Last year at Interbike, Redline sent out several of its Conquest Flight frames in order to showcase a few dream builds by various drivetrain and brake companies. Not long after, we received our own Conquest Flight frame, although we had a goal in mind of a workingman's build with SRAM Rival 22 components.
After completely building up the bike, we put it through its full testing paces and today we offer Clifford Lee's full review of the frame and build from Issue 28. For extensive reviews just like this one, be sure to order your backcopy today, which is also available on Uberflip, in the App Store on iTunes, and on Google Play for Android.
Use the slider below for impressions and detailed specs on the frame, build and ride, as well as our final verdict. More Info: redlinebicycles.com.
The Ride:
In Issue 15, this was one of my favorite bikes to ride, with a combination of handling sharpness and smoothness that is the holy grail for cyclocross bikes. By lessening the weight and adding a bit of stiffness for efficiency, Redline has allowed riders to choose or change their line in a corner, as well as sit in to lay down the power regardless of the terrain. Very few bikes in my experience do the combination perfectly, but a few do.
The bar has been raised, with other bikes offering combinations of stiffness, lightness, compliance and sharp handling. Redline has made bikes that get the formula right to make the ride magical. In cyclocross, the terrain varies so much, which puts unique demands on a frame: Road bike efficiency in the flats with mountain bike handling when the course gets rough. The Redline Conquest seemed to put together an ideal package before, but with the new model that has arrived, I find what the Redline Conquest Flight lacks is the “snap” that makes the bike squirt out from under you with each pedal stroke. The frame is no slouch, and it does exude efficiency, just not the big “get-up-and-go” of other bikes that have now come into this range.
Redline’s Conquest Flight frame offers a combination of everything we liked from the earlier Redline model we tested back in Issue 15, along with new technologies that keep the frame forward-thinking. © Clifford Lee/Cyclocross Magazine.
Regardless, the Redline Conquest Flight is still the frame I would reach for through all types of riding. Perhaps it was the WiFli gearing, or the hydraulic brakes, but mostly it was the smoothness of the ride combined with the sharp handling. I enjoyed the low bottom bracket. Although I’ve come to appreciate a higher bottom bracket on technical trails, we like the stability in carving corners both on and off the road, as well as the easy remounts that a lower bottom bracket affords. The fork might look odd to a roadie who is used to aero blades, but once you begin to descend off-road, you know what this form was designed for: A smooth-as-silk ride with laser tracking, perfectly complementing the overall ride qualities.
I thought the wheelsets or tires might bias the ride. Although I could detect some difference between wheelsets due to weight or tire type, the ride remained consistent when I factored in the differences. Although the down tube is approximately the diameter of a beer bottle, which is not a problem when quaffing your favorite après-ride brew, it is a minor problem for those with less-than-huge hands. Combined with the brake line running down the bottom side of the down tube, I felt my hold on the frame was compromised when flicking the bike to my shoulder.
Redline’s Conquest Flight has a narrow tire clearance with a 34c tire in place, and the bulge at the bottom bracket doesn’t allow for easy access to the derailleur cables. © Clifford Lee/Cyclocross Magazine.
Due to its great ride and handling, the Conquest Flight would be an ideal gravel-grinder and adventure bike, and though there are double bottle bosses, it is limited by the lack of rack and fender mounts and tire clearance. The maximum tire width that comfortably fits between the chainstays is 35mm, and not much more will fit into the fork, either. Still, it’s worth noting that this bike was built as a performance cyclocross rig in the end.
