Avanti Torrent 2

In 2011 Australian/Kiwi brand Avanti Bikes ended a seven year drought and re-entered the market with not one, but two dual suspension mountain bikes, both of which garnered high praise from all those who had the pleasure of snagging a ride.

‘Laurels be damned!’ is obviously the Avanti R&D team’s catchcry, as 2012 sees the 135mm travel Torrent trail bike get a thorough revamp before the dust thrown up by its first incarnation has even settled. Our $3,299 Torrent 2 is the middle of a three bike range, sitting between the entry level Torrent 1 ($2,299) and the range-topping Torrent 3, which is still reasonably priced at $4,499.

For a mid-priced dually the Torrent 2 has some rather nice kit hung from it, including Fox suspension front and rear,Eastoncockpit components and wheels, and a mix ofSRAMX.7 and X.9 running gear (including a direct mount front derailleur). The Elixir 3 brakes are fairly basic units that do without the easy adjustability of their upmarket siblings, but they’ll still stop you as required. It’s nice to see Avanti paying attention to the details, like fitting a wider tyre up front as well as a bigger front brake rotor—sure signs that the components have been given considerable thought rather than just whacking any old parts onto a frame. That said, there are two slightly odd spec choices; the 685mm handlebar feels a smidgen under-gunned when paired with the short 75mm stem, and the 32-tooth cassette means you’ll have to get out of the middle ring (where the suspension works best) sooner than if the more popular 36-tooth option was fitted.

The matt anodised frame finish is both more durable and lighter than paint, and we’re fans of the subdued grey on black graphics—fluoro bling is sooo 2011. The swoopy lines may not be to everyone’s taste, however there’s a definite look of quality workmanship to the Torrent; from the frame finish, to the welds, to the cable guides and the etched torque specs on the bearing covers.

Thanks in part to a new lighter and apparently stiffer tube set for the front triangle, our large test rig weighed 14kg and this included the supplied Shimano M520 pedals. Although quite a respectable weight as is, ditching the heavy wire-bead tyres (and converting to tubeless while you’re at it) would be a very simple and inexpensive way to drop half a kilo off that figure, and all in an area where it makes a noticeable difference.

A Tale of Two Triangles

As mentioned earlier the 2012 Torrent frame is significantly different to the one that had its debut 12 months earlier. Whilst the rear triangle with its excellent tyre clearance is unchanged, only the tapered head tube remains from the 2011 bike’s front triangle. The new shape is somewhat curvier with more varied tube cross-sections, and it completely does away with the split seat-tube brace. Cable guides have been added for a dropper seatpost; although there is still plenty of adjustment available for dropping a regular seatpost, even with the interrupted seat tube design.

The way the front and rear halves connect remains unaltered, including the short one-piece rocker link with double-sided clevis pivots, high quality and generously sized pivot hardware, and Enduro Max (full complement) bearings. The combination results in a frame with incredible lateral stiffness, up there with the best we’ve seen—you’re not going to feel any mid-corner noodle action from the Torrent, that’s for sure. Despite its stiffness, we’d still like to have seen Avanti put thru-axle rear dropouts into the Torrent; they guarantee perfect brake alignment, make stiff things even stiffer, and come with no real weight or convenience penalty. Post-style brake mounts as used on their new Vapour 29er (ideally with replaceable trunion nuts) would have completed the modernisation of the Torrent’s back end.

Avanti have kept the same basic geometry for 2012; there’s a strong argument for ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ at play here. That being said, the 68.5-degree head angle is definitely on the steep side by current standards, particularly for riders who want to push the Torrent’s impressive descending capabilities. Raking it out by a degree would have improved stability at speed or on rough, steep terrain, with little effect on its climbing ability. It would have been an easy tweak to make given the almost total redesign of the main frame.

Also worth noting from a geometry perspective is the slack actual seat tube angle versus the effective angle that’s given in specs. This design is a concession to the location of the rocker pivot, and by no means something unique to the Torrent. As you raise the seat height the effective top tube rapidly gets longer. Taller riders will find themselves pushing the saddle as far forward as possible in an effort to keep their position within a normal zone.

True Performance

A great frame design can be totally worthless if the rear suspension fails to suck up bumps and track the ground the way it should. Avanti have got the feel of the Torrent absolutely dialled, which is all the more impressive considering nothing suspension related has changed since the 2011 model, and that was their first dually in seven years.

With no plans at this stage to sell the Torrent in theUSA(the only place where the design is currently protected by a patent), Avanti chose a Horst Link rear suspension. This rendition of the popular Horst Link design doesn’t rely on smart shocks or heavy valving to pedal effectively; instead Avanti uses carefully positioned pivot points and a custom shock tune to balance the competing demands of bump absorption, pedalling efficiency, pedal kickback and consistent braking.

It’s very hard to find fault with the outcome, as the Torrent’s suspension feels as smooth and supple as any bike out there, and makes use of its travel in such a controlled way that it feels like more than the 135mm on offer. Despite its suppleness the Tru4 suspension doesn’t feel soggy or unresponsive, it fact overall it reacts very quickly to rider input and weight shifts, giving the Torrent a lively and thoroughly engaging feel.

