Bike brand Identiti has realised that for a lot of bike buyers, the decision on whether to go with discs or stick to regular rim caliper brakes is a tough one, so to try and skirt the problem, it has designed a frame that has the capability of accepting both, the Initial-D.

There are any number of considerations that are involved in a decision between the two, relating to everything from performance and practicality to the effect on the way a bike looks. But the main reasoning behind the Initial-D is the banning of disc brakes in a number of amateur sportives around Europe. 'The Initial-D won’t hold you back from entering these events this summer,' says Identiti.

'Our Initial-D frameset bridges the gap for the cyclist looking to try out disc brakes, but with the option still being able to use traditional caliper brakes if desired.'

The Initial-D frame has a 130mm spacing between the dropouts, traditionally associated with non-disc wheels, and so to have disc compatibility as well, Identiti have used a custom hub from Halo, which is able to take a disc while still being 130mm wide. 

Shimano 105 is the groupset of choice, with a caliper brake option (using Dia Compe dual pivot calipers) weighing 7.95kg. The bike is also available with Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes, and by using an inline cable adjuster with an added outer casing extension and new, longer inners, you can make the switch from rim brake to disc.

From £1449.99

identitibikes.com

Upon the first close-up look of the Mason Definition, the thought and quality that has gone into the design is clear to see.

Designed in southern England and made in Italy by tubing experts Dedacciai, the Definition is designed to conquer all four seasons.

The paint finish and subtle graphics are fantastic, with little touches like the embossed head tube badge.

Cable routing is very neat with a multiport internal cable routing that can accept all cables, including electronics.

The out-of-sight front derailleur cable routing is designed to keep water and grime out and shows the commitment made to ensure this bike is perfect for year-round riding.

Even with 28mm tyres fitted there’s still masses of clearance front and back, for possibly even larger tyres or mudguards, with neat, partly hidden eyelet mounts giving a clean look when not fitted.

The level of comfort is fantastic and one of the first things you’ll notice when riding is that it almost feels like the tarmac is being muted: although this does mean you lose some of the ‘road feel’ you get from a more race-oriented machine.

This won’t suit more aggressive riders but that’s not what this bike is about.

The cockpit components are superb, with Deda stem and bars giving a great position and Fabric bar tape and saddle that are some of the most comfortable we have ever used.

The Ultegra groupset is what we’d expect on a bike of this quality and price, and it doesn’t disappoint – the brakes in particular are fantastic.

The rougher the roads, the more rewarding the Definition seems to be, shrugging off the very worst potholes with incredible confidence.

Downhill, it has precision and stability, making it feel safe to ride as fast as you dare.

The overall bike weight is on the heavy side, and on longer or steeper climbs it doesn’t have the acceleration or zip that lighter, more responsive bikes manage, which is also noticeable when sprinting.

While the wheels are laterally stiff and feel bomb-proof, they’re heavy-ish, and the main reason why this one tips the scales a little.

RATINGS

Frame: Superb design and attention to detail. 10/10Components: From the comfy saddle to the well-shaped bars, everything is just right. 9/10Wheels: Sturdy enough but too heavy. 8/10The ride: High overall weight robs it of some of the immediacy of its competitors. 9/10

Verdict: The Mason Definition has a beautifully crafted frame that helps it stand out from the crowd. A solid, comfortable endurance bike for year-round riding.

Spec

What is it?

Back in the ’80s, French firm Look made a name for itself with pioneering carbon-fibre bicycles.

They proved to be genuine world beaters, too, when in the 1986 Tour de France Greg Lemond became the first rider to win the world’s biggest race on a carbon bike – the legendary KG86.

Since then, Look bikes have been synonymous with high quality and innovative technology.

Such qualities don’t come cheap and it’s probably why you don’t see too many Look bikes on British roads as they tend to be too pricey for all but the most minted.

Well, that all looks set to change because Look has now launched this beauty –the 765, a fast endurance bike aimed at the more accessible end of the market.

While the company still produces ground-breaking, top- end bikes like the 795 Aerolight for hardcore racers, the 765 is designed more for the sportive-type ride, where speed is important but all-day comfort is just as high a priority.

As such it has a shorter top tube and taller head tube ensuring a less stretched-out riding position.

What's so good about it?

Look bikes always stand out from the crowd and although the 765 is more conventional in appearance than some of their top-end models, it’s still guaranteed to catch the eye.

That Mondrian-inspired colour scheme harks back to the brand’s association with Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault’s iconic La Vie Claire team, while the yellow cables are one of those little touches that set Look bikes apart.

Looking more closely at the frame, further distinctive features include a chunky down tube for stiffness, and a gently curved square-profile top tube that tapers towards the junction with the seat tube, flowing into the slender square-profile seatstays.

Chainstays are notably deep and chunky, and asymmetric to balance the higher forces on the drivetrain side, while the full carbon fork has a blade profile for aerodynamic efficiency and implements Look’s Carboflax Technology for enhanced comfort.

