As an extension of Kevin’s Tri Bikes under $2,500 column, I wanted to have a closer look at the Fuji Aloha. It is available in 6 sizes, all with 700c wheels and all employing my favorite seat tube angle of 76 degrees. The frame is constructed of Fuji’s A-6 Quaternary Custom Butted Aero Tubing with a full aero seat tube radiused for the rear wheel. The carbon aero fork is mated with a chromoly steerer that, while a bit heavy, makes for a solid, comfortable ride. On paper it should be a great bike for the money and the number of them I’ve seen at races certainly backs that up. It’s nearly a grand under the $2,500 mark and should be on any short list of entry level, value oriented tri bikes.

The first thing that struck me when I unboxed the Aloha was how good looking the frame set is.  Great welds, solid paint and a great looking aero fork.  Then I started looking over the parts – Dura-Ace rear derailleur, Syntace base bar and C2 clip-ons, Ritchey stem and seat post.  Pretty good parts in the positions that matter on a bike that retails for $1,650.  A full aero tube set, including the radiused seat tube, suggests that the Aloha will slip through the wind as well as bikes costing much more and look good doing it (check out the full specs here).  If I sound surprised, I was, although in retrospect I don’t know what I was expecting.  Perhaps I’ve become a bit jaded from playing with high dollar frame sets and carbon wheels but I wasn’t expecting a sub-$1,700 complete bike to be as good as the Fuji was right out of the box.

On with the ride

Originally, I had not planned on reviewing the Aloha myself, but a series of unforeseen events kept the original reviewer from being able to participate.  Of course, by the time I figured that out, my curiosity had gotten the better of me and I’d already built up the Aloha (which is a size too small for me), put on my pedals and ridden the bike a few times for about 200 miles.  My positive initial impression continued as I was very pleased with the Aloha’s performance and ride quality.  Reasonably stiff in the bottom bracket, the rear end tracked well and the ride was more comfortable than expected from an all aluminum construction in this price range.

Though not something we normally think about on tri bikes, the Aloha handled both seated and out of the saddle climbing well and was stable on the descents. Most importantly for triathlon, the Aloha takes and distributes power well on the flats and rolling hills. 

Frankly, I think this is an excellent frame set for someone looking to get on a dedicated tri bike without breaking the bank.  It performs well, has a very good parts package at a very reasonable price and is a bike with a future too.  Unlike many entry level priced bikes, the Aloha’s frame set could serve even the enthusiast well.  Experienced cyclists will not find the frame lacking and upgrades would not be wasted, allowing it to grow with the athlete as the budget allows.

There is one change I would make on the parts package.  TruVativ outfits many bikes and their products are even re-branded by some big name bicycle companies.  In either case, their shiny chrome like finishes on chain rings, crank arms and stems is pitiful.  I put around 200 miles on the Aloha and, as I do with all bikes, I wipe it down after each ride.  Even with this care, the finish is already bubbling up on the pretty chrome chain rings.  I’ve had the same thing happen on Bontrager, excuse me, TruVativ crank arms and stems too.  It is beyond me why it continues to use this process on an area of the bike constantly exposed to sweat.  Of course, as I mentioned above, this bike welcomes upgrades.  A nice set of carbon cranks would fix this problem right up!

Obviously, there are limits to what you get for $1,650 and there are certainly frames with a higher level of performance out there.  However, you will find those bikes a whole lot closer to the $2,500 end of the spectrum.

All in all, the Fuji Aloha represents an excellent value in a dedicated triathlon bike with performance that far exceeds the expectations of a $1,650 package.  For 2006, Fuji came to a fork in the road and has gone both directions by offering the Aloha 1.0 and 2.0.  The 1.0 ups the ante and lowers the weight by over 2 pounds by using an aluminum steerer in the aero fork and choosing some upgraded components and a lighter wheel set but still keeps the price at $1,800. (see here)    The 2.0 goes the other way, bringing the entry level even lower by choosing more budget minded components and wheels but also dropping the price to $1,300. (see here)

Aloha,

Mark