Bergamont Sweep 4

There's no doubt that with the Sweep 4, Bergamont has hit the target when it comes to producing an exciting looking urban bike with road bike influences. And with Shimano Claris gears and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, it has an equally enticing spec at this price point. It's just a shame that the allure ends there, with a ride that feels stiff but uncompromising and handling that is more secure than inspiring.

• Pros: Looks fantastic, Shimano gears and brakes work well, excellent performance at speed
• Cons: Not particularly lively, compact chainset doesn't seem very 'urban', feels too much like a drop bar road bike

Ride quality

'So little Sweep,' said the young road bike's parents, 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'

'I know exactly what I'm going to be!' said the plucky youngster. 'I'm going to be a hybrid!'

'Er, OK,' said little Sweep's folks. 'Well... good luck with that.'

Whatever its appearances, from the saddle it's pretty clear where the Sweep's DNA lies. Close your eyes (metaphorically speaking – we don't recommend this literally), forget about how your hands are positioned on the handlebar, and the Sweep 4 can't really disguise the fact that it is heavily influenced by drop bar bikes. It feels stiff, stiff, stiff, especially at the rear, which shimmies and clatters more than a Texas rattlesnake and crashes over speed bumps like a schooner in a storm.

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Speeding away from lights is enjoyable to a point, although I found the Sweep wasn't quite as responsive under acceleration as its looks and initial stiffness had suggested. It's not turgid by any means, but I expected slightly livelier power delivery. It also feels like quite a big bike. Steering is direct, though, aided by an aluminium fork that is happy to match the rear when it comes to bump insulation, or lack thereof, but at least repays that with assured handling.

It's certainly not all bad: the Sweep's inherent stiffness is great for effective high-speed cruising and once you're up to maximum velocity, the Bergamont really excels. Spinning to maintain momentum is almost effortless and high-speed control is fantastic. Balance and stability is perfect – even during a couple of hairy moments, the Sweep kept everything in check. In fact, the quicker you ride it, the better the Sweep feels.

Frame

Look at the Sweep 4's frame geometry and all those ride qualities are easily explicable. You won't find many true hybrids with as level a top tube as you have here. Then there is the little rear triangle – very contemporary among speed-orientated bikes, but again, not necessarily a required feature for urban warriors.

The smaller details are nice, though. There's well-resolved internal cabling for the derailleurs and rear brakes. You can fit proper mudguards without problem. Two bottle cage mounts are specified. And you can accessorise with a rear rack.

Fit was particularly good for me, with the reach being just about spot on. It absolutely encourages a head-down riding position, which is fine and suits the rest of the bike's character, with only elbows-out, extended climbs becoming a bit of a chore. Out-of-the-saddle climbing was actually quite enjoyable, though: it's easy to get the bike in a steady, swaying rhythm. It's certainly more enjoyable than out-of-the-saddle accelerating, which felt a little dull.

Drivetrain

While the frame ticks many contemporary bike design boxes, arguably more important trends – such as 1x gearsets – are absent. Shimano's 8-speed Claris road bike gearset is certainly fine. It all works well, it looks very smart, and gear changes are positive and fairly swish. But the combination of a compact (50/34t) chainset with an 11-34t cassette is pure sportive or leisure road riding territory; it's not, in my opinion, the optimum option for urban riding.

Short climbs feel harder than they should be, and I'll be surprised if you hit the tallest available gear on a typical commute – you'd have to be doing something approaching 30mph. Yes, it all works beautifully once you're up to a cruise, but when do you ever get into a long settled cruise on a typical urban ride?

I think Bergamont would have been better to fit a triple chainset for all-round practicality. Or – far more likely in the case of the Sweep – go for a 1x setup, where the (very) slight handicap in outright gear choice is more than offset by ease of maintenance, simplicity, weight saving and, no small thing, on-trend aesthetics. The Boardman URB 8.8 which I tested back in the summer used a 1x11 setup and was all the more exciting for it.

Components

Other components are good, though. The cockpit area of the bike is very well thought out and I really liked the Syncros bar and stem. As I've already mentioned, front-end control is very assured, especially at speed, and the relatively sturdy-feeling controls further inspire confidence.

The flat-edged Syncros Urban grips are quite fun, too, and more comfortable than I expected.

The same goes for the sporty Syncros FL2.5 saddle, which has its work cut out rather with this prodigiously stiff frame but felt decent nevertheless.

Helping overall control further is the Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakeset. Although these discs are very good, they're not endowed with quite as much modulation or 'feel' as Shimano's M365s (as featured on the Saracen Urban Cross 3. There's definitely enough power, but allied with the semi-slick Schwalbe Lugano tyres, it's easy to lock up, especially in damp conditions. Thankfully, the Sweep's superb inherent balance really helps in panicky moments.

To be fair, it's very hard for supplied tyres to be reviewed in autumn because conditions can be so variable, but the Luganos were a slight disappointment all round. With their relatively mammoth 32mm width I was expecting them to help take the sting out of the ride, but they seemed to do little to help that either. They'll be fine for dry rides on nice smooth surfaces, but as soon as rain and leaves start to fall, you'll be wanting something with at least a bit more bite.

Value and conclusion

There can be few complaints about value. At just £599, this is one of those bikes that on paper looks hard to beat. For all my criticisms, Bergamont has worked wonders to offer a bike that looks as good as this, with what is really a quietly impressive spec in terms of quality, if not always suitability. The total weight of just over 11kg is good, too, and certainly puts it ahead of many flat-bar rivals at this price.

But while it would impress spec sheet warriors, what does it actually provide for real world riders? At the heart of the Sweep 4's problems are conflicts in its overall philosophy. It doesn't have quite the instant excitement of a road bike, but neither does it have the practical performance of a good hybrid. 'Give it a break, it's just a flat-bar road bike,' you cry. Yes. But it's being marketed as an urban bike, and I can't see that the package is any more urban-friendly than most drop-bar road bikes.

> Buyer's Guide: 9 of the best hybrid bikes

I didn't dislike the Bergamont at all – far from it. It looks great, rides well at speed, and it has a refined spec at an excellent price. However, that Boardman URB 8.8 I mentioned earlier does everything the Sweep sets out to do, but does it all better for £100 more. If you can't find the extra cash to buy the Boardman, then the Sweep 4 is a lower priced and lower performance alternative. Just be prepared for – at times – a tough ride.

Verdict

Well-priced and well-specced super-stiff flat-bar bike that shows its road bike influences a bit too readily