CENTURION Backfire Carbon 4000 Review

“What’s this gonna be once it’s finished?” “Are you going to start with this mountain bike stuff now? I thought you were a road-bike magazine?!” Yes you’re right, the CENTURION is not a gravel bike — it’s a hardtail MTB. And yet it has more in common with modern gravel bikes than you might think.

The CENTURION Backfire Carbon 4000 in detail

What is an 8.58 kg carbon hardtail doing in a “pure” gravel bike test? You might as well ask: what does it NOT have in common with a modern gravel bike except for the grip position which is rather unusual for roadies? Right at the front of the bike stands the reason behind the controversy: the FOX 32 FLOAT SC Factory FIT4 suspension fork with a lockout remote. The fork has 100 mm of travel and is an actual damping element compared to the Icelandic Lauf suspension system. And let’s be honest, it’s lots of fun on the trail! The CENTURION Backfire Carbon 4000 is specced with a lightweight Shimano XTR 1x groupset.

The gear range of the CENTURION is huge. The Race Face Next SL crank is paired with a 34mm chainring and 10-51 XTR cassette. The Backfire Carbon 4000 wants to be a thoroughbred racing machine with a light cockpit. This consists of 740 mm (yes, that’s strange!) PRC Top Flat Carbon OS handlebars and an FSA NO.422 stem. But there’s only suspension at the front. The only bit of compliance in the rear-end is provided by a PRC Carbon Flex seat post and PRC Carbon II saddle. A DT Swiss XR 1501 SPLINE ONE wheelset with chunky MAXXIS IKON 57C tires provides contact with the ground — which is exactly what this bike needs since you’re not going to spend much time with the rubber on the ground!! The carbon frame of the CENTURION is neatly manufactured and organically shaped.

First riding impressions

What does CENTURION’s hardtail have in common with other gravel bikes? The fun factor! The chunky tires, the lightweight and a rather stiff frame together with the suspension fork literally beg you to ride trails. On lose terrain, however, we struggled with a consistent loss of traction. The tires offer good rolling resistance but tend to lose contact with the ground a little too easily. This, combined with the somehow spongy tires dents the fun-factor of the bike. Thinner tires with more grip or an extension of our roadie capabilities would help. Once off the trail the Backfire Carbon 4000 surprised us with its nimble uphill acceleration

The upright riding position is comfortable even on longer gravel roads. The lock-out remote allows you to stiffen up the fork and makes it feel like a rigid fork — a big efficiency boost. In addition, you have a wide range of gears to choose from which means that even the steepest of climbs will look just a little less scary. Unfortunately, the big range also implicates huge gear jumps. But what really bothered us on long gravel roads is the Backfire’s high Q factor. If you’re not used to this with each crank spin you’ll inevitably end up with bowed legs and feel a bit like a cowboy sitting on a horse…

Conclusion

The CENTURION Backfire Carbon 4000 is a thoroughbred racing machine that ploughs through the trail like a lightweight monster truck. If you value good handling on rough terrain and you’re not too fussed about piling up miles the CENTURION is the optimal compromise between fun and comfort. The Backfire Carbon 4000 sits right at the trail-end of the Gravel spectrum.

Price: € 5,899
Weight: 8.58 kg size L
Info: centurion.de

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Here you’ll find our current group test on the best gravel bike.

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Words: Photos: David Rösler, Valentin Rühl