INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully in review – A successful concept for not much money?

Young German brand INFRONT offer affordable eMTBs. But are they good value for money? We pitted the INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully with its Bosch motor and 625 Wh battery against the competition of our budget group test. Can the € 4,900 bike convince on the trail?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2021 for € 5,500 – 7 budget eMTBs go head to head

The INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully is the second full-suspension eMTB from the young German brand. It comes equipped with a Bosch Performance Line CX motor and big 625 Wh battery and relies on 150 mm suspension and a mixed wheel setup with a large 29” wheel at the front and smaller 27.5” one at the rear. Priced at € 4,900, it is by far the cheapest bike in our 2021 budget group test. Despite the low price, INFRONT’s mini configurator lets you pick and change ergonomically-relevant components such as the saddle, grips and stem. INFRONT will help you make the right choice – cool! The Bosch motor sits proud of the INFRONT’s frame and is protected by a plastic cover. Unfortunately, the overall integration of the Bosch system is subpar, as INFRONT still rely on a flimsy and outdated spoke magnet. Given that the alloy frame of the 25.10 kg bike in size L was designed to accommodate a fully integrated speed sensor in the dropout, we don’t understand why. On top of that, the display mount puts the KIOX display in an exposed position on top of the stem, where it can quickly get lost – make sure it’s screwed on tightly! INFRONT’s in-house magnetic charge port cover on the top tube is very practical, easy to access and so much better than Bosch’s standard solution. At 94 kg, the IF-2.1 has a very low maximum payload.

The INFRONT IF-2.1 is not specced for the trail

Given that the INFRONT IF-2.1 is the cheapest bike in our 2021 budget group test, you’re probably asking yourself where the German brand has saved. At first glance, the spec list looks promising: a Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain, Shimano XT four-piston brakes with 200 mm rotors and 150 mm FOX suspension with a 36 Performance fork and DPS shock. Furthermore, Shimano’s I-SPEC mounts ensure excellent cockpit ergonomics – exemplary! Unfortunately, the spec still has some major weaknesses. For example, the wheelset consisting of Ryde Edge M 35 rims and Shimano XT hubs had to be serviced after just a few kilometres on the trail. And what’s up with the dropper post with just 125 mm travel on a size L? That’s not enough, nor is the 29 x 2.3” Schwalbe Hans Dampf front tire a great choice for trail riding. Despite the super wide 2.8″ rear tire, the tire combination on our test bike prevents the bike from reaping the full benefits of a mixed wheel setup. The small 27.5″ wheel runs a Schwalbe Hans Dampf rear tire with puncture-prone Apex casing and hard ADDIX Speedgrip rubber compound. To prevent pinch flats, you’ll have to run high air pressures and, as a result, the rear tire struggles to find grip. Nevertheless, INFRONT are speccing the production bike with more robust Super Gravity casing tires.

The spec of the INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully can’t convince on the trail.

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The riding position, geometry and touring suitability of the INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully

The INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully is available in four sizes. The geometry combines a moderate 66.5° head angle, long 450 mm chainstays and a compact 459 mm reach (size L). Like the Canyon Spectral:ON, the INFRONT relies on a super wide saddle with a raised tail to prevent the rider from sliding back on steep climbs. However, on level terrain the SQlab 610 saddle with its two-stage wave shape and raised tail pushes you forward and, combined with the low front, puts too much pressure on your hands. The pedalling position of the INFRONT is ideal for climbs but not suited to easy strolls around the lake. Besides that, the rear suspension doesn’t offer enough comfort for long rides and tours.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	400 mm	430 mm	460 mm	500 mm
Top tube	617 mm	627 mm	637 mm	647 mm
Head tube	110 mm	110 mm	115 mm	120 mm
Head angle	66.5°	66.5°	66.5°	66.5°
Seat angle	74.0°	74.0°	74.0°	74.0°
Chainstays	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm
BB Drop	10 mm	10 mm	10 mm	10 mm
Wheelbase	1,204 mm	1,214 mm	1,225 mm	1,236 mm
Reach	440 mm	450 mm	459 mm	467 mm
Stack	618 mm	618 mm	623 mm	627 mm

The INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully on the trail

Going uphill, the pronounced kink in the seat tube combined with the slack seat tube angle positions the rider far back over the rear wheel, especially if you have long legs. Surely, this causes the front to lift off the ground? Actually, it doesn’t! Even on steep ramps, the shock sits high in its travel and, together with the long chainstays and low front, keeps the front wheel planted – no doubt, the special saddle helps with this too. On flowing uphills, the INFRONT is easy to ride and forges its way up the hill willingly. However, even over small obstacles, the rear suspension and rear tire struggle to generate traction, not least because the latter requires high air pressures. Instead of swallowing edges and obstacles, the rear wheel bounces off them and quickly loses grip. As a result, it can no longer transfer the power of the motor to the trail, causing the bike to get stuck on steps, edges and obstacles. While the same tire with a more robust casing would offer more support and increased puncture protection, the shallow profile doesn’t generate sufficient grip for trail riding. We’d recommend the Schwalbe Eddy Current tire fitted to the Propain Ekano AL 29 instead.

The INFRONT is easy to ride on flat trails and at low speeds. However, on steep, fast and more technical terrain, it reaches its limit

Tuning tips: dropper post with more travel | crank down the mounting screws of the Kiox display

Drop the saddle and start ripping! That’s easier said than done. Regardless of the trail, the INFRONT always struggles with the same problem: the meagre 125 mm travel of the dropper post and the wide saddle with its raised tail massively restrict freedom of movement on the bike, making it difficult to tackle technical descents. Through flat, open corners, the weight is evenly distributed between the wheels, ensuring good cornering stability and allowing you to generate speed through rollers and corners. With its long chainstays and significant weight, the INFRONT requires great physical strength, whether you’re trying to get it airborne or simply lifting the front wheel off the ground. On steep descents, the IF-2.1 reaches its limits and forces its rider to slam on the brakes. Here, the lack of freedom of movement becomes increasingly evident and prevents you from shifting your weight around the bike. As a result, the IF-2.1 doesn’t feel safe on steep technical terrain. To make things worse, the Schwalbe Hans Dampf front tire doesn’t offer enough grip. Frankly, the IF-2.1 puts you off from riding technical and demanding trails or bike park tracks. As far as assembly quality goes, INFRONT dropped the ball with our test bike. Over several small jumps and drops, the battery detached itself from the down tube. Thankfully, together with the INFRONT team, we were able to trace the problem back to an assembly error. After modifying the spacing between the two battery brackets, the battery stayed exactly where it belonged, even over larger drops.

The E-MOUNTAINBIKE team push the bikes in their tests to the absolute limit. At INFRONT, we maintain close contact with our customers. Likewise, thanks to our close cooperation with the test team, we were able to solve this technical issue successfully. We’re glad that we can continually improve our products like this.” – Markus Bauer, Chief executive INFRONT

Conclusion

While at € 4,900 the INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully might look like a steal, considering the trail performance and fun factor it delivers, it’s actually overpriced. With its weak wheelset, short-travel dropper post, inadequate tires and poor trail performance, INFRONT’s full-suspension eMTB couldn’t convince our test team. The IF-2.1 prefers easy, flowing climbs and hilly tours over long rides on flat terrain, where the pedalling position is rather uncomfortable.

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You can find out more about at infront-bikes.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2021 for € 5,500 – 7 budget eMTBs go head to head

All bikes in test: Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7 (Click for review) | FOCUS JAM² 6.9 NINE (Click for review) | Haibike AllMtn 4 (Click for review) | INFRONT IF-2.1 Fully | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 700 (Click for review) | Propain Ekano AL 29 (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom eRIDE 920 (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Jonas Müssig & Valentin Rühl