Hero Octane Review

I have been bitten by the cycling bug and as a part of this, I plan to review as many Indian bikes as I can get my hand on.

I'll start off with my own bike, Hero Octane 26T.
My colleague Rohan Kini has also reviewed my bike. Read it at Rohan's blog

Lets start with the bike parts. Check my previous post for a picture of the bike.
Cost: Rs 9600 with VAT (I obviously got cheated)
Pros:
1. Aluminum frame,
2. Narrowest seat ever (I actually like this)
3. Has a carrier (I carry a laptop and spare clothes to work and this makes a huge difference)
4. Full (Front and rear) suspension
5. Disc brakes
6. Shimano 24 speed gears.

Cons:
1. Rear suspension ;-)
2. Ugly carrier sticking out
3. Build quality (the pedal reflectors fell off on the first ride)

Rear suspensions are a bad idea if you plan to use your bike only to commute to work. They cause the bike to bob up and down when you pedal which not only feels weird but wastes energy. In traffic jams, I ride on the footpath and the rear suspensions are useful here. Rear suspensions help only when you go off the road unless you buy one with anti-bobbing suspension.

The carrier although butt ugly is functional. My backpack weighs about 7kgs with the laptop and spare clothes. I find it very difficult to breathe while cycling full tilt with the bag on my back.

The Octane is actually heavier than the Thunder but still lighter than steel frame bikes. The extra weight is due to the rear suspensions.

Right now, I have a plethora of problems with the bike:
1. The disc brakes touch the sleeves.
2. The front gears do not shift to the lowest gear.
3. The front chain rings are either bent or not aligned correctly.
4. The chain touches the front dérailleur in some gear combinations.
5. The disc brakes have a lot of play and do not feel so responsive.

Overall, I am not impressed with Hero Octane's build quality or the dealers servicing.

Another thing, this bike has quick release knobs for the tyres and seat. Although this is very helpful, it also makes it very easy to rob the bike's parts.

Ride:
This bike is lighter than my previous bike, Hero Swing.
The handle bars are very close to the seat and reduces stability.
The rear gears shift cleanly but the front gears feel clunky. The front gears also slip off the chain ring when I try to shift to top gear. But I think this is due to faulty installation.
The freewheel does not spin cleanly.

The bike is better than the Hero Swing but not worth the extra money. Th Firefox Target will retail for Rs 10,200 at Rohan's soon-to-open shop. But more about that later.