You can race anywhere - even on the beach. In cycling-mad Holland, beach races are even held regularly. The longest is 130 kilometres along the Dutch North Sea coast from Hoek van Holland to Den Helder. Most of the 800 or so participants push mountain bikes with rigid forks to the starting line for the race by the sea. As the pace is high on firm sand (best time 3:28 hours) and the open route is very susceptible to wind, aerodynamics also play a role. Koga has therefore designed a special cross bike: The long and flat aluminium frame enables an aggressive, wind-slippery riding position and also creates space for 29-inch MTB flats. The tyre width is 56 millimetres at the rear and 51 millimetres at the front. The generous wheelbase of 109 centimetres and the large trail of 70 millimetres promise a very smooth ride. The racing handlebars with angled bends and a small drop, on which Shimano's 105 brake lever is mounted on the right, allowing an Ultegra rear derailleur to climb over the sprocket, are very striking. A brake lever on the left-hand side of the handlebars is sufficient because only one chainring turns on the crank at the front; a guide positioned above it prevents the chain from jumping off. The disc brakes are controlled by a Bowden cable.
We didn't find a beach to test it on our doorstep in Munich - but we did find typical cross terrain: forest and woodland paths as well as single trails. From the very first metre, the bike invites you to grab the lower handlebars and smash through the terrain. The grip low down is the logical position, as this is the only place where you can grip the full handlebar width and have the best control. The curved handlebar tape also emphasises that sitting upright and riding slowly are not planned. The stretched riding position also fits in with this. The position on the brake lever is significantly narrower than normal due to the angled grips. The grips form wonderful abutments and the narrow arm position reduces the rider's frontal area, bringing you very close to an aero position. In fact, this is exactly the position you want for breakaway attempts in a road race. On the other hand, it feels less comfortable when pedalling out of the saddle, and the narrow grip distance makes it harder to control. It's therefore better to reach down to get up.
HATZ OVER FOREST ROADS
The voluminous Schwalbe tyres roll very well on the road at high pressure. Depending on the terrain, you have to deflate the tyres, otherwise you will bounce from stone to stone even with the thick tyres. The Beach Racer is very flexible when it comes to tyre choice - everything from slick tyres to studded tyres can be fitted. The fast chase over forest tracks is really fun with the racer, and short sandy sections on the test course give you an idea of how fast the bike is on the beach. The speed is noticeably higher than on a mountain bike, and the bike tracks very smoothly over loose ground. However, you have to force it a little through tight bends, the inertia of the large wheels has to be overcome first. On technical terrain, however, the handlebars are particularly unfamiliar. If you instinctively switch to the brake lever on the root carpet, you lose control instead of gaining it. In rough terrain, proper suspension is also sorely missed - thick tyres or not. However, the 38 x 12-32 gear ratio is suitable for most off-road situations. For long, steep climbs, a front derailleur and a second chainring can be retrofitted. And if you do have to shoulder the bike? The bike is relatively easy to carry, but with the thick tyres it is heavier than a normal crosser. The TRP brakes decelerate reliably, but feel doughy and have no defined pressure point; precise modulation is particularly difficult on gravel. The stoppers brake much better than rim brakes on a classic cross bike, but significantly worse than hydraulic brakes, which are standard on mountain bikes.
Conclusion: Koga's beach formula works. The Beach Racer is an off-road time trial bike, beautifully designed and very suitable for racing on sand. With the right tyres, however, the racer also rides well on other surfaces. The angled handlebars limit its use somewhat: For playful tracks, it is better to fit a normal cross/racing bike handlebar. Congratulations to Koga for the original idea, which also earned the bike a Eurobike Award. The somewhat different crosser rolls out of the shop for a favourable 1,599 euros.
Price complete wheel 1,599 Euro
Weight 10.0 kilos
Available in specialised shops
Reference/Info www.koga.com
Frame sizes*** S, M, L, XL
Seat/steering angle 75°/71°
Seat/top tube/head tube 532/565/121mm plus 9mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 1,090/70mm
Stack/Reach/STR**** 571/410mm/1.39
EQUIPMENT
Steering bearing FSA, 1-1/8 inch
Brakes TRP Spyre
Circuit Shimano Ultegra/105
Bottom bracket TruvativPower Spline (40T, Press-Fit)
Wheels/tyres Koga Disc/Schwalbe Thunder Burt (front)/Schwalbe Super Moto (rear)
Handlebar/stem Koga/Koga saddle/post Koga/Koga (27.2mm)
MEASURED VALUES & INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Weight of complete wheel 10.0 kg (without pedals)
Weight frame/fork/steering bearing**** 1.816/534/62 g
Standardised weight frame set***** 1.176 g: 5,0
Steering head stiffness 102 Nm/°: 1.0
Lateral stiffness fork 43 N/mm: 2.7
Bottom bracket stiffness 65 N/mm: 1.0
Comfort frame 221 N/mm: 2.7
Comfort fork 57 N/mm: 1.0
* The frame set accounts for 40 per cent of the overall score and the features for 60 per cent. Individual grades are included in this evaluation, only some of which are printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated up to the final grade with all decimal places; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are given with rounded decimal places.
** Manufacturer's specifications; test size in bold.
*** Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach): 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.
**** Weighed weights.
***** Adjusted weight for frame size 57 cm and fork steerer length 225 mm.
