Freedom Ryder FRH-1

The Freedom Ryder FRH-1 is their first “head steer” style bike, where its steering pivot point is at the head of the frame and only the front wheel and cranks will pivot to make a turn. All of the other Freedom Ryder models (i.e. Twistshift, LC-1) are a “lean steer” style that you lean your entire body to pivot the front wheel in making your turn. This makes for a quite wobbly ride at higher speeds.

The FRH-1 is a really good bike. The T-6 aircraft aluminum frame is very rigid. The extra material put into it to make it strong and durable is at the expense of weight, though. Also the frame has a rather high center of gravity so it is easy to make it over curbs and high spots, but you sit up much higher than some of the other bikes on the market.

The “head steer” pivot point is very easy to disconnect and tear the bike down for travel. And the rear wheels each come off with a single allen key. Also, the hand cranks come off very easily with an allen bolt. The whole arm and crank assembly with the shift and brake levers comes over all in 2 pieces (one for each side assembly). All of these things make this bike very portable – a definite plus.

This bike is very adjustable and upgradable. The crank position can be adjusted in multiple directions to get it in just the right spot. And the backrest is able to recline to get the position you are looking for, whether it is for a Sunday cruise ride with your friends or more laid back to be aerodynamic for a race.

The wide stance of the cranks puts a bit more strain on your shoulders, but is still a good, comfortable position that you can get a lot of power out of. I must say I was not pleased with the bent tubing mount for the cables on the cranks. This metal part of the cable guide tends to snap easily. I recommend changing that to a normal brake cable or even taking the levers off the cranks and placing them on the frame at a reachable spot.

The FRH-1 is a great entry to intermediate level bike and has the ability to upgrade a lot of the parts. The wheels, brakes, and gears are all upgradable from many of the aftermarket companies. It comes standard with a lot of top quality parts, like Avid disc brakes and Mavic wheels with Continental tires. And you can even get a lot of the factory upgrades directly from Freedom Ryder such as: a jointed backrest, or Zipp 404 wheels. And you have a choice of either silver, candy red, or bright green for the powder coating.

I have to say, this is a great entry level bike. I really enjoyed it, but it is more for the Sunday ride and is tough to make it a competitive race bike. If you would like more information on this or any of the other bikes Freedom Ryder offers check out www.freedomryder.com.