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The Firefox Mountana 21-Speed 29er is an ideal choice for anyone looking to buy their first MTB at an affordable price.
Firefox recently launched 3 new bicycles after a long gap. One hybrid bicycle and 2 MTB’s. Both the MTB’s are 29ers while one is a single speed and the other one is a geared 21-speed bicycle. We got the opportunity to test ride the Firefox Mountana 21-Speed 29er MTB and here is what we thought.
Frame, Fit and Comfort
This hardtail alloy frame is heavy yet strong, capable of taking in hard hitting’s of the trail
The Firefox Mountana 21-speed has the same frame as its single-speed version. This hardtail alloy frame is bulky and does feel heavy but considering it is a 29er MTB built for trails, the weight isn’t a setback. In fact the neatly welded tubes and a few chunky parts of the frame help absorb vibrations from the surface on rugged trails.
The Zoom front suspension fork worked well on a flatter trail. The 60mm travel was enough during the test ride on less challenging trails with minimal bumps but surely isn’t built to take in those major drops on more competitive trails.
Design
This 21-speed 29er MTB comes in 2 colour variants. Yellow with Red/Blue graphics and Charcoal grey with Blue/Red graphics
The Mountana 21-Speed which I test rode came in a full yellow as the primary colour with blue and red as the secondary colours. The graphics and the fonts used for both the designer shapes and the model/brand names were funky and gave a new and refreshing outlook to this 29er MTB. The matte finish paint job was top notch and enhances the aesthetic appeal of this bicycle.
Gearing
The 21-speed shifters were enough for beginner level flat trails
This 29er hardtail MTB comes with a 21-speed drivetrain. Shimano Tourney/Microshift at the front and rear as derailleurs help the rider through trails. Even though Tourney’s are the most basic of Shimano’s MTB line they solve the purpose when it comes to riding on easier flat trails. The 21-speed shifters were standard Shimano/Microshift ones and were easy to use and were in comfortable reach from the handlebar.
Brakes and Steering
The V-brakes were average but the lack of mechanical disc brakes at this price point was a letdown
The Mountana 21-speed’s stopping power is taken care off by a pair of basic Power V-brakes. Even though these brakes weren’t bad they still didn’t solve the purpose of quick and precise braking on trails and muddy roads. For the price of this bicycle I did expect to see a pair of mechanical disc brakes to make it safer and enhance the performance when riding at top speeds on trails.
The 640mm steel handlebar with a 30mm raise was the same as found on the single speed variant. They were far from being called a MTB handlebar. Lesser raise. Lengthier bar and more padding on the grips would have definitely increased the handling of this bicycle.
Ride Quality
The 29er Compass tires were well treaded and rolled over rough surfaces with ease
The Mountana 21-speed rolls on a pair of Compass 29” x 2.1” MTB tires. These tires were heavily treaded and well supported by a pair of alloy rims. Even though the specs provided from the brand says the tires are from Wanda what we saw where Compass tires which were great during the test ride on rough trails.
The Firefox stock saddle was padded enough to keep you comfortable on rough surfaces. The overall ride quality was good on flat trails and on bad urban roads.
Overall Rating
- Strong alloy frame
- Funky design and matte finish paint job
- Well treaded 29er tires
- Uncomfortable handlebar and grips
- At this price point Disc Brakes were expected
This 29er MTB is a strong bicycle which can handle a lot of beating from the trails and also the 21-speed drivetrain helps you ride longer. But the lack of disc brakes does pull down the performance of this bicycle on trails. Priced at Rs.22,000 the Firefox Mountana 21-speed 29er is a suitable choice for anyone looking to buy their first MTB at an affordable price.
Prices are subject to change by the brand, without due notice.
