AGang Ninja 3.0 Testride

Since fall I was'nt really on the bike and in this weather it was almost like torturing. Luckily I got into my hands bikes for testing before the weekend - AGang Ninja DH team and AGang Ninja 3.0. What can I tell you, it pulled me out of the dejection which was fallen on me with the idea that the next weekend will be without biking.


I have to admit I was really curious about the Ninja 3.0. Bike with 170/170mm travel belongs to freeride bikes, but at the first point of view its clear that it should be also possible to pedal uphill. A clear sign of it is a telescopic seatpost and double chainring. Honestly, when I heard about this specification it seemed to me like a nonsense. Based on that the more I was curious about the bike.


So I pulled him to local trail called “Decinskej Sneznik”. I started from the lowest point in the Czech republic which is 135 meters above the sea level and I clawed to the tower which is about 730m above the sea level. I was afraid ... I was afraid that it would be hard work without enjoying it. I set the damping for my weight (that's a huge advantage of the air suspension) and I went ahead. After a few meters I realized that it probably wont be such a problem. I easily set the damper harder with a small lever on the side of the expansion tank, I switched to small chainring ( 22t. ) and I bike up the hill.


Thanks to its robust frame, which is made from the same tubes like the Ninja DH is, is the bike a solid and going great. It's not like the dasher Patriot, but you can still ride even steeper, longer hills without taking your life. Nice feature is the telescopic seatpost with the lever under the seat. Because the bike is made mainly for long uphills and long downhills there’s no need to have the remote control on the handlebars so there’s also no useless cabling what bothers me personally.


I enjoyed the way to Sněžník quite a lot. I stopped for while on such a small pump track where I tried the bike in short corners and smaller doubles. Even there the Ninja felt like a fish in the water. I also tried to document this test on a video. I wanted to make the video mostly on the downhill from the tower. The scenario was pretty clear but... So I started to ride down with a clear decision to stop at some nice place. So I rode down, music in my ears, nicely slippery ground, the bike is just crunching. I'm laughing. I'm enjoying it. And suddenly I was under the hill. A smile from one ear to the other, looking from the bottom of the hill to the tower at the top which is now ca 400m above me and at that moment - Bang! Dude, you didn’t film anything. Well, what I made during the ride up must be enough. I'm an badass, but it went so cool down...
Which brings me to the fact that this bike is made not for only going uphill, but mainly downhill! The geometry is very pleasant, don’t ask me for the numbers, I’m not interested in them. For me it’s about the feeling. Bike goes easily into the air, keeps corners beautifully and the Monarch dumper in combination with the Lyrik fork makes really great combination. Avid Code brakes brake very well and there was no need to make them ready for the ride. The chain tensioner E*13 is taking care of the chain and double chainring and works reliably.


There’s not much to criticize from my side. Yeah actually one thing. Orange color. Honestly, when I was loading the bike into the car I thought it's crazy. It definitely wasn’t the love at the first sight. But since I took the bike in the forrest and put it in grass, moss, heather… it started looking better and better. Maybe it was because I’ve found her inside beauty and I started not to care about the outside…well, you know the feeling, do you?


Well, that's probably all, there are lot of emotions about the bike and if I would start to write about all of them you wouldn't believe it :-) If I wouldn’t buy pure endure bike and a downhill bike this would be simply choice. For bikeparks is ideal, for jumping as well and for a proper freeride? Absolutely! For those people who live close to some proper hill is similar bike even a necessity. You can bike uphill and downhill you’ll enjoy like with a downhill bike without fear of hurting the bike. About an endure bike I feel sometimes sorry. And moreover for tracks like 3DH is this bike more than enough... So just like that : -) I don’t like to return it back…

More info at: http://bikeondistribution.com or http://www.agang.eu/2014/fsx-freeride-26/ninja-3.0.htm