Carboflax Technology? What's that all about?

Essentially, it’s the combination of two types of fibre – high-modulus (stiff) carbon and flax linen.

A thin layer of flax fibres is sandwiched between two outer layers of carbon, the idea being to filter out the vibrations that are transmitted through the frame when riding over rough road surfaces.

The tech’s primarily used in the fork and chainstays, which Look has determined as the two areas of the bike most affected by less than perfect tarmac.

For the rider this means energy wasted on overcoming the effects of bumpy roads is instead conserved for the important business of handling and pedalling – something which ought to bring real benefits on longer rides.

How is it fitted out?

A full Shimano Ultegra groupset adorns this top-of-the range model, promising flawlessly smooth, crisp performance.

Frankly, we reckon Ultegra is as good a set of components as you’ll ever need on a road bike, unless you’re the kind of weight weenie who values the few grams saving that Dura-Ace offers, or want to splash out on electronics.

For non-racers like us, the combination of a 50/34 chainset and wide-ranging 11-32 cassette is ideal for tackling even the hilliest sportive.

Alongside that, fairly workmanlike finishing kit from FSA helps keep the bike affordable, although there is another concession to luxury and comfort in the carbon seatpost, while the Selle Italia saddle offers varying thickness of padding for optimum support.

How much will it set me back?

The 765 is available in two models, with the Ultegra version you see here coming in at £2,499, while the 105 alternative is a more affordable option at £1,999. Looks good to us!

Spec

I can’t be sure, but I think Swift’s founder, Mark Blewett, was Cyclist’s first ever visitor way back in 2012 when we launched this magazine.

I made tea as we’d yet to unpack the coffee machine, and he showed us his debut UK road frame, the Ultravox RS-1.

At that time new brands peddling carbon wares seemed ten-a-penny, but Swift sounded different.

It’s no secret that the majority of the world’s mass-produced carbon bikes come from a relative handful of Chinese factories.

But perhaps less understood is the variance in quality across those factories, and the changeability of workforce – often when a production run finishes, workers who have become skilled in making a particular type of frame are let go and reabsorbed into the pool, taking their skills and knowledge with them. 

In broad strokes, the big brands with the big order numbers get the best factories and retain the workers. Smaller brands can struggle.

So Blewett, an ex-pro and clearly a dedicated man, came up with a novel approach.

‘You have to earn your place on the factory floor,’ he told me. ‘Part of that’s big orders, so if you’re Trek or Specialized it’s not a problem, but the other part is what the Chinese call guanxi, the mutual trust in business.

‘To get the consistent quality I was looking for with the relatively low volumes I wanted, I had to form that relationship with the factories. So I moved there.’

‘There’ was Xiamen, China, and while it’s impossible to know how Swift’s bikes would have turned out otherwise, I can vouch for the Ultravox RS-1 and its tweaked Ti (Team issue) big brother as being exceptional bikes, so I was excited to see what the Hypervox was made of.

Reap the wild wind

According to Swift’s marketing manager, Neil Gardiner, the Hypervox is a reluctant response to the sprinters on last year’s Swift-sponsored team, Drapac.

‘They had the Ultravox and were initially happy, but they kept on asking for an aero bike,’ he says.

‘Blewett doesn’t like gimmicks – he just wants a bike to ride right – and when you hear claims of a bike saving two or three watts it’s hard to take them seriously.

‘But the pressure continued, so we thought, “The demand is there, so let’s make an aero bike that doesn’t compromise on ride quality and handling.”’

Gardiner points to ‘massive, truncated tube shapes and teardrop profile seatstays’ as the main culprits for poor ride quality and handling, the latter because a vertically stiff frame can struggle to track the road through corners.

He also says Swift’s designers only saw merit in aero-sculpting the front half of the bike, as the rear is ‘just a mess because of the rider’s body and legs’. 

As a result the Hypervox is a pretty subtle aero bike. The head tube and down tube are noticeably thinner than on the Ultravox, and there are slightly filled-in junctions at the bottom bracket and behind the head tube, but otherwise the Hypervox looks pretty ‘normal’.

It’s all been designed using CFD, and when I asked Gardiner for comparative data he could only supply a visualisation showing how the Hypervox dealt better with airflow around the down tube and head tube compared to the Ultravox.

Wind-tunnel testing has been eschewed, with Gardiner saying it’s all too easy for a brand to find the results it wants ‘by drawing on certain yaw angle data to prove aero credentials, for example’.

Compelling arguments, but it did leave me wondering why, if Swift dislikes gimmicks and sees aero gains as minimal, it wanted to make an aero bike at all.

But before I try to unpick that, let me tell you about the ride.

Haven’t we met before?

In all my time testing bikes few have ridden as well as Swift’s Ultravox. The caveat, though, is ‘for a race bike’.

The natural position is long and low, with a 553mm effective top tube mated to a 147mm head tube, which begs to be slammed, and the feel is of a bike with snappy yet stable steering and a low centre of gravity.

