Barracuda seem to make good bikes and the Barracuda Vivante road bike is no exception.
The Barracuda Vivante road bike has a lightweight 22 1/2″ alloy frame. The frame of the bike is primarily white, with the exception of the front area including the fork finished in black. The bike weighs in at 14kg therefore is light enough to move around easily. The handlebars offer curved grips for vertical hand positioning and are fitted with Shimano TZ30-31 21 speed rotational shifters. The wheels on the Barracuda Vivante bike are Verismo 700c profiled ally wheels. They seem strong and durable with mainly positive reviews about their ability to withstand the test of time and regular use. The bike also comes with a ‘Bicycle Kit Box’ containing pedals, reflectors, bell, Allen key and a multi-spanner. The saddle provided on the Barracuda Vivante is listed as a ‘padded sports saddle’. It is very comfortable and easily adjusted so there should be no issues with finding your optimal riding position. The seat post and stem used on the Barracuda Vivante are both alloy to help keep the bikes weight to a minimum.
The Barracuda Vivante comes with alloy dual-pivot brakes. They work well and offer responsive effective braking when centred correctly. Initial reports seem to suggest the pads provided with this bike last a significant amount of time however most frequent bike users eventually upgrade the brake pads to benefit from enhanced performance. The brake pedals are not overly sensitive and are quite usable straight out of the box.
This road bike comes with good quality tyres and therefore these won’t need upgrading even for the more committed riders. Some bikes can come with below par tyres however these are exceptionally good considering the price of the bike. Some owners report using the bike 6 times a week for 2 years and the tyres still going strong. This obviously depends on your amount of usage and how testing your terrain is but it’s a good indication that the tyres are durable and of a high quality.
The Barracuda Vivante road bike offers above average ride enjoyment. With it’s padded sports saddle providing the rider with a comfortable seated position perfect for those long rides.
The Barracuda Vivante bike looks the part, it’s black and white design perfectly matches the white wheel rim and black tyres provided with the bike. The gear shifters are very smooth to use and the saddle is one of the comfiest in this price range.