Sanko Cro-Mo tubing/ laser cut dropouts/ machined head tube / ISCG mounts / colours: black or white / Weight: 5.97lbs / Contact: Charge Bikes 013732 834842

The Blender is Charge Bikes’ 4X racing/dirt jump frame. It is stiff enough to get your snap on and the steel tubing offers more compliance on rougher tracks than an aluminium frame. Granted it’s nothing like as light, but you can’t have it both ways — unless of course you can afford to spring for Charge’s Ti option.
At 67.5deg, the head angle on the Blender is too slack for all but the steepest World Cup 4X courses. So if you’re buying it to hammer the local dirt jumps the slack head angle makes it feel like a barge. Charge has also opted for a super slack 65.5deg seat angle, which places the saddle well out of the way for no-foot tricks but it skews the top tube measurement making the Blender feel shorter than its claimed 21.5in. Good build quality, but the Blender lacks the right geometry mix.

MBR rating: 6/10