It’s obviously a formula Swift realises works. The Hypervox shares identical geometry, and performs in a similar fashion.

Pushing well past 70kmh on descents, the Hypervox remained incredibly stable, yet a slight shift in weight made it smoothly round long arcs.

A dab of the brakes and a dropped knee saw it dive into tight corners only to emerge at breakneck speed. 

It performed these duties with a feeling of predictability and, daft as it might sound, ‘oneness’.

Point the Hypervox where you want it to go, lean as much as you feel is right, at as fast a speed as you dare, and the bike just does its thing, no dramas.

It’s the difference between swimming in board shorts and swimming in Speedos. There’s nothing holding you back, and everything helping you go. 

Climbing is a similar story – you get out what you put in. With a claimed frame weight of 900g unpainted and a full build weight of 6.91kg, the Hypervox is light enough but not so light as to flatter one’s climbing abilities.

It’s similarly impressive over rough ground, where it does a decent job of muting vibrations without deadening feedback.

It’s not what I’d call a plush ride but, again, couching this in race bike terms there are unexpected levels of comfort here, and I happily took the Hypervox out on more leisurely rides along with some more intensive efforts.

Younger sibling syndrome 

If there’s one area that lets the Hypervox down it’s top-end sprinting stiffness, and that feeds back to my original conundrum. What is the Hypervox really doing that the Ultravox isn’t? 

Objectively, frame weight is the same and geometry is also much the same.

Subjectively, handling is the same. If anything there has been some compliance lost, likely due to the aero seatpost and taller, thinner tube shapes, and I’d argue that the Ultravox is ever so slightly stiffer in the head tube and bottom bracket than the Hypervox, making it a better bet for burly sprinters.

Then there’s the aero side. I couldn’t possibly tell you if this bike is any faster than the Ultravox, but I can definitely tell you it is not as fast as overtly aero bikes such as the Specialized Venge and Trek Madone.

The comeback from Swift is that there’s no point in going to those aero lengths at the cost of handling and ride quality.

I’d agree, but then that still begs the question, why bother? Why not just put everything into producing a stiff, light, well-rounded road bike instead of making some minor aero tweaks that seemingly aren’t enough to shout about, aren’t enough for a rider to feel and – ay, there’s the rub – cost an extra £500 for the frameset compared to the Ultravox Ti (and around £1,000 more than the Ultravox RS-1). 

If the Hypervox was the only bike Swift made then the company would have a true winner, but as it stands there’s not enough here to convince me that the aero tweaks are worth the (albeit marginal) concessions to the superb all-rounder that is the Ultravox.

Still, the Hypervox does nothing to tarnish the Swift reputation, and everything to cement it. Plus later this year Swift will be releasing a superlight Ultravox SSL. Can’t wait.

Verdict: Swift gets aero, but is the result distinct enough to be worth it? I'm not sure it is.

Spec

Bianchi is the oldest bicycle company still making bikes and throughout its history has been famous for making high-end racers, with the Oltre XR1 being just that.

The race-inspired design is readily apparent just from looking at the bike, with aerodynamic features such as the dramatic seatpost shape, narrow and fluid tubing and low, stretched out position with long stem.

From the first pedal stroke, the acceleration is impressive and it does not seem to waste any of the energy that you put into the pedals.

The responsive feel is addictive and you soon end up sprinting just for the fun of it.

The ride quality is well balanced throughout and while it can’t match either of the others on test for pure comfort, it is very balanced and still great on typically rough roads.

For some purists, Italian bikes must be fitted with a Campagnolo groupset, so the Potenza 11 will be a pleasing sight to them.

Love-hate

Groupsets can be a divisive issue, though. Our tester appreciated the shape of the hoods, with their more-rounded and comfortable feel, but found the shifting clunky compared to the Shimano equivalent.

Upshifts have a long throw, making shifts slower and multiple shifts tricky, while the thumb-activated shifters are easy to use from the hoods, but more difficult when sprinting in the drops.

If this is a big issue for you, though, the Oltre is also available with Ultegra.

On the climbs, the Oltre is effective, helped by the responsive frame and the long riding position that gives space to move around.

The Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels were a slight disappointment, being a little heavy but more noticeable when riding is the freehub that feels slow to engage.

The relatively narrow rim gives the 25mm tyres a tall, narrow profile which goes against the current trend.

Downhill the Oltre is impressive, helped by the long, low geometry which puts the rider’s weight over the front wheel, making it quick and easy to change direction.

Overall, it’s a well- balanced race-focused machine that provides a fast, lively and fun ride. 

Ratings

Frame 9/10; Components 8/10; Wheels 8/10; The ride 9/10

Verdict: The Bianchi Oltre is a stunning frame with impressive acceleration and good comfort. The Campagnolo groupset might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is available with other groupsets and overall this is a fast and rewarding bike to ride. A better set of wheels would transform it into something special.

