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Aerocat ACR500R

Aerocat ACR500R

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Description
Frame - Carbon Monocoque

Fork - Custom Monocoque ...
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Performance


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Reviews 1 - 3 (3 Reviews Total)
Reviewed by: 
ronatbwn

Review Date
December 17, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Tested or demo'ed only

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Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Frame/Fork: Aerocat ACR500 (60 cm)
Groupset: SRAM Rival
Cockpit: Ritchey Pro
Saddle: San Marco Selle Aspide
Wheelset: Reynolds Solitude
Tires: Michelin Pro3
Pedals: Shimano M520 (not included from Aerocat)

Summary:
The Aerocat is a sharp looking bike. The slightly oversized frame and fork tubes are subtly shaped and eye-catching and the blue, white and green paint gives the bike a fresh and vibrant look without appearing loud or overstated. The Solitude rims matched well with the cranks, saddle, seatpost, stem and hoods, while the while bar tape nicely complimented the white on the top tube. I received several favorable comments on the bike when I had it out and about.

One of my very first impressions after I got on the bike for the first time was that it gave a very smooth ride. Being in the Midwest, the roads around me go through many freeze and thaw cycles each year, and they have the expected rough surface to prove it. Not necessarily potholes, but lots of small cracks, slightly exposed asphalt aggregate, and other similar imperfections. At low speeds, I figured some of this smooth feel could be attributed to the Michelin Pro3 Race tires, which I was quite surprised to find as stock equipment on a bike that comes from the middle of a manufacturer’s product line. However, as I began to get more comfortable on the bike and push it more, it became obvious that the bike itself was helping to smooth things out.

The comfortable, even feel of the Aerocat inspired confidence in the stability of the bike, and that confidence proved to be well founded. It was quite nimble, going quickly and easily where it was pointed and it stayed on its line very well. I’ve been on a few bikes that had a slightly more relaxed geometry and they tended to drift wide during moderately aggressive cornering, but the Aerocat was well behaved in this regard.

I’m in an area with a lot of elevation change, which gave me a chance to try the ACR500 out on some steep hills and moderately daring descents. The bike felt very stiff and solid under stress on a climb and I didn’t feel like I was losing any power due to undue frame flex. The stable tracking was very welcome during descents, and I never noticed any wheel flex, even during fairly significant braking through curves on the back side of a hill. I should mention, though, that a friend who is a little heaver than me reported some wheel flex when he took the bike out for a spin. For the record, I go about 150 pounds and my friend is around 180, so a beefier wheelset may be in order for those in the upper end of that range and above.

All in all the Aerocat gave what I would call a very consistent and very enjoyable riding experience that blended performance with comfort. It was sporty enough to provide great responsiveness and it obviously felt comfortable being pushed a bit. At the same time, it was forgiving enough to ride for long durations without becoming uncomfortable at all.

At $2629 (direct from Aerocat) or $2850 (at a dealer), our 60 cm test bike came in at 17.1 pounds after we added Shimano M520 dual-sided pedals. This bike offers a great combination of features at that price, and the real beauty is that the features come from both ends of the performance/comfort spectrum. Some bikes might offer a little more stiffness or have a slightly more responsive geometry, but I feel confident that they would cost much more than this bike, and they probably wouldn’t be very comfortable for the weekend century rider. Similarly, any bike that gave a softer ride than the Aerocat would most likely come up short when being ridden aggressively. The ACR500 offers a package that should appeal to a wide variety of riders, from a newer rider looking for an equipment upgrade to an experienced cyclist looking for a lot of bang for their buck.

For a version of this review with additional details, plus other reviews from Bike World News, please visit http://www.bikeworldnews.com/?cat=85.

Strengths:
Great value, excellent combination of features for the price

Weaknesses:
Die-hard performance enthusiasts may prefer a lighter bike


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Reviewed by: 
bonemd7

Review Date
November 17, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

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Price Paid:  $2200.00 at Aerocat

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Horrible 100

Bike Setup:
2009 Sram Rival, Reynolds wheels, Michelin Pro tires. Ritchey Pro Handle bar, stem and seatpost.

Summary:
Bought bike directly from Aerocat, they have a great costumer service. As for the bike Im coming off a 2008 Orbea Orca and the Aerocat is more comfortable, stiffer, great paint and cost a whole lot less then the Orbea. I would recommend this bike to anyone looking for a great carbon bike.

Strengths:
Stiff
Paint
comfortable on long rides.

Weaknesses:
none so far

Similar Products Used:
Orbea Orca , Orbea Arin, Cannondale Super six.


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Reviewed by: 
Adam Bailey

Review Date
November 7, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

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Price Paid:  $0.00

Model Year:
2007

Summary:
Simply a great ride. The geometries are great. The bike is listed at 17.5lbs. That's still heavier than it really is. Handles great, the bike is designed to go fast at all times not just the straits. Double-tap shifters are ackward at first, but after a few hours of riding this is easily overcome. The bottom-bracket is very stiff, you won't lose power on a climb. The bike is simply beautiful. Even if you don't stand out for your riding abilities, you bike will shine

Strengths:
light-weight ride that will get you going

Weaknesses:
trying to explain where you got your beautiful bike while trying to ride up a steep hill


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Reviews 1 - 3 (3 Reviews Total)

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