Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Brilliant Styling & A Fun Ride In One Package

Rating:

Among the hundreds of bicycle manufacturers across the globe, there are a few names that stand out. A few names that bicycling enthusiasts know well and have come to love. Firefox is one among them. The brand has cemented its place amongst the premium bicycle manufacturers' circle and we got a good taste of owning a Firefox over the last few months.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Unboxing & Assembly

At most times, receiving a package through the mail is exciting. However, the excitement simply increases when the package is large in size and there are the words 'Firefox Superbike' on both sides of the box. These words say that there is a bicycle in there that is just about to add some amusement and leisure along with a generous serving of health and fitness into your life.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The unboxing process was a no-brainer. Cut the straps and tear open the tape that held the box together. Once the box was free, you lift it up and underneath a thin and shiny piece of white foam was a gleaming new Firefox bicycle. Firefox had sent one of its bestsellers for us to sample. Yes, it is the Firefox Bad Attitude X we are talking about.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The 'X' in the name is in Roman Numerals and hence it is read as Bad Attitude 10. Straight out of the box, the bicycle is not in rideable condition. Some of it needed assembling, but it isn't something that one can't do at home.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The handlebar needed to be straightened and then tightened up. The pedals needed to be mounted onto the crank arm, and the seat height needed to be adjusted. All of this didn't take more than five minutes of our time and we were ready to hit the road, or some trails. Before that though, we took some time out to take a good look at the Bad Attitude X.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Design & Style

Bicycle design has become standardised over the years. There are several segments of bicycles - road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes, etc. There is a standard frame design for most manufacturers. Only some exclusive and custom bicycles receive a different frame.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Firefox has categorised the Bad Attitude X as a mountain bike and hence the frame design is not really out of the ordinary. It is a hard-tail frame as there is no rear suspension on this bicycle. Up front is a telescopic fork handling suspension duties and then there's the diamond frame design.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

However, it isn't a hardcore mountain bike. The design of the bicycle almost pushes it over into the hybrid bicycle category. The saving grace here is the knobby tyres seen on the bicycle. Made by DSI, these tyres look rugged and promise to offer lots of grip on loose terrain.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

In terms of styling though, there's a lot that the Bad Attitude X brings to the table. This is courtesy of the bonkers paint job and graphics scheme found on the bicycle. The main colour of course is some sort of a mixture between bottle green and olive green. Firefox though prefers to just call it 'Green'. There are no other colours that the Bad Attitude X is available in.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

No one's complaining though. The Bad Attitude X looks stunning as 'Green' is not the only colour on the bicycle. There is an abundance of Black and a bit of a light Blue shade as well. The fork up front is finished in Black with the Firefox logo in green. From the seat tube, there is a gloss black shade that ends in what looks like a rough finish.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

It has been made to look like the designers just splashed on the colours without a care in the world, and that goes pretty well with the name 'Bad Attitude'. On the down tube of the frame is the Firefox badging and logo in Black, but on a background of Blue. This splash of colours gives the bicycle a certain character that is seldom found on other bicycles. The rim and spokes are finished in Black too, while the gears are finished in bronze.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The downtube does feature bottle holder mounting points, but the bottle holder is only available as an accessory and would have to be ordered separately. The bicycle also lacks a derailleur protector and this is something that is essential for an off-road bicycle. This too would have to be purchased separately and if you would want a bell, that is an extra too.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

A quote painted onto the rear subframe defines what this bicycle is all about. It says 'Shut Up And Ride'. This is in itself a statement that defines the character and attitude of this bicycle and it is hard to argue with that statement. So, we did get to riding it.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Ride & Handling

Though Firefox has classified this bicycle as a Mountain Bike, as aforementioned, its design borders on being a hybrid and it is quite obvious that a majority of buyers would use the bicycle on road most of the time, and the off-road excursions wouldn't happen very often.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Given this usage scenario, we rode the Firefox Bad Attitude X on-road for a couple of hundred kilometres and off-road only for about 10 kilometres. This was done over a span of a few months to figure out what it is like to live with the Firefox Bad Attitude X. As it turns out, there's little to nothing one can complain about with regard to the ride and handling.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Swing a leg over the saddle and the first thing one would notice is that the riding position is not as that of a hardcore mountain bike. This of course depends on the height of the seat which can be adjusted according to the needs of the rider. The handlebar is almost perfect and it is quite easy to ride the bicycle in the seated as well as stand-up riding positions.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