Spec

When Trek launched the Domane back in 2012, it was intended as a Classics season cobble gobbler, tailored to the talents of Trek’s superstar rider of the time Fabian Cancellara. With two Tour of Flanders wins and one at Paris-Roubaix, it clearly worked for him. But with the move to disc brakes, does it work for mere mortals too?

The frame

Where to start? Trek isn’t known for breaking moulds, but a quick glance at the Domane tells you this is no ordinary bike.

The big talking point of the Domane has always been the IsoSpeed decoupler, which allows the seatstays and seat tube to move independently of each other in the vertical and fore-aft planes.

Trek claims the system allows for as much as 35mm of compliance, perfect for rough roads, just like you get in the Classics.

In 2012, when the Domane was first released, IsoSpeed was a pretty out-there concept. But now, with bikes like the Giant Defy and Cannondale Synapse, compliance is less of a USP.

What is unique is the Domane’s geometry. The lower the bottom bracket is, the more stable the bike feels, and while we’re used to seeing bottom bracket drops (the distance the centre of the BB is below the wheel axles) of around 70mm, the Domane has a huge 80mm of drop – in fact, we measured it at 82mm on our size 54.

That translates to a feeling of riding low between the wheels, and huge cornering confidence. Compounding this measurement is the wheelbase which at over 100cm, is huge for a 54cm bike.

Again, more length equals greater stability, and more room for manoeuvre when speeds go up, or you start getting tired. Add bolt-thru hubs front and rear to increase lateral stiffness, and you’ve got a bike that handles like no other road bike we’ve ever ridden, with pin-point precision downhill.

" title="<--wysiwyg_see-related_plugin-->">

Components

Have we told you how much we like Shimano’s 11-speed 105? Shame Shimano doesn’t make hydraulic brakes at 105 level – Trek has gone for the Hy/Rd, which use cables to actuate a hydraulic calliper.

Those callipers end up a bit bulky as a result but they work, and offer a good compromise – braking power that’s not quite as full-on as full hydraulics, but definitely more powerful than cable discs.

The Bontrager finishing kit is all good gear, including the carbon seatpost, but the 90mm stem is a little short for us and the bars an odd shape with more reach than most.

Wheels

One of only two bikes on test with bolt-thru axles, we’re definitely of the opinion that they’re a good thing, keeping the brake rotors in just the right place between the pads to stop rubbing. But jeez, are they ugly.

The wind-up ratchet axles on the Saracen are tiny compared to the quick-release levers used here – yes, you flip a lever and then unwind the whole axle. This is a design that has come direct from mountain bikes and in this application, seems like overkill.

The Bontrager wheels are tubeless-ready and a decent everyday wheelset, as are the R1 Hard-Case tyres – you’ll want to upgrade to something lighter, more supple and grippier eventually, but these are a decent start.

The ride

We like to talk a lot about numbers at BikesEtc, and while that could be perceived as boring, it really does inform what you’re able to feel on the road. As soon as we saw the Domane’s geometry we were excited to see just how fast we could corner on it.

The long, low-slung layout of the bike is incredibly forgiving – a world away from skittish, fast-handling race bikes that need to be tamed by a steady pair of hands.

The IsoSpeed definitely works and takes the edge off big hits and road buzz, but don’t expect an armchair ride – the Domane is still very much a road bike with efficiency and power transfer at its core.

And despite being mid-pack when it came to weight, we didn’t feel the Domane was sluggish once up to speed – in fact, the stiff bottom bracket area really encourages you to jump out of the saddle and sprint.

We had doubts about the TRP Hy/Rd brakes but the combination of comfortable 105 shifters and powerful but controllable hydraulic braking actually proved an unexpected hit.

It’s not a lightweight set-up and technologically, it’s likely to be superseded in the next year or two, but for the moment, it’s a good compromise. As we discussed in the introduction, we came into this test with an open mind, looking to see what is possible when you combine disc brakes and road bikes.

With the Domane Disc, Trek has produced a bike that genuinely breaks the mould and rides faster, and with more confidence than any rim-braked road bike we’ve tested. Is the Domane a glimpse of the future? We think so.

Frame - Long wheelbase + very low bottom bracket = the future - 10/10
Components - Nice mix of Shimano, TRP and Bontrager kit - 8/10
Wheels - Decent tubeless-ready wheels with bolt-thru axles - 8/10
The ride - A fast, exciting mould-breaking ride - 9/10

Geometry

Spec

Every year in Norway there’s a race from Geirangerfjord up a mountain called the Dalsnibba,’ says Talbot Frameworks’ founder, owner and framebuilder Matt McDonough. ‘I visit the area a lot because we have some family friends there, and I’ve ridden up the mountain numerous times.
It’s stunning, and it’s what this bike is named after.’

It’s a long way from McDonough’s workshop in south London to the easterly fjords of Norway, but the spirit of the mountain is manifest in the Dalsnibba, a lightweight, super-stiff climbing machine.

