Urban Bikes

Pinnacle 2016: Disc Brake Road, Hybrid, Adventure and Electric Bikes

We took a look at the growing army of bikes available from Evans Cycles' own brand

The Pinnacle range from Evans Cycles has been steadily growing for years, but its only when we saw (almost) every model in one room that we realised quite how extensive it had become.

The bikes are the work of James Olsen, bike packing extraordinaire and the man behind the ceaselessly popular Genesis Equilibrium and Croix de Fer models as well as HOY bikes. Established in 2006, Pinnacle bikes have always been about providing fun, accessibility, and diversity whilst ideally ticking off comfort and stability along the way.

We visited the Evans showroom to see the line up. All the women’s models are available to suit a rider from around 5 foot to 5 foot 9 and have narrower bars, women’s saddles and shorter stem and cranks. The frames geometries are slightly altered to cater for a smaller rider though there is a lot of overlap between the smaller men’s bikes and larger women’s bikes.

Pinnacle E-Bike

A demo model taken for a proper test… Image: James Olsen

For 2016, Pinnacle are making their first steps into the electric bike market. Evans have previously been cautious of e-bikes, concerned over the liklihood of warranty issues. However, they made the move to create a bike that offered a little helping hand when Shimano launched their Steps System electric set up. Shimano are now offering a reliable platform with a large capacity lithium ion-battery pack and easy to use controls, which Pinnacle’s creators have put their trust in.

Based on the on/off road all-rounder Lithium hybrid, Evans hope their new e-bike will provide something a bit different to the more road and city suited models currently available, and they’ll also be able to provide easy in-store service. The bikes will be available later this year, and will retail at around £1,700.

Pinnacle Arkose

The Arkose is a do-it-all adventure road bike. It began its life in cyclocross, but has evolved with the demand for machines that can offer all day adventures on a variety of surfaces.

With clearance for anything up to a 40c tyre the Arkose is perfectly capable of handling the trails and some CX races (yes, I have tried..) Mudguards and pannier eyelets mean it’s up for touring duties, and swap the tyres for 23 or 25c rubber and you’ve got a road bike or commuter.

Having ridden this bike as it evolved I’d say its pedigree is in on/off road exploration, where it absolutely shines – the ride never once failed to put a smile on my face whilst trekking the Surrey hills.

All models come with neat integrated cables and the discs on the Three Model (at £1000) are hydraulic, whilst the One at £700 and Two at £850 have mechanical brakes.

Pinnacle Dolomite

The brand’s champion road model has seen a transformation for 2016 – with a total overhaul to accommodate for disc brakes.

Two of the four models, from the £550 Two, feature mechanical discs. Designers have chosen to stick with calipers on the £450 entry level One, whilst the top end Five comes with hydraulic discs at £1000.

The Five comes equipped with Shimano 105, plus internal cable routing and a pretty stunning cherry red paint job that would cheer us up on a winter’s day.

Designed not as an all out endurance road bike, or as a race machine, the Dolomite is meant to be a true all rounder. All models come with 25c tyres, but the frame can accommodate up to 28c tyres, which would provide a very stable platform for someone wanting extra confidence on the corners.

Pinnacle Lithium and Cobalt

The Lithium (above) is one of a few sporty hybrids Pinnacle offer, and they say they’re seeing fantastic sales in these genres on the women’s side.

Designed to do a bit of everything, the Lithium is built around a rigid 29er mountain bike. With 38c tyres it will handle rough bridleways but mudguard and rack mounts mean it can be fitted with everything needed for a commute.

Women’s models start at £275 and the top end option with hydraulic discs comes in at £600.

For those after something capable of a little more in the off-road department, there is the increasingly popular Pinnacle Cobalt. This model comes equipped with a Suntour front suspension fork that offers 63mm of travel – enough for lumps and bumps along most beginner friendly trails whilst a lockout ensures efficiency on the road.

The Cobalt starts at £360, and there are three women’s models available. The most expensive comes in at £550 with an upgraded groupset and hydraulic disc brakes.

Pinnacle Neon

Last but certainly not least in the female specific line up is the city friendly Neon – a quick hybrid that sits closer to a flat bar road bike than the beefier models above.

The Neon is the bike for zipping through city streets. The most expensive model (£550) has a carbon fork which will provide a smoother ride and helps to lighten the weight. At the more wallet friendly end, the entry level model is £360 and has a single chainring, which makes shifting gears much simpler for those who only really need the eight levels of resistance offered by the rear cassette.

Pinnacle Iroko and Jarrah

The only two options not available in women’s frames are the mountain bikes Iroko and Jarrah – there have been female specific models in the past but these didn’t prove popular enough to repeat.

The Jarrah starts in an X-Small which would suit a rider of around 5 foot 1, and is a 650b hardtail which offers 100mm of travel. All three models, from £425 to £625 boast hydraulic discs, which will lock out mud and grime.

The Iroko, I was told, is the “staff mountain bike of choice”. It’s been redesigned for for 2016, to make it more aggressive and ideal for chucking around on the trails. All Iroko’s feature 650b wheels and Rockshox 120mm travel forks, and the top two models at £1250 and £1450 proudly sport Shimano 1x chainsets, as well as internal stealth dropper cable ports.

It’s not all about bikes – check out the value F.W.E clothing and accessories we saw at Evans Cycles here.