Populo Fusion 2.0 Disc Hybrid Bike

Disc brakes are smooth and it has a nice lightweight frame. Derailleur took some tweaking, but once I got it set, it was fluid too. Looks like an expensive bike above and beyond its price tag. So nice in fact that it was stolen only the 2nd day I rode it to work. Sure sign of quality.

Assembly was pretty easy. May want to update the instructions to mention it is shipped with the stem mounted backwards. I noticed another reviewer mentioned they had the fork backwards, which would have been easy to do if you hadn't assembled a bike or worked on them. My daughter took the bike to school and the chain came off a couple of times, so we will need to adjust this weekend. The only disappointing part for me is the brakes. We tested several bikes in the under $500 price range and assumed we would get pretty good brakes since they are Shimano. These have the least amount of stopping power and are noisier than any others we tested. Decent bike for the money. Probably would have spent the extra money for a smoother operating machine with better stopping power. Now we are in a situation where it would probably cost half of the value of the bike to return it.

After extensive, borderline obsessive research I landed on Populo's Fusion 2.0 Disc as my first bike in nearly 20 years. The experience with Populo and the bike itself have more than re-affirmed my decision. When I was researching my purchase, there were little to no reviews to go off of at the time. But I am a firm advocate for supporting a smaller, more niche company than a big-box cookie cutter brand where I can - and Avant Sports seemed to be right up my alley. So I took the dive.

The Company Experience:

Nervous as I was, I quickly became a frequent name on the site's live chat system. Luis answered all of my questions promptly and effortlessly, always happy to help. After dotting all my I's and crossing my T's I made my purchase. However, while going back to look at the size chart one day I quickly noticed I purchased the wrong size (FYI triple check the size chart, this puppy runs big. I'm 5' 9" and I'm riding a small). I contacted Luis again and he helped me turn the shipment around for a return so I could purchase the correct size frame without the hassle of re-shipping the incorrect order. This level of customer service is what makes or breaks a company in my mind. I'm a firm ambassador now.

The Bike:

I wanted to get a few weeks in the saddle before I wrote this review, and so far I am ecstatic.

Appearance: The reason I was hooked to this in the first place. The minimalist design, devoid of any flashy logos or stripes, was exactly what I was looking for. I've received many compliments in my short ownership this far.

The Ride: Super smooth and full of power. I admittedly need some practice on the derailleurs, but this is as the description reads - fun and functional. I live in a city and use it primarily for short-distance commuting to cut down on firing up the car for every 2 mile errand. That being said I've also taken it out on a bike path for some longer distance touring and thoroughly enjoyed the handling.

The long and short: I l...

Putting together was easy, though it took me a day or two to realize the for was on backwards. Good value for a good bike

I was impressed with the online purchase, price and quick delivery! I ordered on a Tuesday and received my bike on Thursday! And shipping was free!
Assembling the bike was quick and easy. Populo Bikes are well protected with padding and cardboard when shipped. Check out Popolo’s YouTube video for assembling instructions. It was a big help.
On my first ride, shifters worked very well and rode smooth. My only complaint are the disc brakes. They need adjusting.
Thank you Populo for a great fitness and commuting bike for my needs!
Sam