Hercules Roadeo A 500 (2015) : ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

A first look at the frame of the Hercules Roadeo A 500 will give you the feeling of a well-crafted frame. After riding it, the positive points only increase for the full suspension alloy frame on this bicycle. An aggressive frame position with the usage of alloy exactly where it's needed makes sure this frame is light weight.

The threadless alloy front suspension fork had enough travel for bumpy city roads and speed breakers. The alloy back suspension works well to take away the vibrations from the minor bumps on the streets. Both these suspensions are sufficient for city use and could also be tested on flatter trails from time to time.

The aggressive frame design is not just a positive from a technical angle but is aesthetically pleasing as well. The rear suspension design has been blended perfectly into this alloy frame without any unwanted joining parts. The Roadeo A 500 2015, I test rode came in chilly red colour with black secondary colour thrown around in a few places. The paint job quality and the frame design would definitely make this bicycle stand out in a crowd.

Like the other bicycles in the Roadeo range, the Hercules A 500 2015 also came with a full Shimano Tourney gearing groupset. Tourney is known to be an entry level groupset and that was evident when shifting the rear gears at quick intervals. The reaction time isn't the best and leaves you wondering for a few seconds if the gear change took place or not. The Shimano EF-51 easy fire shifters are excellent in operation with minimal effort required to decrease or increase the gears.

The mechanical disc brakes on the Roadeo A 500 2015 is one of the exciting features which will attract a potential buyer. The stopping power of these brakes are more than enough for urban roads. A conscious effort from the rider to get to know the power of these disc brakes (who might be used to V-brakes) during the first few rides will immensely help the safety of the rider.

The steel handlebar in the Roadeo A 500 2015 is one of the main contributing features in making the riding position aggressive, giving the rider an actual MTB feel. The rise in this handlebar is very little making the shoulder open up a little bit for a comfortable ride.

The Hercules Roadeo A 500 2015 rolls on a 26'' x 2.1'' nylon tires supported by a strong doubled walled alloy rims. The treads in these tires are identical to what one would see on a full-fledged adult MTB. The extremely good traction during wet conditions and quick turns do make it a great addition to this bicycle. The saddle padding was there but very uneven. A little more ergonomical design would have gone a long way in making the ride even more comfortable. The overall ride quality was less teeth rattling and more exciting with great handling.