XDS Venture 4.0

XDS are one of the largest manufacturers of bikes in the world. And youve probably never heard of them. Thats OK though. Because theyreamazing engineers (just poor marketers).

In this preview, well cover their latest Venture 4.0 hybrid. The short of it is, if youre a recreational rider searching for a new (excellent quality) general fitness bike, this is the one.

If youre someone who needs an upgrade from an old mountain bike or hybrid, or youre a fair weather fitness rider, the Venture 4 should be a bike that you consider.

Rider position on the Venture is relaxed and sporty. Its not going to get you to sit upright but neither will you be aggressively positioned.

Its a comfortable and neutral position that anyone can adapt to.

The Frame

XDS are engineers and theyre also the manufacturer.

Their focus is on producing the best aluminium and carbon frames. And thats one of the key reasons why weve stocked XDS for so long.

Youll find that their frames are above-average for the price point.

XDS use their top-end X6 Ultralight aluminium frame for the Venture 4. Its lighter and better finished than average.

Most of the cables run inside the frame. It makes the frame look cleaner and neater.

Another high-end feature is the tapered head tube.

There is more force at the bottom of this tube than the top. For this reason the XDS has enlarged this section to cope with the extra load.

For those interested, the bottom is 1.5 in diameter and the top is 1.125 in diameter.

The Components

Starting at the front.

Suspension not only smooths out rough bike paths by absorbing hits, it also delivers stable handling and a more relaxed riding position.

The Venture with suspension is more stable because adding a suspension fork moves the front wheel further out in-front.

More front wheel moves further out = more stable handling.

By stable, we mean the handling is calm and predictable - especially on wet or rough surfaces.

And so the handling isnt sharp, twitchy or nervous.

Also by adding suspension, the front of the Venture sits higher. This places your hands in a higher position and therefore your posture is more relaxed.

Venture riders can also lock the suspension (firm) or unlock it (plush), via the round blue dial.

Keep it firm for riding on smooth surfaces where suspension isnt needed. And keep it plush for rough bike paths and trails.

The Venture comes with a mid-range 8 speed gear set. Paired to 3 front gears, it delivers a total of 24 gears.

The gears are controlled via paddle shifters on the handlebar. This is an example of the rear gear shifter:

Note the paddles to shift into a harder and easier gear.

In the image below, the largest sprocket is your easiest gear (gear 1) and the smallest is the hardest gear (gear 8).

As a rough guide:

Use gears 1, 2 for climbing hills. Use gears 3, 4, 5, 6 for riding on flat or gently undulating paths. And use gears 6, 7, 8 for generating speed going downhill.

S-Ride have made their gearing components extremely robust. In fact, more so than we see from Shimano.

The last major area is the brakes.

Venture 4 riders get hydraulic disc brakes instead of mechanical disc.

Hydraulic disc brakes are better because theres no cable to maintain. The cable can get clogged and, over time, rust.

The seals used in hydraulic disc brakes effectively protect the mineral oil from the elements.

Not only does this improve durability, these brakes require less maintenance too.

Plus, they deliver more stopping power and control.

Venture riders who live in hilly areas, ride through Winter or a lot of unsealed surfaces will appreciate how good these brakes are.

Its also worth noting that the brake levers can easily be adjusted to suit shorter fingers too.