‘This is the first mixed materials bike I ever made – a prototype, if you like,’ he says. ‘I started building lugged frames, then fillet brazed, and now most of our work is TIG. This is fillet brazed, though, as you get that smoother finish on the bilaminate lugs. The carbon is from Enve, the main triangle is filament-wound and the seatstays come out of a mould.’

Image 5 of 5

Image 5 of 5

Bi the bi

The term ‘bilaminate’ originally referred to framebuilders adding an extra, often patterned or logo-stamped sheet onto a regular-cast lug as an aesthetic touch, thereby adding another layer, or laminating the lug. Today the term is more commonly applied when two shorter tubes are fillet brazed together to create a sleeve into which separate tubes are brazed or bonded. In the case of the Dalsnibba those tubes came from Utah-based Enve. The top, down and seat tubes are filament-wound, a process whereby carbon threads are wound around a cylindrical mandrel before being impregnated with epoxy resin and cured. 

This process is often favoured in lugged carbon designs as filament-wound tubes can be made to tighter tolerances than their wrapped or moulded counterparts. That said, the seatstays are moulded due to their more intricate wishbone shape, and the chainstays, like the lugs, are conspicuously steel.

‘Unless you weigh next to nothing then we tend to build Dalsnibbas with steel chainstays,’ adds McDonough, alluding to the fact that unlike a lot of builders he makes the Dalsnibba as one of three ‘standard’ models in the Talbot range – although every one is still custom made. ‘Steel makes a huge difference to the stiffness in the bottom bracket area, so the chainstays are Columbus Life.’ 

Elsewhere the head tube and bottom bracket are from Paragon Machine Works, a California-based machine shop popular with independent framebuilders, and the lugs are made out of T45, an aerospace-grade steel alloy. To keep the weight low the tubes that comprise the lugs have been turned on a lathe, inside and out, to remove excess material, before being hand-finished with a few semi-ornate flourishes. As such, the overall frame weighs 1,250g, very competitive for a frame that’s pretty much half steel. 

Although Talbot Frameworks’ frames start at £1,650 including paint, the Dalsnibba comes in at £3,000, so it’s no surprise McDonough has decided to spec it out with some exotic parts.

‘The fork is an Enve 2.0 road fork and the finishing kit is carbon Fizik stuff,’ says McDonough. ‘The groupset is Dura-Ace Di2, although I swapped
out a few components, and the wheels are tubulars.’

The fork and finishing kit have been colour matched by the Dalsnibba’s painter, a Bristol-based artist known as Dokter Bob (although McDonough does the majority of Talbot’s paint). It’s incredibly striking in the sunlight, a deep, shimmering metallic blue and mithril silver, but look beyond the aesthetic and it’s some more understated parts that draw the eye.

The brake callipers aren’t the expected Dura-Ace 9000 but American-made Eecycleworks Eebrakes, which come in at just under 200g a set with pads. The chainset is Cannondale’s SiSL2, and the wheels are conspicuously unbranded save for some etching on the hubs. 

Image 4 of 5

Image 4 of 5

‘The brakes are silly money, around £700, but they weigh less than 200g. I’ve used of a lot of lightweight brakes but these ones actually work! The
SiSL2 chainset is much lighter than Dura-Ace [483g versus 632g] but still really stiff, and the wheels are Light Bike rims laced to Extralite hubs.’

Extralite hubs are almost worryingly light at a claimed 48g front, 134g rear (by contrast Dura-Ace 9000 hubs are 120g and 248g respectively), and 24mm deep tubular rims from Asian manufacturer Light Bike come in at a claimed 320g. With spokes the wheels are less than a kilo, meaning the overall build is how much?

‘It’s 6.2kg and costs approximately £8,000 full build,’ says McDonough matter-of-factly. ‘It’s full custom geometry but this is pretty much a 54cm-effective top tube. This is “sunny-one-hundreds” stuff – I have other bikes for day-to-day – but I really like this one. It’s well made, really light. It’s a cool bike.’

talbotframeworks.co.uk

At the heart of the Wilier GTR SL is an impressively lightweight frame, which at a claimed 990g just nips under the magic 1kg mark. The low weight is carried through to the full bike, feeling impressively light on both the unscientifc lift test and also on the scales.

The ride is agile and fast, which became apparent as soon as we climbed aboard and hit the road. In fact, such is its liveliness and propensity to change direction at lightning speed that it took us a little while to get tuned in to it.

Acceleration is also impressive, being efficient when pedalling and especially on the climbs where the low weight is noticeable.

Image 2 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Downhill, the GTR SL can be a handful at times, with the quick steering making it agile but can also feel a little nervous at speed, and it takes a while for confdence to build but the eagerness to turn is something that budding racers will love.

The wheels are without a doubt a stand-out feature, with the Mavic Cosmic Pro carbon rims that not only look the part but are stiff, and thanks to the deep section, also aero.

They felt surprisingly good in cross winds and big bonus for typical British riding conditions is the aluminium Exalith braking surface, which gives predictable and powerful stopping in all weathers, while their matching Yksion Pro tyres are suitably fast rolling.

