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WORDS BY PETER KNIGHT PHOTOS: ADAM MACLEOD
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Avanti Torrent S 7.2 T
here’s something rewarding about returning to the scene of the crime. Especially when the last visit had you playing the victim, and this time out you are the one handing out the punishment. The scene of the crime was Mt Buller and this time I was heading away with the notso-subtly painted Avanti Torrent S 7.2 for a look at the new Epic Trail. The previous outing resulted in me being pushed for the last few kilometres home, something I was keen to avoid a second time ‘round. Thankfully this time, the Torrent S was fully capable and so were the legs pushing it. Part of the Torrent range from Avanti, with both aluminium and carbon options available, and a higher spec version in the 7.1 model, it neatly fits into the all mountain/trail riding category. But with 150mm front and rear, the Torrent S offers some very serious huckability while also dishing out a little more punishment to the rider while climbing - but hey, that’s great training.
The Bike Built around a 6061 aluminium frame, the 4-bar linkage rear end gets its bounce from a RockShox Monarch RT shock. Offering rebound adjustment, there is also the option of lock-out, but the shock misses out on an intermediate ‘pedal’ option. Out the back are some seriously beefy stays, which bolt up to the rear wheel with a Syntace X-12 throughaxle. There’s not a lot of room for anything much more than the 2.2 tyres, so if you like the mud, the frame may not - although
thankfully this was untested. Up front, a Marzocchi 350 CR fork balances the package surprisingly well. Offering the same 150mm travel to complement the rear, with rebound and compression adjustment, this 15mm axle fork easily took on all comers. It does lack lockout though. For a fork that will take some seriously big hits, I was surprised just how supple the fork was in that first inch beyond the sag line, offering confidence-inspiring feedback and trail feel. The 2x10 drivetrain and braking department are all well spec’d with nothing controversial in there. A mix of Deore, SLX and XT is keenly aware of the price point and offers good value. If you’re already an experienced rider and can show a bit of pace, I’d consider upgrading the Deore brakes. For the money, the feel the brakes provide is surprisingly good, but they do lack the finesse of more sophisticated setups. On really loose and fast corners, I found I couldn’t quite get the feel I wanted to trail brake into the corner, having a few ‘moments’ along the way. That said, for the price they’re a perfect match and will serve anyone well while developing their riding. The 2x10 drivetrain’s moving parts are all XT and SLX, offering dependable performance. The e*thirteen cranks are unremarkable, along with the chain guide. I suspect these have something to do with slight weight issues of the bike. The wheels are dependable Mavic rims on SLX hubs sporting some Kenda Honey Badgers. Despite being pretty rough on them, they stayed true
and only one pinch-flat (on a very rough trail) was suffered. Again, at a competitive price point, the control surfaces are a mix of forgettable, unremarkable, uninteresting and completely adequate components. All those bits work just fine, and of note, pretty much all use a 4mm Allen key - rather than the usual combo of keys and Torx fittings. I found the seat suited me fine, and the grips destroyed my hands - a cheap fix and only an issue on really long rides. The X-Fusion dropper post behaved well, although I’m never convinced it quite returns to the exact same spot. Either way, given this frame’s downhill ability, dropping the seat is a must.
The Ride Along with returning to the scene of my previous destruction, this was also the first Avanti I’ve ridden in many years. My second ever mountain bike was an Avanti Hammer back when forks had foam in them for springs and I still recall it as being one of the best-balanced bikes I’ve ridden. Although entry level, what it offered was very consistent and predictable. And I’m pleased to say the Torrent offered just the same. Sweeping down the Epic Trail for the first time, drifting the big sweepers and floating effortlessly over the whoops, I couldn’t have wanted for anything. Even those moments where you realise you’re going way too fast to control the situation and you just go into passenger mode through some unexpected crevasse, the Torrent shone through. In the slower technical stuff, the slacker