Hercules Roadeo Hannibal (2016) : ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

The Hannibal's frame is built with tensile steel making it heavy but strong. A common characteristic of a steel frame is its weight and it is very important to use the right amount to make sure the teenager using this bicycle does not feel the heaviness while riding. As a 62kg 165cm adult I felt the heaviness to an extent only while climbing on inclined roads and flyovers with off the saddle pedaling required to maintain the cadence. The steel threadless front suspension fork has a range of around 65mm and used little more than half of it. The rear suspension under the saddle worked to an extent as it was clearly felt when mounting curbs and speed breakers during the test ride.

One of the most important aspect of a teenage bicycle is the design and the Roadeo Hannibal 2016 has scored high in this category. The Hannibal comes in 2 colour variants. The one we test rode we can in a Black/Green combo with colour coded fluorescent/Blue brake and gear cables. With matching graphics on every component starting from the saddle to the rims and even on the handlebar grips make sure the bicycle looks flashy and is guaranteed to make heads turn on the streets.

The Hannibal's gearing is taken care of by Shimano Tourney's TZ-30 and 31 derailleur components. Yes, they are the most basic gearing components and this wasn't a surprise at this price range. The gearing was a bit noisy with lag in gear shifts on the rear derailleur. The Shimano easy fire EF-51 21 speed shifters were impressive with smooth and easy operation. They were also placed in a comfortable space not requiring me to reach out too much operate the gears.

The mechanical dual disc brakes on the Hannibal provide more than enough stopping power which is needed on urban conditions. The brakes were reactive and also well balanced which is rare to see on disc brake components on budget bicycles like the Hannibal. Even on multiple instances when I jammed the brakes during the test ride at a moderate 10-15kmph speed, I did not move much from the saddle and there was very minimal skidding at the back tire.

The over-sized XRR MTB handlebar on the Hannibal has a slight raise from the middle making it a right median in between an aggressive and straight-back riding posture. The length was comfortable and ensured that the chest was opened up for comfortable breathing during slightly longer or faster rides. The handlebar grips were padded with rubber patches to ensure the palms do not slip while sweating.

The 26'' x 2.125'' stock MTB tires on the double walled Alloy XRR Rims roll over unpaved city streets with ease but felt heavier on climbs. Maybe a teenager would appreciate narrower tires for faster and easier rolling speeds. The XRR saddle on the Hannibal felt soft and had enough cushioning for a pain free ride. Not much of ergonomic designing but for the shorter rides in the neighborhood it quite isn't essential. The over-all ride quality was smooth on urban conditions with the weight felt during inclines.