The Shimano Ultegra groupset is fantastic and impossible to fault with smooth shifing at all times, and helps to keep the weight down.

The FSA finishing kit does the job with good all-round performance. We particularly liked the handlebars with their comfortable ovalised shape.

Image 4 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Ride comfort when seated is impressive, especially at the rear end thanks in part to the pencil-thin carbon- fibre seatstays and the comfortable Selle San Marco saddle.

However, there is some feedback and buzz that comes through the fork at the front end, giving a little imbalance to the ride feel overall, but if you want a lively, responsive ride, this bike is a winner. Once we got to grips with its lively nature, we found it an exciting and rewarding ride.

Conclusion

The Wilier feels incredibly fast, light and agile and is an impressive climber in part thanks to the low overall weight. The deep section Mavic wheels help the bike look the part but offer a good overall performance too. Racers and those who love climbing will love its sheer grin-inducing speed.

PRICE:£3,499
WEIGHT: 7.6kg (size 52cm/S)
FRAME: Carbon Monocoque 60TON frame and fork
GROUPSET:Shimano Ultegra 6800
BRAKES: Shimano Ultegra
CHAINSET: Shimano Ultegra, 50/34
CASSETTE: Shimano Ultegra, 11-28
BARS: FSA Energy STEM: FSA Energy
SADDLE: Selle San Marco Squadra
SEATPOST: Wilier Custom Carbon
WHEELS: Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon Exalith
TYRES: Mavic Yksion Pro, 23c

Pinnacle describes its bike as being designed for UK road conditions and offering a balance between a more upright sportive bike and something a bit sportier.

Similarly, it provides space for 25C tyres with guards or 28C without. Some clever components choices have helped keep the price down but will it affect the performance of a bike?

The frame

The Dolomite makes room for 25C tyres with mudguards or wider 28C models by themselves, alongside mounts for front and rear racks.

This makes it a practical and versatile bike for day-to-day use, readily adapting to winter conditions or taking panniers for commuting or light touring.

Its tubes are fairly unfussy in their profiles and the welds are functional rather than lovely. The 6061, T6 heat-treated tubing is either double or triple butted to keep down its weight.

The frame itself is relatively light on the scales although this is somewhat lost due to the heavier components that hang off it.

We reckon with a bit of mass shorn off it could make quite a lively bike, both in its acceleration and ride quality, although the build makes this difficult to judge at the frame’s front is a chunky oversize head tube and carbon fork.

However, to keep down the cost it features a straight 1in alloy steerer, slightly negating the design’s effectiveness in keeping the front of the bike flex-free.

Gear cables are routed internally, with neat-looking reinforcements to the down tube where they pierce its exterior.

Groupset

Image 4 of 6

Image 4 of 6

Evans has enlisted the slightly older 5700-series 105 shifters for the Dolomite. They provide 10 speeds, one less than the latest 5800 range.

Still, that will be plenty for most riders and they work very well, as do the matching front and back derailleurs.

The crankset is a fairly basic and nondescript alloy model. Using an equally basic square taper bottom bracket, it’s there to save cost. However, with its compact chainrings it does a passable job.

The 12-28 cassette at the back is a good choice, meaning you lose one very high gear but keep a not too widely spaced spread of ratios.

The Promax brand brakes offer reasonable stopping and feature cartridge pads, which will make them slightly cheaper to replace or upgrade.

Finishing Kit

Image 3 of 6

Image 3 of 6

It’s rare to see anything other than a short and shallow bar on a bike like this and Pinnacle clearly doesn’t see any reason to buck that trend, and neither do we.

With a minimal drop down to the bars' lower section it’s easy to get lower for putting down the power of swinging through the corners.

The stem is nice enough to look at and the two bolt seatpost is sturdy and easy to adjust. However, we reckon some riders may not get along with the narrow saddle.

Wheels

If the lack of budget shows somewhere on the Pinnacle’s kit list it’s at the fairly basic wheels.  With 32 spokes they’re likely to be robust enough, but they aren’t the lightest.

As a consequence, getting the bike up to speed takes a little while. The Kenda Kriterium tyres are of respectable quality and normally won't be found on a bike this affordable.

The rims are relatively wide, which helps them take on a gently radiused shape, helping expand their contact patch and eke out every last bit of grip from the rubber.

The ride

The first thing you notice about the Pinnacle is its very low slung frame. With plenty of standover it’s easy to hop aboard and easy to lean over once you’re there.

Weight feels a little bit on the chunkier side, probably due to the basic chainset along with the wheels.

Not too aggressive but not too upright either, the position dictated by the geometry instantly feels on the money for the bike’s sportive-machine billing.

On the road

Image 6 of 6

Image 6 of 6

With its moderate-weight wheels, the Dolomite is a little hesitant in building velocity. With basic hoops there’s not much to be done about this besides pedal harder or buy some new and fancier tyres.

