Painting the town red with pedal power

Commuting on a flame red Ducati 600SX – a mountain bicycle from the legendary motorcycle manufacturer – can make handling peak hour traffic fun.

Heads turn, school-going kids ask where you bought it, how much it costs…

The brightly painted diamond shaped frame in the brand’s trademark Rouge with the Ducati name emblazoned across the tube, the front fork suspension, chunky and knobby Hutchinson Python tyres and the ventilated disc brakes give the 600SX a unique presence on the roads.

The aluminium frame, hard tail – no rear suspension – feels sturdy and stable as you weave through traffic. The front suspension and the thick tyres help absorb the jarring vibrations from the potholes on the road.

Weighing in at a modest 13.3-kg, it is no feather weight, but is light enough to be easy on the knees and portage is practical to get past a traffic snarl. Just heave it on to your shoulder and trudge past the cars and trucks stuck in traffic.

The hydraulic disc brakes are a boon for the city-rider. Consistent and reassuring at any speed, the brakes bring the rider to a confident and fast stop every time.

MTB on city roads? Why not? Look at all those guys on fuel-guzzling Sports Utilities (SUVs). An MTB rider on city roads could be considered an equivalent, though much less polluting counterpart.

MTBs are built to for use on off-road trails and mountain tracks and are built to last. Apart from those keen on off-roading, they are also the choice of cycling enthusiasts looking for a change from conventional road bikes and commuters who look to the tough build to hold on to the bikes for years.

The rugged frame can put up with a lot of punishment and the front suspension and the balloon tyres insulate the rider from most of the beating that bad roads dish out. The quality of the tarmac is not much different for the roads in most Indian cities.

The Ducati 600SX’s forks have a decent travel of about 10 cms and when needed can be locked out to be converted into rigid forks for those not wanting a bouncy ride and are looking for added speed when road conditions allow it.

The three-ring crank in front and the cluster of nine-speed cassette at the rear (both Shimanos) offer a wide choice of settings for the rider.

Some compromises For the price one pays for a Ducati, there are bound to be some give and take. The Shimano gear components – Acera shifters in the front and Alivio at the rear are basic and adequate. Gear shifting is firm and stable. The 9-speed indicator could do with a couple of more notch marks on the dial for rider convenience.

However, in the cycle offered for review there was some lag in the rear derailleurs while shifting at slow speeds in traffic. Maybe a bit of tweaking by a good mechanic will set things right.

The not-so-good

There are some sore points – the puny hand grips are a disappointment. They keep sliding off the handle bar and need to be pushed back into place every few kilometres. The metal frame pedals too are clunky and do not feel good on the feet. Both certainly call for an immediate upgrade. Any decent accessories brand to match the cycle specification will set the buyer back by more than a couple of grand.

Choices The Ducati brand and looks make the bike an easy choice for those exploring various options. The Ducati SX600 is priced at about ₹ 56,000 – just above entry level for an MTB from an international brand. There are offerings in this range from Cannondale, Scott and Fuji.

The Ducati range of cycles is brought to India by Track & Trail chain of premium bicycle shops run by TI Cycles of the Murugappa Group. Track & Trail has brought in half a dozen models of Ducati cycles including a carbon-frame road bike – the Ducati Factory SP priced at ₹ 1.56 lakh. The range also includes hybrids and mountain bikes.

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