Review: AeroCat R350

April 1st, 2009 by Review Man 2,411 views One Comment

Having previously reviewed AeroCat’s ACR500 and R750 road models, we were more than glad to try out their R350 as well. While the other two bikes are full carbon, the R350 has an aluminum frame with a carbon fork, and is the entry-level model of their road line. As I have mentioned before, most of my time in the saddle has been atop a steel frame, and on those occasions when I had ridden an aluminum bike I was rather shocked at the harshness of the ride. The power transfer felt great, but with virtually no vertical compliance, I always wound up feeling a bit beat up after riding aluminum for any decent distance. Since the ACR500 taught me a thing or two about how good a carbon bike can feel, I was anxious to check out AeroCat’s spin on an aluminum bike.

Initial Thoughts
Good looks seem to run in the AeroCat family. We thought both the ACR500 and R750 looked sharp, and the R350 does as well. The bike has a modified classic steel look, with a slightly flattened top tube and somewhat oversized downtube. The seat and chain stays look straightforward from the side, but reveal surprisingly complex contours when viewed from other angles. The paint scheme shows the R350’s relation to its siblings while maintaining a look of its own. AeroCat’s white and blue are in abundance, along with a few black accents. The whole package comes together very nicely. Other people apparently agree as I received quite a few favorable comments about the bike as well as an inquiry or two about where the bike could be purchased.

On The Road
One thing that I noticed on my very first ride is that the R350 did not feel nearly as harsh as the other aluminum bikes that I have ridden. As I mentioned in my review of the ACR500, the roads around me are full of imperfections from the midwestern winters, so any given ride will be full of stretches of bumpy asphalt and small cracks of varying sizes. The AeroCat glided smoothly over these rough surfaces and felt very stable as it was doing it.

According to AeroCat president Dave Poole, the alloy used in the frame is aluminum 6066, which has replaced 6061 and 7005 on higher-end aluminum bikes over recent years. I did a little research on the different alloys and quickly got off into a bunch of metallurgy jargon that I’m not really familiar with. Dave was of the opinion that the tube shapes and sizes affected the ride quality more directly than the 6066 alloy did. He pointed to the seat stays that run independently left and right all the way up to the seat tube and suggested that that approach allows some separate flex on the left and right sides. In contrast, the design of the seat stays on some other bikes has the stays joining together before attaching at a single point on the seat tube which channels all the vibration through that one attachment location. Similarly, the R350 doesn’t have any really large diameter tubes (something allowed by the 6066 material and special butting, so this is a case where the alloy does make a difference), and the smaller diameter tubes allow for a little bit of compliance in the ride. The research I did tended to corroborate these thoughts, though I couldn’t find any data relating specifically to these points.

As mentioned, the stability of the bike was apparent from my very first ride, but I’d like to specifically mention that this stability really showed through on one ride in particular. On that day, the winds were consistently 20 mph, with gusts frequently topping 35. I rode a long loop while I was out, so I felt the wind from all different directions, and the R350 never once felt skittish. Of course, the bike did get moved around on the road some, but the movements were never sudden or jerky, and that inspired a lot of confidence in the bike on my part.

I was also happy to find that the smooth ride I’ve been describing did not translate into what I would call a relaxed ride. That is, the R350 felt quite responsive when it was pushed. It would stay on its line under hard cornering and it did not exhibit any undue flex while being pushed on a climb.

Final Thoughts
The R350 was an extremely enjoyable bike to ride. For a bike that is at the entry level of AeroCat’s road line, it offers quite a bit of performance at a nice price point. The MSRP for the R350 as we tested it is $1919. That reflects a modified Rival build that does not include pedals, but it does include Reynolds Solitude wheels and Michelin Pro3 tires, Rival brake calipers and crank, as well as an SSM saddle upgrade. The basic Rival build comes in at $1599, while the base price for Shimano 105 is $1499. Stepping up to Ultegra brings the price to $1899, but it also includes the above-mentioned Solitude wheels and Michelin tires as standard equipment.

Compared to other bikes in the same price range, the R350 holds its own very well. It offers a lot of bike for the money and should therefore appeal to riders who are looking to explore higher quality equipment while staying on a budget. At the same time, the ride quality is such that even a very demanding cyclist might enjoy an R350 in the stable for long club rides. This is definitely a very balanced bike.

Base price: Standard configurations range from $1499 to $1899, depending on groupset

Price as tested: $1919

Weight of test bike: 18.1 pounds, including Shimano M520 dual-sided pedals

Pros: Excellent value, smooth ride while maintaining a responsive feel

Cons: None

Rating: 5 bikes

Test Bike Details

Frame/Fork: AeroCat R350 (60 cm)

Groupset: SRAM Rival

Bar: Uno alloy

Stem: Uno alloy

Seat Post: Guzzio Carbon

Saddle: Selle San Marco Aspide

Wheelset: Reynolds Solitude

Tires: Michelin Pro3

Pedals: Shimano M520 (not included from AeroCat)

About AeroCat, LLC

AeroCat, LLC is based in Portland, Indiana, USA and is a manufacturer of high performance bicycle products. The company specializes in high-end carbon fiber road, triathlon, and mountain-bike bicycles. For more information visit the company’s website at www.aerocatbike.com