Still, once you get up a head of steam, the bike ticks along nicely and handles well considering the front end is slightly lower and the seatstays shorter compared to similar rivals.

Handling is also likely boosted by the slightly steeper head angle. It’s still far more temperate than some, but definitely rapid enough in changing tack when necessary to be engaging and fun to ride.

Despite a relatively long top tube, the height of the head tube and a medium-length stem keep everything within easy reach. This allowed us to continually move between tops, hoods and drops to get into the best position for the going at the time.

While it’s fine on smoother tarmac, over rougher surfaces the ride isn’t the most forgiving. It rattles along slightly although considering the low price, it’s no more jarring than you’d expect.

Handling

While the front of the frame features an oversized head tube, the fork has a standard diameter steerer.

It’s accommodated via a reducing headset that makes up the difference. Somewhat cheekily, the bike is listed as having a tapered steerer on the website.

The junction between it and the chunky frame isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing aspect of the bike. It might also be the reason for the medium degree of flex detectable towards the front end. This isn’t enough to be irritating but it’s a negative point all the same.

Towards the back of the bike there’s little movement to be found meaning that efforts at the pedals feel efficiently translated, although yanking on the bars is less rewarding.

Despite only having 10 gears rather than the 11 found on the newest 105 groupset, we didn’t really miss the last sprocket on the cassette although the action of the gear and brake levers isn’t quite as nice as on the latest shifters.

We’d probably have taken a complete and current Tiagra groupset instead, although at this price that might have been a stretch.

Ratings

Frame: Unfussy. This bike is built to be practical and affordable. 7/10
Components: Cost-effective and perfectly serviceable. 7/10 
Wheels: Basic and robust but not the lightest. 7/10 
The Ride: Restrained but still fun once it's up to speed. 7/10

VERDICT

A solid budget-friendly machine from high street giant Evans that doesn't compromise too much in the name of cost-cutting.

Geometry

Spec

Warning: in the next few paragraphs you may experience wobble, flop and twitch. Don’t be alarmed – they are terms that will help you to better understand the complex subject of bicycle handling. 

Put simply, handling is the input required to control a bike’s direction, and the biggest factor is the bicycle’s geometry.

It has taken a century to get close to fully comprehending the dynamics but Assistant Professor Arend Schwab of Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, is one of a team of physicists that claims to have eventually cracked the problem in 2011.

‘In our equation there are 27 parameters,’ he tells Cyclist. These include tube angles, dimensions, fork rake, bottom bracket height and centre of gravity. Change just one element and the handling changes.

Decades of cumulative experience have led framebuilders to a general geometry for road bikes that’s an acceptable balance between weight, comfort, efficiency and handling.

This means that, today, most of the tweaks for handling are made with the head tube angle and fork offset, sometimes called rake, because they determine ‘trail’.

To get an idea of trail, imagine a beam of light shining down through the centre of the head tube. It will touch the ground ahead of the point where the front tyre touches the ground.

The distance between these two points is the trail and it’s one of the main factors in how a bike handles.

‘Trail affects the stability of the bicycle,’ says framebuilder Richard Craddock of Craddock Cycles in Bromsgrove.

‘All bicycles are more stable the faster they move but more trail makes it easier to stay upright. On the downside, more trail means more wobble when you’re out of the saddle and it requires more effort from the rider to steer when it comes to cornering.’

It’s this last point that energises Anders Annerstedt of Luxembourg bike brand Rolo.

‘A bike with a longer trail is more difficult to keep on the ideal trajectory around a corner. So on a hairpin you’ll have to steer through the turn with maybe two or three different inputs.

'You have to be forceful because the geometry wants to keep the bike in its existing trajectory,’ he says.

With less trail the rider doesn’t have to expend as much energy to make those corrections and can do so quicker, Annerstedt adds.

He tunes his geometry to eliminate excessive ‘wheel flop’ – low-speed instability – and all framebuilders aim to adjust the trail to provide the kind of handling most suited to the intended use of the bike.

So a touring bike might have a lot of trail to provide a stable, predictable ride, while a race bike might have a small amount of trail to offer quick, sharp cornering. 

There are two main ways a framebuilder can adjust trail: by changing the angle of the head tube or by adjusting the rake (offset) of the fork. To reduce the trail, you can make the head tube steeper, increase the fork rake, or both.

Road cyclists have generally come to favour the handling of bikes where the trail is 50-60mm. A head angle in the region of 73° with a fork offset of around 45mm tends to acheive this.

Many framebuilders are cagey about their precise figures, but if you know two of the three variables you can calculate the third at the bikecad.ca website. 

There is an extra complication with small frame sizes because the front wheel is closer to the bottom bracket, which brings a risk that it will be clipped by the rider’s toes.

To increase the clearance either the head angle must be made shallower or the fork offset increased, either of which will affect handling unless other design changes are made.

Weights and measures 

Unfortunately, checking the geometry chart to assess trail won’t tell you all you need to know about handling, because there are other factors involved.