We found it didn’t need huge amounts of sag, with 20-25% probably being the sweet spot to get full travel without being too soft for uphill duties. It pedals very well too, especially when seated, and except for extended smooth climbs we didn’t bother with the ProPedal lever on the shock at all. The small amount of suspension movement that you get with standing efforts doesn’t seem to significantly affect overall efficiency, and it’s nice not to have to fiddle with your bike every time the trail turns a corner or crests a rise.

When climbing, the Torrent manages to find traction in some unlikely places. While the tall head tube does contribute to a little front-end vagueness on steep pinches, the overall stiffness and neutrality allows you to pause, centre yourself on the bike again, and carry on climbing without getting unsettled. There’s only noticeable pedal feedback in the granny ring (like most bikes), and even then it’s not enough to become distracting at any point. On the way back down, its braking behaviour is predictably neutral. It really does tick all the boxes, made all the more impressive still given that it’s essentially a new design.

‘Down the mountain like a torrent…’ Banjo Patterson must have been psychic, because he wrote these words over a century before the Torrent was even conceived. Nonetheless, his words from The Man from Snowy River aptly describe the way you want to ride the Torrent; fast and loose! From the moment you ‘mount up’ you’ll be looking for rocks or logs or even just undulations in the trail to launch off, a rock-strewn hill to charge down, or a series of linked berms to rail—it’s one of those bikes that somehow just seems to encourage rowdy behaviour. The rock solid feel of the frame is no doubt a major contributing factor, but searching the geometry to further explain this sensation reveals the rather low bottom bracket, which drops the whole centre of gravity and helps you feel like a part of the bike, especially in turns and in the air. This will mean some extra pedal strikes as you adjust to the Torrent, but we think it’s a worthwhile trade off.

The suspension also feels balanced and consistent from front to rear with the overall nature of the bike being one of familiar neutrality—there are no weird handling quirks to come to grips with and you’ll feel like old, familiar friends almost instantly. This predictability allows you to push both your own and the bike’s limits without fear of having something come back and bite you; at all times you know what’s going on underneath your tyres and you’ll never find yourself suddenly and inexplicably in over your head—although you may find the Torrent taking you there as a willing accomplice.

With a wider handlebar you could easily get yourself into even more trouble and still find a way out again; it’s only the head angle (and eventually running out of travel) that prevents the Torrent from keeping up with the 160mm crowd on the steepest and nastiest descents. If you do need to exit the bike in a hurry there’s enough standover height to keep metal and jewels from getting too well acquainted, and yet for short rides there’s still enough room to fit a standard water bottle inside the frame—it’s nice to see a bike with more than 120mm of travel that doesn’t require you to use a hydration pack every time you head out for a spin.

Whilst most of the components do their job well in an uninspiring way, two things deserve a mention. Firstly, theSRAMfront derailleur, whilst being bolted directly to the frame, still has a reasonable degree of height adjustment. This means there’s scope to lower the derailleur to suit a 2x10 drivetrain with a bashguard should you wish. Secondly, the Easton Vice wheels, which are not especially light, wide, or quick to engage (only every 20 degrees), but they have an almost completely silent freewheel mechanism. Coincidentally this forms a perfect match with the stealth-Ninja black frame—clicky hubs are kind of cool, but ones that make no sound are even better!

Tackle the Torrent

Big international bike brands spend a great many years and uncounted dollars trying to come up with bikes that make you want to get out and hammer your pedals until your legs have been ripped off; very few of them succeed to the same extent that Avanti has done with the Torrent. It combines an über stiff and very well made frame with a totally dialled suspension system; and it does all of this at a price that may not be the absolute cheapest around, but it’s still highly competitive with offerings from much larger manufacturers.

Most importantly it’s a rippingly good fun bike to ride on the vast majority of trails. With its addictive personality and can-do attitude, it’s certain to have Torrent riders pushing their limits on whatever crosses their path. If Avanti can make bikes like the Torrent after only two years back in the game, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the not too distant future. If you’re looking for a bike that reminds you of why you love mountain biking, do yourself a favour and make sure you test ride a Torrent.

Thumbs Up

Efficient fun-enhancing suspension

Stiff and solid frame

No frills functionality 

Thumbs Down

Head angle is a touch steep

Bars a tad too narrow

Specifications

Frame: ADT 6061 Ultralite Alloy

Shock: Fox RP2 (135mm travel)

Fork: Fox Float RL 140mm travel

Headset: Integrated 1 1/8 – 1 ½ Tapered

Handlebars: EastonLow Rise 685mm

Stem: EastonEA30 Alloy

Shifters: SRAMX.7

Front Derailleur: SRAMX.7

Rear Derailleur: SRAMX.9

Cassette: SRAMPG-1050, 11/32 10-speed

Chain: SRAMPC-1031

Cranks: SRAMX.7, 22/33/44

Bottom Bracket: Truvativ Giga-X Pipe

Pedals: Shimano M520 Clipless

Brakes: Avid Elixir 3

Wheels: EastonVice

Tyres: Kenda Nevegal 2.35 Front/2.1 Rear

Saddle: Zero Zealth Pro

Seatpost: EastonEA30 Alloy

Weight: 14kg including pedals (Large frame 3,250g)

Available Sizes: S, M, L (tested) and XL

Price: $3,299

Distributor: Avanti Bicycle Company (03) 9586 8300 / www.avantibikes.com