Price: $649

Weight: 16.25kg

Components: Shimano Acera/Altus, Tektro
Novela Mechanical disc brakes

Frame & Fork: Oversized aluminum frame, Liquid Extreme fork

Geometry: 70.5º head tube, 72.5º seat tube, 595mm top tube

Sizes: 420mm and 480mm (tested)

Comments: “A latte flash for a little cash.”

www.mielebicycles.ca

Canadian Pride: Some Miele bicycles are completely made in Canada and some
are designed and assembled in Canada. The Miele UA 500 is designed and
assembled in Canada.

UA: Urban Assault. The acronym in the name of this bike suggests a style of
riding that has found a new foothold in today’s fast-paced music videos.
Leaping off concrete embankments, bombing sections of stairs amidst crowds
of people, and jumping from loading docks-it’s the kind of extreme riding
that attracts attention, earns respect, and breaks bikes and riders alike.
The Miele UA 500 has the appearance of a bike that could be trusted in the
above-mentioned Darwinian extreme-riding situations, however, due to its
budget price and entry-level parts package, it’s not intended to actually
do most of what its appearance and name suggests.

Still, sometimes
appearance is as desired as performance, and there’s no question that
appearance alone comes at a far more affordable price.
The UA 500 looks, from a distance, relatively indistinguishable from bikes
costing thousands of dollars more: an oversized frame with beefy head-tube
area, suspension fork, disc brakes, a riser bar, and even a front fender.
The frame is aluminum, with top and down tubes that are shaped into a
square profile at the head-tube area for an imposing, reassuringly
strong-looking front end, reminiscent of the Easton RAD tubing that many
true urban-assault bikes depend on.

The Liquid Extreme suspension fork
looks diminutive beneath the massive head tube, shielded slightly by the
big plastic fender. The riser bar and Tektro Novela mechanical disc brakes
round out the other visually identifiable necessities found on an
urban-assault bike. As a complete package, the Miele UA 500 certainly
dresses the part of a capable hucking bike. However, closer inspection and
test rides let me in on the real capabilities of the bike.

The Miele UA is solid, but heavy, meaning that’s it’s not a bike that’s
quick off the line. The 2.35-inch tires afford stability but contribute to
its weight, as does the oversized frame and the entry-level components
melded within a very flashy paint job. Shimano Tourney and Acera
derailleurs, EZ-Fire shifters, Sun Race cranks, and no-name hubs relegate
this attractive bike to a milder version of urban assault. The Miele UA 500
has the look of a tiger, but is more of a pussycat with an affordable price
tag.

On the trail, it handled predictably well once up to speed, though the
ballast of the front end made lower-speed handling a bit twitchy, and the
bike displayed some flip-flopping steering tendencies through technical
sections. The entry-level Liquid Extreme front suspension fork is supposed
to offer 75mm of travel, but without any adjustments or damping system to
speak of, 65mm was the limit I was able to reach. Not a performance item
that easily bottoms-out, this fork is for lightweight terrain.

The tall front end did lend some stability on steeper drops, but a narrow
steel riser bar with the telltale over-swept design used in hybrid or
cruiser models, meant I was less likely to test any of my extreme Darwinian
theories on this bike.
The Miele UA 500 will tempt you to execute jumps and bunny-hops, but it’s
weight will be a limiting factor for these moves. On the brighter side, the
Tektro brakes, after a brief break-in period, did an acceptable job of
stopping the bike regardless of water, dirt, or dust, and the alloy pedals
were an upgrade that I was pleased to see.

This bike looks “cool” and could be your choice as a fun option. It may get
you some stares and will certainly get you around town or out on a groomed
path on a sunny afternoon. It can’t do everything a real urban-assault bike
can, but then again, neither can most of the folks who own so-called “real”
urban assault bikes. Darwin doesn’t care what you look like-his theory of
natural selection just focuses on those who actually huck themselves off
three-metre ledges.