At Outdoor Demo I rode the Patrol 671 and unfortunately, the size large was just too small for me to give the bike a fair test. If owning a bike is like having a long-term relationship, my time with the Patrol 671 yesterday was basically like being introduced and shaking hands. Still, we can all learn something about a person–or a bike–from a handshake.
Greg wrote about the Patrol brand at about this time last year, and the Spark Notes version is that this Indonesian brand is slowly and deliberately working to bring their mountain bikes to the North American market. The Patrol 671, a 160mm front and rear, all-mountain/enduro bike, is the first bike the company is introducing into the US market, with others like the 672 and 871 (DH bike) said to be following close behind.
The Patrol 671 is a smartly spec’d alloy bike with 27.5″ wheels, a 160mm Fox 36 fork, and a Fox Float DPS EVOL shock in the rear. As tested, the drivetrain is Shimano XT 1×11, and the bike sports Magura MT7 hydraulic brakes. Naturally Patrol specs a dropper post as well: the RockShox Reverb stealth. The wheels are built up with DT Swiss EX 471 rims and 370 hubs. Maxxis Highroller II tires round out the package.
The bike I rode seemed to weigh about average for a 160mm all-mountain/enduro bike and in fact, Geoffrey from Patrol quoted an estimate of 16kg (about 35 pounds) for the weight. This clearly isn’t one of the lightest enduro bikes on the market, but at $4,399 MSRP it’s easily one of the more affordable bikes.
Keep an eye out for more from Patrol this year as we continue to cover this brand!
