Saracen Levarg FB

Just when you thought bikes couldn't get more niche, the Saracen Levarg FB is a flat-bar conversion of a drop-bar gravel bike with 650B wheels and a 1x groupset, designed for urban adventures. Despite that rather convoluted genesis, it fulfils its brief exceedingly well.

• Pros: Great fun for short blasts, reliable groupset, 650B wheels work a treat
• Cons: Huge tyres can feel a little overwhelming, Tektro disc brakes are average, not a bike for long rides, no rack mounts on the seatstays

For a bike that looks like an overinflated hybrid, but which is really a flat-bar version of a drop-bar gravel bike, the Levarg FB is something of a revelation. With impressively accurate control, the first sensation you notice when riding it – even on flat, smooth tarmac – is that this is really quite fun.

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The combination of rigid carbon fork with very large volume rubber is an interesting mix that works better than expected, especially for general 'about town' riding. There's no escaping the fact that road imperfections do make their way to you up through the front of the bike, albeit significantly cushioned by the vast 47mm WTB ByWay tyre. But the flipside is that the front tyre's grip, allied with the direct nature of the carbon fork, tapered head tube and stiff, smaller diameter wheels, means the bike goes exactly where you want it.

At the back, comfort is much more in evidence and the ByWay tyre plays its part with the more forgiving aluminium frame to keep your rear end peachy. (For the record, the Saracen website says the Levarg FB comes with a 47mm WTB DNA tyre at the back, but our test bike was fitted with ByWays front and rear.) With such a setup, you'd think power delivery would be left wanting but that's decently efficient too. There's no great sense of wasted energy, although the rolling thunder generated by the huge tyres is a sign that this isn't a bike entirely dedicated to uncompromised forward motion.

The Levarg still moves far more swiftly than you might imagine, though. In terms of seated climbing, it's easy to get in a rhythm and pound out the height gain. In terms of out-the-saddle efforts and sprinting, while this isn't the kind of bike that's going to win any race from the lights, it's not averse to being manhandled a little. Indeed, as you'd expect with such expansive contact patches, stability and road holding is very, very secure, meaning you can throw the Levarg around to your heart's content.

Frame and position

Those talents aren't just thanks to the rubber. The frame itself is the same as that found on Saracen's Levarg range of drop-bar adventure bikes, and it does a very effective job at being a fast and fun commuter.

It's also nicely finished, with its 6061 aluminium tubes accommodating internal routing for rear mech and rear brake, and in-fork routing for the front disc.

Saracen lists 'Mudguard Eyelets and Rack Mounts' in the spec, but there's just one spare eyelet either side on the dropouts which the rack and mudguard would have to share, and no mounts on the seatstays. That might seem a bit of an omission, but it’s not really the kind of bike you'd want to laden down with massive panniers – it's more a 'small rucksack and be damned’ job.

Tubes are a mixture of shapes, mostly rounded, although the top tube gets a bit angular where it meets the head tube. There's also an interesting kink where the large down tube meets the head tube.

Stays are svelte and the Levarg can accept 700C wheels with up to 44mm tyres, although it comes with a set of 650B hoops fitted with 47mm tyres as standard.

Certainly the fundamentals of both the frame and the fork work very well to deliver excellent control and decent comfort. The tapered head tube no doubt contributes to this, but position is good too. Thanks to its drop-bar origins, you feel a little more head down in the saddle than with a typical hybrid but that adds to the general sense of eagerness.

I have to say, the all-up weight of just over 11kg is quite a nice surprise as, on first glance, this appears quite a big bike.

Components

1x systems are so good these days – or rather, cassettes are so wide-ranging – that you really don't feel like you're missing out on much performance by having a single chainring. In this case it's a 44-tooth ring, and while the Levarg may 'only' use a 10-speed system, with a choice spanning 11-42 teeth at the back, you should be able to spin in all but the most testing of times.

The Shimano Deore rear mech may not be the last word in refinement but gear changes are positive and reliable, and the thumb and finger-actuated shifter is rewarding to use.

On paper, it may seem a shame that Saracen has specced its own custom chainset (made by Prowheel) rather than a matching series option from Shimano. But actually, it's a smart enough bit of kit and there's no hint of performance being undermined.

It's not entirely good news, though. The bane of my life – Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes – have been fitted. There's nothing inherently wrong about them; they're OK at scrubbing and regulating speed, but all-out stopping power lags significantly behind Shimano discs, so you have to keep your eye on speed, especially when descending.

Wheels, tyres and finishing kit

If you've jumped on the Levarg FB from a typical road bike, looking at that huge 47mm WTB ByWay tyre from the saddle, you'd be forgiven for thinking there has to be a motor – electric or otherwise – attached somewhere. However, in its defence, the ByWay has a clever design with a smooth-rolling central section for the road and extra tread found on the shoulders. Despite the ByWay's looks, and as with the rest of the Levarg FB, it's suitable up to gravel surface and byways, but nothing too gnarly.

While the big rubber may be obvious, perhaps the Levarg's most effective secret weapon is the 650B wheelset, comprising Araya rims on thru-axle Formula hubs. They're plenty stiff enough and make an important contribution to the Levarg's generally eager-feeling character; 650B wheels might not be the answer for every road bike, but in this guise on a fun urban runaround they work a treat.

Kit elsewhere is fairly standard mainstream stuff, with own-brand alloy bar, stem and seatpost. However, the Saracen lock-on grips provide comfortable contact points and the Saracen Custom Road saddle is one of the best I've found fitted to a bike at this price. It's very comfy.

Value

Although the 'FB' in the Levarg FB's name marks this out as the one flat-bar model in the range, this isn't simply a bar swap but a completely independent model. For example, the entry-level Levarg drop-bar model (£1,099.99) comes with a Shimano Sora road groupset with double chainrings rather than the FB's 1x Deore setup, and TRP Spyre C cable disc brakes rather than the FB's Tektro Auriga hydraulic discs. If you're happy to forgo the drops, this FB version look a better deal.

> Buyer's Guide: 7 of the best urban commuter bikes

However, compared to other brands making similar models, the Levarg FB looks a little expensive. Of bikes we've tested, the Bergamont Sweep 4 is another drop-bar-influenced urban bike with big tyres but comes with a Shimano Claris double gearset and Shimano hydraulic brakes for £599.99. Meanwhile, the Boardman URB 8.8 is another exciting city speedster with a classy frame and SRAM NX1 single chainring system (but those Tektro discs again) for £699.99.

Conclusion

Saracen says the FB is the Levarg range's commuting option, and that seems a very fair summary. One of the great joys of the Levarg's ride experience is being able to fling the bike around a bit – think old school Mini before it went all posh and German. So weaving through traffic, with the insurance of that wide rubber, comes as a real delight.

But while I love this bike, I must also play devil's advocate, because there are some limitations. Despite its obvious talents and vast range of influences, strangely the Levarg FB has quite a limited appeal beyond commuting. With that rigid fork, it's certainly no mountain bike. With those huge tyres and wide, flat bar, it's not a long-distance mile-muncher. And there are better general use leisure hybrids out there (not least Saracen's own Urban Cross 3).

Those caveats aside, if you're a city dweller looking for some urban thrills, or a commuter wanting a bike that will bring you to work with a smile, look no further.

Verdict

A fantastic urban bike with an interesting wheel and tyre setup that will leave you smiling