The tersely named Stat from Calibre – house brand of retail giant Go Outdoors – is a bike that combines the very, very good with some quirky kit choices. Let's start with a few positives – the ride is lovely, the Shimano Tiagra 10-speed kit and 9.68kg weight excellent for the price. It’s finished off with Shimano wheels and FSA components, also impressive at the price.
- Highs: Good kit and a superb ride
- Lows: Racy gearing, single bottle mount
The ride is comfortable enough that that it excelled when we tried it over unsurfaced routes – the compact frame, slim top tube, arched seatstays and 27.2mm post create a plusher ride than you’d expect for the price. The tapered head tube contributes to confident handling, too.
Our criticisms are neither serious nor insurmountable, but it is odd to find just a single pair of bottle bosses, and we can’t help feeling that a 25t bottom sprocket is nowhere near low enough. The difference between that and a 28- or 30-tooth sprocket could be that between seated and standing climbing, or riding and walking up a hill. But add-on bottle mounts are easy to fit and a wider cassette not that expensive.
We’d also have liked more than three frame sizes. But there's no getting away from the fact that this is a very good machine for the money.
While no US or Australia recommended retail prices are available, Calibre does ship worldwide. See its website for details.