We found the comfort offered by the seat to be perfectly adequate for the kind of usage it is intended to cater to. However, we also understand that this is an aspect which is subjective, and different body types and usage scenarios require differently shaped and padded seats and this is something you would have to decide for yourself. Memory foam seats are available on the Firefox website in case a buyer feels the need for it.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Get moving and you would notice that the drivetrain is incredibly smooth. The entire gearshifting mechanism is sourced from MicroShift. This includes the shifters, the cables, and the derailleurs. MicroShift has been in the business since 1999 and certainly knows its way when it comes to drivetrain. This quite explains the smooth shifts and easy-going nature of the mechanisms at work on the Bad Attitude X.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

This brings us to the shifters themselves. They are unique in the fact that both upshifts and downshifts are handled by the thumb. It might be a little confusing for newbies but is easy to get accustomed to. It has a gear position indicator that looks fancy and cool, however, the readout might be a little confusing.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The shifter on the left side of the handlebar that handles the three drive ratios at the crank has an indicator with 1 & 3 written on the extreme ends. With this shifter, when the indicator is in the middle, it is obvious that it is in the 2nd gear/ratio.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

However, the right-hand side shifter that handles the rear cog set has the 1 and 7 markings and when the indicator is in between, one can't really tell if it is in 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear. If you are particular about knowing exactly what gear you're riding in, this can be a little annoying. If not, there are no issues at all. It gets three speeds up front and seven speeds at the rear, taking the total number of gear ratios to 21.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Moving on to how the bicycle handles, we can't go on without mentioning the tyres. These tyres maintain their grip very well irrespective of what surface you are riding on. We did try to get them to break loose on tarmac and on mud, but they just held on while cornering. It was a little slippery on gravel and extremely loose mud like a ploughed field, but this is a given.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The only way to make them break loose was to hit the brakes. The Firefox Bad Attitude X makes use of petal disc brakes at the front and rear. These are very effective and bring speeds down rapidly while on tarmac. On mud and gravel though, the rear wheel locks up pretty easily. This allowed for an amusing riding experience where we would try to get the rear wheel out on every corner.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

As aforementioned, the Firefox Bad Attitude X features a telescopic fork up front. This suspension works great at low speeds and while climbing up or down obstacles. At higher speeds though, it gets all worked up and there is loss of damping action. Rebound is pretty strong and you can feel the suspension hard at work. If the rear was suspended too, it would have made for a brilliant combination.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

On the whole, it is a fun-to-ride bicycle with a very playful character. While astride it, you immediately get into that playful mood. It is no extreme off-roader though, and we wouldn't suggest riders attempt things like jumping off obstacles.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Long-Term Performance

As aforementioned, we tested the Firefox Bad Attitude X over a long period of time. With over six months of usage, we expected the bicycle to show some signs of aging or fatigue. However, there isn't a hint of anything like that. In fact, a wash and polish later, the bicycle still looks brand-new.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

The mechanical bits too function very well without any sort of regular maintenance. Cycling enthusiasts would suggest regular lubing and cleaning to keep the bicycle going strong. This Firefox though is going strong without us doing any maintenance. On the longevity and durability charts, the Firefox Bad Attitude X scores full marks.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Accessories & Pricing

As aforementioned, the Firefox Bad Attitude X is available in just one colour option. When we received the bicycle at the end of 2021, it was priced at Rs 15,800. In April 2022 though, it comes with a price tag of Rs 17,500. That is an increase of Rs 1,700 and prices could increase in the future too. Do check out the Firefox website for accurate pricing details.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Firefox also retails lots of accessories for both the bicycle as well as the rider. They are available in kits that are priced between Rs 3,650 and Rs 10,110. The accessories are also available individually. For example, bells start at Rs 120, lights start at Rs 1,050, locks start at Rs 300, and the least expensive saddle cover is priced at Rs 880.

Several other accessories like car carriers, cycle trainers, luggage bags, bicycle covers, water bottles, etc, are also available.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

Verdict

The competition in the under Rs 20,000 mountain bike segment is pretty strong. There are several bicycles from various brands that compete in the segment. Where the Firefox Bad Attitude X beats them all hands down is in the design and styling department.

Firefox Bad Attitude X Long Term Review: Unboxing, Assembly, Design & Style, Ride & Handling, Pricing Details

It simply looks brilliant and the paint job with the various colours and blacked-out wheels makes all the difference in the world. Apart from this, it is a fun-to-ride bicycle and it makes us want to put our money down on one. Well, as the bicycle asks us to do, we're just going to shut up and ride, until it remains with us.

Most Read Articles

English
Read more on: #review
Article Published On: Thursday, April 28, 2022, 13:19 [IST]
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X