You have to hand it to Haro: The US brand knows how to draw attention to itself and its premiere on the road. On the one hand, the Rivette rolled into the editorial office as a racing bike, which is hard to miss due to its unusual paintwork. On the other hand, the model name Top Shelf alone arouses curiosity. Equipped from the top shelf and therefore of the best quality, the new model is therefore supposed to be the best. We therefore put the competition bike to the test in the laboratory, wind tunnel and on tarmac.
Haro? Ever heard of it? Quite possibly. After all, the manufacturer is one of the most iconic brands in the BMX scene and has also earned its spurs with mountain bikes. Now the Californians are opening a new chapter in the company's history and presenting two bikes with curved handlebars for the first time: the aerodynamically optimised Rivette is aimed at ambitious road riders, while the off-road Buzzard is aimed at bikepacking adventurers.
The reorientation of the brand, whose European branch is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, is to be linked to the expansion of the dealer network, which has been quite limited to date. There are currently only half a dozen shops in Germany that stock the US brand. The previous business model was based almost exclusively on direct online sales.
The Haro Rivette is fast straight away
With the Rivette, Haro is following a trend and presenting a versatile racing all-rounder. The debut model looks harmonious and successful, but with the exception of the playful illustrations on the frame set, it lacks a clear unique selling point. The "inner values" are all the more impressive and are based on the top materials of well-known manufacturers. Both in terms of aerodynamics and weight, the most important quality features of a modern competitor.
With a pedalling power of 213 watts, which it needs to overcome its own air resistance at a racing speed of 45 km/h, the Haro immediately joins the illustrious circle of the fastest racing all-rounders. Comparable bikes such as Cannondale SuperSix, Specialised Tarmac or Van Rysel RCR are just a little faster. The interaction between the frameset and wheels is harmonious and offers the same performance as with our reference wheelset (Zipp 404, 2018). In terms of weight, the Haro is also very solidly in the peloton, with the 7180 grams on the TOUR scales even being slightly below the manufacturer's specification.
Successful premiere
Established bike manufacturers are now producing fast all-rounders weighing less than seven kilograms, but not always with the first-class stiffness values of the Rivette. In the saddle, the well-rounded overall package manifests itself in remarkably smooth and precise steering behaviour. Especially on fast descents, the Haro benefits from its well-balanced chassis and manoeuvres skilfully around bends. Only on rough slopes does the all-rounder react stubbornly, and the relatively wide Vittoria tyres only compensate for the average comfort to a limited extent.
Thanks to the exceptionally large tyre clearance of 36 millimetres, the all-rounder can be set up much more comfortably, but then you have to accept compromises in steering behaviour. The successful premiere is rounded off with a fairly calculated price. At 8499 euros, the version with Shimano's Dura-Ace components, in race-standard gearing, is below the average price of comparable bikes. The three other equipment variants are also built with electronic groupsets from Shimano or Sram and carbon wheels. The basic model with 105 Di2 costs 4999 euros, the top version with Red AXS is 8999 euros.
Haro Rivette Carbon Top Shelf: Info & test grade
- Price: 8499 Euro
- Frame sizes: 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 61 (test size bolded)
- TOUR grade: 1,9
Geometry
- Seat/top/head tube: 538/570/154 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 574/393 millimetres/1.46
- Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 625/574 millimetres/1.09
- Wheelbase/caster: 995/58 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace (2x12; 52/36, 11-30 t.) | Shimano Dura-Ace (2x12; 52/36, 11-30 t.) Grade: 1.0
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace (160/160 mm) | Shimano Dura-Ace (160/160 mm) Grade: 1.0
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro Control 30 mm (eff.: 30 mm) | Grade: 2.0
- Impellers: Vision Metron 45 SL
- Impeller weights: 1205/1599 grams (front/rear)
Measured values
- Weight of complete wheel: 7180 g | Grade: 2.0
- Aerodynamics: 213 W | Grade: 2.0
- Driving stability: 9.45 N/mm | Grade: 1.0
- Rear comfort: 182 N/mm | Grade: 3.0
- Comfort front: 108 N/mm | Grade: 3.0
- Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness: 67 N/mm | Grade: 1.0
Advantages and disadvantages of the Haro Rivette
- Plus: Extremely stable, good aerodynamics, fairly priced
- Minus: little suspension comfort on saddle and handlebars
How TOUR tests
Julian Schultz
Editor
