pedals, B143

The bike weighs in at 11.9kg without pedals. Pretty light for an aluminium full suspension bike.

On The Road:

The bike felt very stiff (which is good) on the road, especially with the fork and shock locked out. I expected the bike to accelerate like a rocket, but was disappointed. But I'm blaming that on the knobby Schwalbe Rocket Rons rather than bike geometry on design.

The Reba's lockout is commendable. Despite the fork being locked out, the fork will be automatically be reactivated to soak up bumps when you hit large bumps that exceed your preset floodgate threshold. I find this function very useful especially when riding on the sides of Singapore roads. :D The plush Reba forks subtly soaked up huge bumps and reduced the fatigue in my arms. (Y)

Kudos also to the DT Swiss XM 180 rear shock. One thing I love about the lock out function of rear shocks is that they give you the option to choose between riding a full suspension bike, or a hardtail. Some shocks lock out so tightly that it performs exactly like a hardtail, but not the DT Swiss XM180. Despite it being locked out, it manages to provide a smooth ride by soaking up rough bumps, and yet allowing the bike to perform like a true hardtail most of the time. Pedal bob on the bike is minimal, likely to be due to the design of the rear suspension system which bears a similarity to the 2010 Stumpjumper Specialized FSR where the rear shock is mounted under the top-tube.

On The Trail:

As this was the bike's maiden ride off-road, I wasn't ready to attempt anything too dangerous, especially with the SLX disc brakes not fully worn in yet. Despite this, the disc brakes did their job excellently today.

Modulation was good and the brakes provided sufficient and appropriate stopping power. Gone were the days where I would either be thrown off my bike by overly strong V-brakes or where I would be screaming for help when the V-brakes refuse to work after being clogged up with mud. After this move to Disc Brakes, I'm never going back. :D

The disc brakes were kinda sensitive to the touch. It activated itself very easily, that would need some getting used to, especially when I have come from a low-end hardtail equipped with V-brakes. The handling of the KTM on the trail was very snappy (which would require time to get used to as well) as well. I attribute this to the stiff steerer and Reba SL forks and probably the well-calculated length of trail of the Score RC 3.0.

Throughout my ride today, I was very careful with my riding line as I was very worried of shredding my Rocket Rons on their first ride. I have read about unpleasant things about the paper-thin sidewalls of the Rocket Rons which were often easily cut open by sharp rocks on the trail. Even the Schwalbe website warned that the Rocket Ron was an out and out competition tire and not meant for aggressive riding. Luckily for me today, the tires held up pretty well.

However, the Rocket Ron is not a very confidence-inducing tire, especially through turns where they seem to take about half a second to fully grip the trail to carry me through the turn. I slid a few times on loose gravel as well. Not what I had expected from knobby tires like the Rocket Ron, that was disappointing. However, when riding at slightly higher speeds (above 15km/h) the Rocket Rons seem to do their job very well, latching onto rocks and allowing the bike to turn sharply and negotiate the trail very well. Maybe Schwalbe was right. The Rocket Ron is a XC racing tire, so probably it works best when ridden fast. (:

The drivetrain equipped on my Score RC 3.0 worked brilliantly as well. The Deore XT rear d, smoothly shifts the chain up and down gears even under high pedal pressure. The SLX front d guides the Shimano Hyperglide chain very smoothly as well. That must be the power and precision of Shimano, hardcore Shimano fans always talk about.

There's something about the Selle Italia XR Flow light saddle I'm uncomfortable with though. It's the kind of saddle I like to call "skeletal" The saddle is basically made up of a pair of rails, it's shell and a piece of synthetic leather covering the shell. Minimal cushioning, and that hurt, especially on the long ride home.

Thankfully the Score RC 3.0 has a good rear suspension system, otherwise I'd be in a world of hurt, looking at how bony my backside is. :/

The Verdict:

The Score RC 3.0 is real value for money at this spec and price. I believe the KTM lineup will pose a great threat to Giant Bicycles which are known for their bang for buck. Powerful, stiff ride, but probably there could be a better tire choice.

Au Revoir
yongliang

he closed his diary at {10:38}