Remember what we said about being your guinea pigs? Well, here's another review for you guys. This time it's the Astrix Rook 29er hardtail.

The Frame
The Rook is crafted out of 7005 series aluminum tubing, with custom butting. Weld quality is top-notch, as the brand is produced in one of the largest bike factories in Taiwan. The same factory that builds the likes of Niner, Banshee, and Canfield.

The head and downtube junctions has a massive, yet graceful gusset. You will not feel any frame flex here!

The frame also comes with removable v-brake bosses (for you retro grouches), and overall fit and finish is excellent. A brilliant pearlescent blue paintjob makes the frame standout on the trail (see pic!)

We built up the size S frame, because we'd want to dispel the myth that 29ers are for tall riders! For more detailed geometry specs, go here.

The Parts and The Build
We built up the Rook with the following:

Rock Shox Reba SL 29 (with U-Turn)
Chris King headset
Forte 110mm stem
Salsa Moto Ace flat bars
ESI Chunky grips
Shimano M-629 hubs
Double-butted CN spokes
Velocity Blunt rims
Specialized Fast Trak Control 29x2.0 tires
Salsa Shaft seatpost
Titec Ithys Gove Seatpost
SRAM X9 transmission
Truvative Stylo GXP Crankset
Time ATAC Alium pedals
Hygia SLP brakes

Now, for the burning question. How much does it weigh? With a claimed frame weight of sub-4 pounds, the whole bike tips the scales at 26.5 pounds. Not too bad for a non-weight weenie build. You could easily go sub-24 pounds by swapping out some parts.

Notice that we've outfitted the Rook with several other products from our portfolio (see underlined, above) that we carry. We'll include mini-reviews of the goods as we go along.

The Ride
The ride begins with a pretty good stretch of tarmac has more than a few climbs, with some gravel sections thrown in. The paved roads were good to get a feel of the frame, and positioning on the bike as well. I'm accustomed to a longer top tube, but a few tweaks hear and there (particularly saddle height) on the way up helped dial things in. The Fast Trak tires rolled nicely on hardpack, and the Reba once again proved why it's remains a popular choice. Very good small bump sensitivity and a smooth stroke really complements the direct ride of a hardtail frame (and in this case, one made from aluminum). I also fiddled with the Reba's U-Turn adjustment, starting out the ride at a full 100mm, then dialing it down to around 90mm. FYI, the Rook is designed with an 80mm fork in mind, but it feels really good at 90 or even 100mm.

While the Blunts may not be the lightest rims around, they are certainly the most versatile. Especially with the extra width they give to any tire mounted on them. I had no problems maintaining traction, even in the muddy sections of trail. A wider contact patch and a more forgiving ride are other benefits you get with the Blunt. Only caveat is the reduced clearance you have when paired with a front derailleur such as the SRAM X7. The X7 has mounting points for either top-pull and bottom-pull configurations. It's this tab that comes close to the tire. Alternatively, a smaller tire, or a narrower rim, should give you more wiggle room. Despite the mud, the wheels kept on rolling and the front shifted trouble-free.

Heading into singletrack, the Rook was surprisingly nimble. No doubt the shorter wheelbase of the S frame contributed to this. But it feels like a good old 26" hardtail. None of the so-called 29er sluggishness (which by now, with the evolution of frame design, is all but a fallacy). It responds well to weight transfers and quick changes in direction - almost intuitive.

Bombing downhill the Hygia SLP brakes provided consistent stopping power, this fresh out of the box set bedded in halfway into the ride. They felt really good paired with the stock rotors of the more affordable Usagi model. Braking power can only improve if we fit a larger rotor, that's for sure.  The ESI Chunky grips helped keep the bike going to where I pointed it.

The Conclusion
After spending some time on the Astrix Rook, we feel that we  have validated the glowing reviews it has received on MTBR.com. Though the design will be going on it's fifth year by 2011, it goes to show that if something ain't broke, there is no point in trying to fix it. Then again, with Astrix hard at work bringing the 2011 Monk to market, you'll never know.

Our only regret is not bringing these frames in sooner!