It almost seemed as if the traditional Koga brand had completely abandoned racing handlebars. For several years, the programme was limited to everyday and touring bikes, many of them with electric drive. Last year, however, the company from Heerenveen in the Netherlands, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, made a comeback with sportier bikes. The spectacularly designed Kinsei aero racer should only be the starting signal for a new road bike offensive. The second part of the comeback is dedicated more to leisure riders, as the Roqa, which was shown for the first time at the Eurobike last summer, aims to score points above all with comfort and versatility.
Koga Roqa Allroad: off-road variant in the test
The new model has been on sale since January, in a total of four equipment variants. A price tip is the version with mechanical Shimano 105 for 2999 euros, the top model comes with electronic Ultegra and carbon rims for 4799 euros. You can see at first glance what the developers are aiming for with the bike from the equipment variants on offer: in addition to three road tyre variants, there is also one with 40 millimetre wide off-road tyres; depending on the choice of tyres, the Roqa can therefore be used on the road or off-road. We have invited the all-terrain all-road version for testing.
The nickname Allroad is almost misleading, because with the generous tyres, the bike can be considered a real gravel bike. There would even be room for more, up to 45 millimetres are permitted by the manufacturer for the frameset, but this only applies to the tested version with single drivetrain without front derailleur. In contrast to the sensational Kinsei, the design of the Koga Roqa Allroad is restrained and straightforward. The bike has a simple design, a round seat post and clamped handlebars mean comparatively little difficulty with maintenance and adjustment. We initially found it difficult to recognise any special features on the bike, but on closer inspection the Roqa certainly shows character.
Consistently undecided
This starts with the frame geometry, because when you take a seat on the bike, you will find an extremely comfortable, upright riding position that few other bikes on the market offer. The long head tube and the high fork crown lift the handlebars far over the front wheel, allowing relaxed riding and a good overview. The contact points of the handlebars and saddle are immediately comfortable; the Roqa is made for long tours, but less so for sporting ambitions. The many threaded eyelets on the frame are striking: There are three on the top tube alone for a bag, and two more under the down tube for a tool box. There are also threads for mudguards and a fully-fledged pannier rack on the rear triangle, all of which can be securely bolted to the Roqa without any tinkering or adapters.
There is still plenty of room for the fenders even over the wide gravel tyres, making the Roqa predestined as a touring and commuter bike. The bike mastered the course through our test laboratory without criticism, the frameset is stiff and suitably comfortable, and the Roqa also offers some suspension comfort on the handlebars. The weight is perfectly acceptable for the aluminium cockpit and wide tyres. In the practical test, the racer accelerates surprisingly well, which is due to the relatively light aluminium wheels from Mavic. We found the Allroad version with the wide knobbly tyres to be a little sluggish to steer and tends to tip into corners when changing direction quickly. This takes some getting used to, but it is rideable.
Koga Roqa Allroad: road bike or gravel bike?
With road tyres, 28 or 32 millimetres depending on the equipment variant, the handling is better balanced and the overall concept is more coherent. In the area of conflict between road racer and gravel bike, we would therefore categorise the Roqa more as a bike for the roadwith the added bonus that wide off-road tyres can be fitted for occasional tours or for the winter months. We would therefore recommend buying one of the road-orientated versions. This is less due to the easily replaceable tyres than to the SRAM Apex drivetrain with one chainring, which unnecessarily restricts the gear range: Smaller gear steps would be desirable on the road and lighter mountain gears off-road.
The drivetrains with double cranks, as offered in the equipment variants with road tyres, fit better into the overall concept; they create a wider range and narrower gradations. The tyre clearance can then no longer be fully exploited. However, up to 38 (Shimano 105 and Ultegra) or 42 millimetres (SRAM Rival AXS) should be sufficient for most requirements. If you need more rubber, you should look for a "real" gravel bike.
Narrow road tyres are better suited to the Roqa. However, the freedom to mount thick tyres plus mudguards if required is a real added value. - Jens Klötzer, Test Manager
The Koga Roqa Allroad
- TOUR grade: 2,2
- Price: 3599 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.7 kilos
- Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
Geometry
- Seat / top / head tube: 511 / 555 / 164 millimetres
- Stack / Reach / STR: 607 / 376 millimetres / 1.61
- Stack+ / Reach+ / STR+: 662 / 556 millimetres / 1.19
- Wheelbase/caster: 1035/63 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/Circuit (3.0): SRAM Apex XPLR AXS (1x12; 42, 10-44 t.)
- Brakes (1.5): SRAM Apex (160/160 mm)
- Tyres (1.5): Continental Terra Trail 40 mm (eff.: 40 mm)
- Impellers: Mavic Allroad SL
- Impeller weights: 1559/2100 grams (front/rear)
Measured values
- Driving stability (1.7): 8.11 N/mm
- Rear comfort (1.7): 117 N/mm
- Comfort front (2.3): 87.6 N/mm
- Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness (1.0): 60 N/mm
Jens Klötzer
Editor
