Though a cross-country bike, the Viathon gave confidence and control through almost every session on the U.P. It’s marketed as “one of the lightest, fastest mountain race machines that money can buy,” and that claim seemed hard to dispute by the end of my first week.
Going uphill, the shifting is buttery smooth. This is courtesy of the SRAM XX1 Eagle drivetrain and its golden chain. A RockShox 120mm fork and speedy Continental tires respectively absorb and grip the ground. Internal cable routing keeps the frame clean and streamlined.
Having spent some time in the saddle, I have to agree. Viathon builds a quality bicycle at a competitive price. With a feathery weight, effective geometry, and componentry to rival the best bikes on the market, the M.1 is a relevant consideration for serious riders with a cross-country bent.
The Viathon G.1 will fill most of the needs of most cyclists without breaking the bank. The ride quality and handling are on par with bikes costing significantly more. When one factors in details like the impressive tire clearance and threaded bottom bracket, the G.1 becomes even more appealing.
Tire clearance is very good, the largest tires I had on hand to test were 700×45, which fit with room to spare. Viathon claims the G.1 can fit up to a 700x51c tire.
To understand the origin of Viathon, we must first understand the origin of brand manager Zach Spinhirne-Martin. Spinhirne-Martin was an elite level cyclist for a pile of years, cutting his teeth in Europe and bashing around Belgium in search of cycling glory. He has spent most of his post-racing career working in the bike industry for online giants Backcountry and Competitive Cyclist before seeing an opportunity to create something on his own. With the support of Walmart, Spinhirne-Martin was able to hit the ground running with three carbon models in various builds, the R.1 road bike, the G.1 gravel bike, and for our purposes the M.1 mountain bike. All three bikes are “budget-friendly” bikes, but by no means are they cheap.
As a size large, the Viathon M.1 came in right at 23 lbs without pedals but with tubes, so if you are of the weight weenie variety, you probably already know the math on that. Rumor around the water cooler is the Viathon frames are coming out of the same factories as more prominent brands on the market, so do with that information what you will.
The M.1 excelled on the climbs, in the saddle, out of the saddle, it was a pure pleasure attacking any gradient long or short. On fast and flowy trails, the M.1 rolled with speed and finesse. All of the adjectives apply for how responsive and snappy this bike was; it almost made me feel like I was in some racing shape, almost.
Climbing: Getting up hills was, dare we say it, enjoyable on the Viathon. The M.1’s frame geometry naturally positions the rider’s body forward. The short top tube, combined with the steep seat tube angle, puts the rider over the front of the bike, which keeps weight on the front tire to reduce unwanted wheelies when grinding up even the gnarliest ascents. Additionally, the longer chainstay length positions the rider’s weight in a balanced position for climbing that helps keep the rear tire planted on the ground when the climbs get really steep.
When it came time to point the bike down steep terrain, the Viathon proved more capable than many of its elite cross-country competitors, thanks to the RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost. Just a push of a button quickly lowers the saddle 125mm, which can make any XC bike more capable going downhill. Many racers forgo this advantage because it adds nearly a pound to the overall bike weight; however, you’d be hard-pressed to notice the additional weight when picking up this feathery, 21.6-pound machine.