Rondo Ruut CF 2 in the gravel bike test: Fast gravel bike with a striking look

Rondo Ruut CF 2: The facts

Frame material: Carbon
Wheel size(s): 700c (650b compatible)
Maximum tire clearance: 50mm (700c) / 53mm (650b)
Axle dimensions (v/h): 12 × 100/142 × 12
Mudguard Eyelets: Ja
Luggage carrier eyelets (v/h): No
bottle holder: down tube up, seat tube
Other: Eyelets Oberror

Weight wheels v/h/total (with tires and brake discs): 1.560g / 1.666g / 3.226g
Weight complete bike without pedals (size M): 9,35g
Price: 2999 Euro

Distinctive frame shape meets massive tire clearance

Rondo burst onto the cycling stage with a bang in 2017. The manufacturer with Polish roots caused quite a stir with the Ruut - new name, fresh design, innovative features. Since then, the portfolio has steadily expanded, and the manufacturer now enjoys a good reputation, especially among Gravel fans. The former first product has remained until today – the Ruut. The gravel all-rounder is now available in four(!) frame materials: carbon, aluminium, steel and titanium.

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With the Ruut CF, we tested the carbon version whose striking carbon frame still magically attracts curious looks even after three years on the market. The unusual kink in the rear area of ​​the top tube is certainly not for everyone, but at least we like it. In addition, the bike should offer more flexibility and comfort in this sensitive area.

It should be a sporty all-rounder, the Ruut CF. The versatility is underlined by the ample tire clearance, even by today's standards: 50mm(!) for classic 28″ wheels, 53mm for 650b. At least with the small wheels, full-grown MTB tires should be able to fit in the frame and fork. The mounting points on the frame are not quite as lavish: While mudguards can still be attached, it looks bad with carriers or bags - at least if you depend on the appropriate eyelets.

Anyone who is drawn to the “real” terrain on a gravel bike will not only be happy with the Ruut CF because of the tire width – a retractable seat post can also be retrofitted. However, because of the 27,2mm support size, you are a little limited in your choice.

The sporty basic orientation of the Ruut CF is also clear when looking at the geometry. A low stack, i.e. a low front, meets short chainstays and a fairly low bottom bracket. A special feature is also hidden in the TwinTip fork, which enables geometry adjustment via a flip chip. By "moving" the front wheel axle you get about 0,5° change in the angles and small adjustments in reach, stack and bottom bracket height. The aim is to let the drivers decide whether they prefer agility or smoothness.

Convincing equipment with a good 1-speed drive

With the Rondo Ruut CF 2, we tested the cheapest of the three configurations of the Polish gravel racer. With 2.999 At €9,35, it's one of the more affordable gravel bikes overall—assuming you'd prefer a carbon frame. We were a bit disappointed when we looked at the scale: XNUMX kg is a few grams too much for our taste, even for this relatively affordable price range. On the other hand, if we've learned anything in our many years of testing, it's that bike weight alone doesn't say anything about quality or ride feel.

With the Sram Rival 1, Rondo has installed the mid-range group of the US manufacturer in the Ruut CF 2 in a setup with one chain ring. A season ago they were perhaps the most frequently installed shifting components on gravel bikes - this year the Rival has lost some ground compared to the new GRX from Shimano. However, that doesn't mean the Rival can't still keep up. The ergonomics of the STIs are good, and the shifting performance with the dampened rear derailleur is very good. When it comes to gearing, the Ruut CF 2 benefits from the fact that Rondo does not save on the cassette like many other manufacturers, but uses the full 10-42 variant. So there's 420% bandwidth, which should be sufficient for most terrains.

Frame	Rondo Ruut Carbon
Fork	Rondo TwinTip Carbon 2.0
Wheels	Rondo Superlight hubs / Rondo aluminum rims
Tires	WTB Nano 40mm
Derailleur	Ram Rival
Shifter	Ram Rival
Crank	Sram Rival 42t
Front derailleur	Without
Brake	Sram Rival HRD
Seatpost	Rondo 27,2
Saddle	Fabric Scoop Flat Cr-Mo
Stem	Rondo
Handlebar	Rondo flare

The wheels on the Rondo come from our own company, are visually appealing and not too heavy. The 21mm wide rims are tubeless-ready, as are the 40mm wide WTB Nano tires installed on them. The latter are somewhat overshadowed by the WTB Riddler, which is currently installed on many gravel bikes - wrongly, in our opinion. With its much more pronounced profile, the Nano is better suited for off-road trips, but rolls a little worse on asphalt.

The seating area with 27,2mm aluminum post and a good fabric scoop saddle is appropriate for the price range, the cockpit comes from Rondo itself and not only fits in well with the rest of the bike visually.

More tests, products and background information about the Velomotion Gravel Month:

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Let's Gravel: The Rondo Ruut CF 2

Due to its frame and tube shape, the Rondo Ruut CF 2 almost looks like a sporty cyclocross bike at first glance. But once you take a seat on the Ruut CF 2, you realize that the bike is not quite a cross bike. Okay, admittedly the Rondo Graveler is sporty. Because with more than good acceleration, the bike gets a brisk character and moves forward quickly. This is primarily due to the great power transmission of the bike.

However, one of the biggest special features of the Rondo Ruut CF 2 is the twin-tip fork. The position of the front wheel axle in the fork can be changed in just a few simple steps, which has a significant impact on the steering character. The first setting with steeper angles provides a noticeably more dynamic and sporty driving experience, which is due to more direct handling. The alternative setting gives the Rondo Ruut CF 2 a slightly more relaxed and comfortable driving experience, which should be particularly advantageous on longer journeys and more restless sections. This gave us a little more security and confidence in the bike, especially on faster and steeper sections. Of course, it must be clear to everyone that this concept cannot be used to create a completely new gravel bike, but the handling in particular is clearly influenced by the changed setting. In practice, in our opinion, this concept works quite well.

The comfort concept of the Ruut CF 2 works a little less well. Because what sounds plausible and impressive in theory has only limited success in practice. Because the frame of the Rondo was designed in such a way that it should offer an additional degree of flexibility and thus comfort in three prominent places. In practice, however, it is quite unyielding and, above all, passes impacts on to the driver in a fairly unfiltered manner.

In combination with some mounting options for sufficient accessory compatibility and the appealing components, the Rondo Ruut CF 2 is a consistently solid all-rounder with a sporty touch, which can convince with its innovative geometry/fork concept.

Other gravel bike highlights in the test:

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