First Impressions of the AC ATTO

We love the bikes we make at Austin Cycles, but we love the feedback we’ve had maybe even more!  Graham is a long-time road rider, trying folding bikes for the first time, and he sent us his first impressions of the AC ATTO, which you can read below.  He rode four different folding bikes in one day during his search for the perfect bike for him. He gave them all a thorough test and this was his feedback on the AC ATTO.

“This bike screams "come on, attack!"; it was just fun from the moment I hopped on. Most of the ‘small wheel’ bikes I’d tried were somehow just hard to keep at a natural cruising speed, and understandably so, when compared to my well-worn and fairly average 700cc road bike, but this one stood out. 

“My test ride of the ATTO was revealing in itself: I sought out cobbles just for giggles. I chose a dust and gravel path for larks, and repeated a long straight drag just for japes. At a set of red lights, I gave two commuters (normal hybrid and a hire-bike respectively) a 30yd head-start, just to see how soon I'd overtake – it didn’t take long! 

“I didn’t get that feel, or that excitement, from any of the other folders I tried. The ATTO’s geometry seemed to suit me (uh, 6ft skinny male): after a bit of tweaking it felt right, and keeping a decent tempo felt… fine. Not like a road bike, but maybe its feisty smaller cousin, and certainly more speed-focused than the other folding bikes I'd ridden.

“I know that maybe I don't 'need' disc brakes, but they sure as heck make a difference. I was also ready to be cynical of the Alfine 11 speed hub gear, I was looking for the laggy or noisy transmission I'd read about online, but I didn't notice any issues. Now, I hold my hands up, I am unreasonably competitive and I am constantly tinkering with the feel, setup, gearing on my big bike. I am the kind of person that continuously makes irritating small changes to the TV volume to get it ‘right’. So for me, having 11 gears and adjustable disc brakes are singing from my hymn-sheet.

“I think a carbon belt drive and internal hub gears make perfect sense on a commuter bike with your posh trousers on. I can’t wait to hammer this bike along my daily commute. It may not be a sportive, but I can pretend, and that’s the fun in it, right?”

Graham - owner of a new Austin Cycles AC ATTO

Explore the AC ATTO: www.austincycles.cc/pages/ac-atto