Many bikes have taken over the market in recent years, but very few have had their own personality. The beautiful thing in a new model, and at the same time the difficult thing, is to get something out of it, not only that doesn’t exist, but that can be recognized at a glance. To date, very few brands have been the ones that have decided on “unique” shapes and designs, among which are Monty, Koxx, Kabra or Ozonys. Realistically, all the other brands have been inspired to a greater or lesser extent by the bikes that, whether we liked them more or less, left us with our mouths open the first time we saw them.
For this reason, we did not hesitate to test a model that has followed this path of differentiation, the Inpulse R20.
Designed in France by Cedric Fontenoy, the R20 is the little brother of the bike with which Aurelien Fontenoy has managed to become the world no. 2 at 26″, that is, by his genes he runs “thoroughbred”.
The first thing you’ll notice is its spectacular decoration. The French brand has printed a unique image on its models with a bright red anodized that gives an aggressive yet elegant look. It is possibly the most eye-catching chassis on the market in terms of visuals. This colour has been accompanied by white and grey details as well as the brand’s logo on the down tube and details of the model, R20, on the top tube.
It is a chassis in which the absence of a crankcase stands out , not because of its novelty, since most chassis already dispense with even holes for it, but because it includes a ring-type protector bolted to the bottom bracket as standard. This is a system that we found to be really successful in terms of the durability of the frame. Another point to touch on are the tensioners. Inpulse has opted to eliminate eccentrics and has opted for worm screws, which, added to a black nut, will allow us to regulate the tension of our chain to the millimeter.
As for the mounting of the brakes, the Post Mount type has been opted for both the fork and the chassis. Without a doubt, it is the assembly of the “future” and more and more brands are choosing it when designing their chassis and forks. This is due to the ease of assembly and centering that this system offers, so you won’t have any problems getting your disc brakes ready. On the other hand, the screws that fix the caliper to the chassis will not be threaded directly onto it, but will be threaded through it, ending up in some “cubes” that will act as a washer, leaving the caliper fixed in the desired position.
A very important aspect is that this chassis is not one of those that is made with a “coca-cola” can, it is robust and that is a plus in terms of its durability. Its weight of 1.5 kg places it among the chassis that give confidence in the face of breakage and that do not err on the side of heavyness.
In terms of geometry, the guys from Inpulse have opted for a geo that ensures the good behavior of the bike and good handling at all levels. Its 1010 mm length, 350 mm chainstays and +70 mm bottom bracket make absolutely all techniques compensated. Perhaps as the only but is that we will be forced to use a 135mm hub so the options are greatly reduced, not in vain, Inpulse offers this size with a disc option made of carbon.
LET’S GO
The Inpulse R20 is a bike that lifts up easily, is stable on both two and one wheels and very precise entering the front. Only on rocks can we miss that extra height in the bottom bracket but not excessively.
The way in which it is designed with the intermediate tube makes it have a plus of rigidity that is noticeable in strong pulls and arrivals.
The placement of the sprocket guard is perfect and will keep you out of all kinds of bumps, both towards the bottom bracket and towards the sprocket.
Its fork is designed with a fairly thick shaft which is a sign of durability and is that little by little, all brands choose to “fatten” this area to avoid unpleasant scares and that gives a lot of security when you are on it.
All in all, the R20 is very versatile and you will enjoy immensely whether you are a racing driver living among rocks or doing a bit of street work.
CONCLUSIONS
Without a doubt, the Inpulse R20 is one of those special bikes, not only because of its geometry but also because of its way of conception. An eye-catching, different, efficient and tough chassis. Those are the 4 adjectives that we could attribute to a very good option if you want to change your bike or buy a new one. Durability is guaranteed, it is neither short nor long and not excessively low. A great choice for anyone who, and even more so in these times of crisis, wants a bike to “smash” and not have to change it in 3 months.
How Only but, the measurement of the hub. We believe that we need to standardize as much as possible this kind of thing to have more market to choose from, So 116mm would have been the perfect choice, but it would still have to be said that a wider hub also gives more stability. Now it is your choice to choose to spend the around 600 euros that the chassis is worth to acquire one of the most beautiful and complete frames on the market.
Text: Álvaro López / Action photos: David Quer
