Sonder Colibri AL review

Another great bike from Alpkit's own brand

This competition is now closed

By Robin Wilmott

Published: April 14, 2023 at 10:00 am

If ever a bike was designed with British roads, current budgetary constraints and modern riding styles in mind, the Sonder Colibri is it.

Since starting up in 2016, outdoor gear company Alpkit's bike brand has become known for its practical, well-specced bikes that focus more on adventure than aero.

The colibri is no exception, delivering a versatile year-round ride and solid spec list at a very friendly price.

The Colibri has a 6061 aluminium frame and monocoque carbon fork, with tapered steerer, both finished beautifully with a glossy paintjob.

Beneath the paint, the frame welds are tidy, and the chunky dropouts are impressively neat with good-quality hardware.

The gear cables and rear brake line are routed internally through the down tube, exiting before the threaded bottom bracket shell, and continuing to their destinations on the outside.

There are mounts for a rear rack, full mudguards and a third bottle cage beneath the down tube, but the bolts supplied for the cages are too short.

At 10mm long, there's insufficient length to install bottle cages, especially on the down tube, where spacers are also needed to allow a cage to bridge the front derailleur's clamping band. I swapped them for 20mm bolts and added some spacers.

In a welcome departure from the Shimano-dominated norm, this Colibri model comes with SRAM Rival 22. It's not the newest, flashiest road bike groupset but, equipped with hydraulic discs brakes, it functions brilliantly. With its 50/34 chainrings and 11-32 cassette, there are 22 gear ratios.

Much like its Force 22 sibling, when the front derailleur is set up accurately, Rival 22 gives rapidly crisp shifts in either direction.

I’m a big fan of SRAM's HRD brakes, and the Colibri's Rival units performed as well as any, with great feel and ample power.

As a 5ft 10in rider, I was at the upper limit recommended for a medium frame, so plumped for a large, which covers a range of 5ft 9in to 6ft 2in.

The geometry all looked very familiar, with a 571mm top tube and 170mm head tube, but the head angle is very slightly relaxed at 72.5 degrees, which unsurprisingly lengthens the wheelbase a little.

I wasn't expecting the short 90mm stem and flared bar, and thought the front end might feel too lively.

At slow speeds, there is a little more ‘flop’ (the front wheel turns more readily to the side), but it only took moments to adjust to it.

The front end initially felt unusual when I was out of the saddle, because it's 20mm shorter than my usual stem length, but a simple body-position shift sorted that out. The Spitfire bar's stated 42cm width only applies when measured centre to centre beneath the hoods, because it's 46.5cm at the bar ends.

On the hoods, it's 39.5cm and, thanks to the flare angling them inwards, the tips of the hoods are just 36cm apart.

It feels superb, with generous width on the drops keeping everything stable while descending, and when hunched over the hoods looking for flatland speed, the narrow arm and shoulder position is ideal.

Sonder's Nova I19 Aero aluminium rims are 30mm tall, with reasonable 19mm internal width, and wear 32mm WTB Expanse Comp tyres.

Both are tubeless-ready, but tubes are supplied. The frame is designed for this tyre size with mudguards fitted, or 36mm without, but there looks to be a little wiggle room too.

I’m 75kg, and tested the Colibri with a tyre pressure of 60psi on most rides, and occasionally less.

This pressure seemed to keep the tyre walls firm enough for predictable handling, but still enabled good vibration absorption.

The Colibri's ride quality is outstanding. Of course, relatively low pressures in 32mm tyres will help, but won't mask a harsh frameset, and the Colibri is the opposite of that.

For an aluminium frame, it's an incredibly smooth ride that soaks up the effects of fractured and rough road surfaces with ease. Even pointing it at the worst stretches of road failed to upset the bike's composure.

Lower pressures in larger tyres ensure a great feeling of connection to the tarmac, giving confidence in spades when corners get technical.

Sonder's Abode saddle and 27.2mm aluminium seatpost also play their part, providing fine seated comfort.

Its 9.63kg mass and slightly weightier wheel and tyre setup mean the Colibri takes a little longer to accelerate than some of the best road bikes, but it's stiff and definitely no slouch, exhibiting a decent kick when poked.

It responds well when attacking short rises, and is geared to ascend most things comfortably.

The Sonder Colibri AL is built tidily, the groupset is a great fit and it's a far better ride than the price tag would suggest.

If you’re looking for a truly versatile year-round road bike at a great price, without feeling as though you’re getting a budget alternative, the Sonder Colibri AL won't disappoint.

Contributor

Robin Wilmott is a freelance writer and bike tester. He began road cycling in 1988 and, with mountain bikes in their infancy, mixed experimental off-road adventures with club time trials and road races. Cyclocross soon became a winter staple and has remained Robin's favourite form of competition. Robin has always loved the technical aspect of building and maintaining bikes, and several years working in a bike shop only amplified that. Robin was a technical writer for BikeRadar for nearly a decade, and has tested hundreds of bikes and products for the site. He has also written extensively for Cycling Plus, Velonews and Cyclingnews.