Framebuilders cite bottom bracket height and wheelbase as the next two most influential geometrical elements for handling.

Further changes to handling can be made by altering the length of the stem, the width of the handlebars, and the type of wheels and tyres.

Heavier wheels and tyres, for example, have more inertia and require more effort to turn the bars.

The way a bike handles is also down to the stiffness of the frame and forks, which means materials and tube shapes play their parts.

‘The choice and use of material allow a bike manufacturer to achieve more specific bike-handling characteristics within a defined geometry,’ says Tim Hartung, design engineer at Trek Bicycles.

‘This is where composite materials have a major advantage over isotropic materials such as steel and aluminium.’

He likes how carbon allows him to control and tune stiffness precisely through lay-up patterns, tube thicknesses and cross-section shapes.

Modern developments such as disc brakes on road bikes have also had an effect on the way a bike handles, according to Hartung: ‘Typically, thru axles are much thicker [than standard quick releases], commonly 12mm or 15mm.

'The thicker axle is stronger and stiffer and also creates a stiffer system connection between frame and wheel. It can create a scenario where the front and rear wheels are not in sync with each other.

'The rear wheel and frame will tend to stay more in the same plane with each other, which can be bad when trying to hold a constant line in high speed cornering.

'You can end up with a bike that does not have enough “give” or flex in the system to hold a good line in a corner or allow you to successfully counter-steer accordingly.

‘This could mean your tyre contact patch with the ground in the rear could be compromised. Or you end up hitting the brakes to adjust your line in a high-speed corner on the road,’ Hartung adds.

‘Neither of these are desirable in race situations. Keep in mind that this level of detail is really only noticed by elite cyclists and some of this effect can be mitigated by changing your frame stiffness parameters.’

The organic element

No matter what geometry and stiffness levels have been dialled into a bike, there will always be one variable that is impossible for the framebuilder to accurately predict: the rider.

Body shapes and riding styles are going to affect the dynamics of handling, and Arend Schwab of Technical University of Delft has definite views on how the rider’s position relates to the handling.

‘The pose or position of the rider isn’t so important when it comes to handling but the way you hold the handlebars is very important,’ he says.

‘The steering structure is very light and if you add the big mass of arms and upper body, it can influence the system and its response.’

Schwab suggests that, theoretically, holding the bars with straight arms at the same angle as the head tube would be best for stability because then your arm and upper body mass has minimal influence on the steering system.

London-based framebuilder Tom Donhou adds, ‘You really want to keep the centre of gravity in the right place, particularly when you’re riding at speed. Speed wobble is down to weight placement so you need to get the right distribution of weight between the wheels.’ 

For a framebuilder, trying to balance all the geometric elements against the rider’s physiology can be a daunting task, especially when customers can be remarkably demanding, while simultaneously unclear, about the kind of handling they want.

‘People use words like responsive, reactive, agile, nimble, aggressive,’ says Tom Rodi of American bespoke builder Parlee Cycles.

‘There are 20 or 30 adjectives that you’ll hear. Sometimes someone will talk about a bike feeling “nervous”. It could be too steep at the head tube or the fork being too rigid.

'There are a lot of pieces to look at. There’s the torsional rigidity of the head, top and down tubes, the torsional responsiveness of the whole fork assembly and there’s the vertical compliance – the ability of those things to bend in reaction to road abnormalities.’

What is apparent is that there’s no simple solution to predicting a bike’s handling. It’s something that framebuilders will continue to tinker with and refine as much through trial and error as through science.

And once you’ve got your frame, the parts you attach to it will also have an effect too, but mostly the way you carve through that hairpin bend will be down to you.

The way a bike handles is largely down to the person handling it.

Merlin have been pulling together bikes under their house banner since 2000 and reckon the ROC is their best-ever aluminium road machine. They claim it has a split personality, being a sportive bike with a racy streak.

The Spec

Frame

Despite being hydroformed, the tubes that make up the frame are relatively restrained in their profiles. The round down tube is notably oversized and changes profile slightly from one end to the other. It spans the entirety of the bottom-bracket shell, creating a broad junction for increased stiffness. Extending backward from this point are simple but stocky chainstays. Up top the V-shaped top tube is designed to resist torsional forces, while towards the back of the bike the very skinny stiletto-style seatstays aim to allow some movement, while also keeping weight down. About a centimetre in diameter, they meet the oversized seat tube at a seat cluster that, due to the differences in size and clear space between the two stays, is really rather prett y. The gear cables are very well groomed, with the neatly trimmed cables going straight into the head tube. Exiting via a large aperture at the bott om bracket servicing them is easy, while the rear brake wire is routed along the underside of the top tube. The carbon fork has a tapered aluminium steerer and the matching head tube houses an integrated FSA headset.

Image 3 of 6

Image 3 of 6

Groupset

Being direct to market you’d expect a higher level of groupset, which is what you get in the form of Shimano’s excellent 5800-series 105 groupset. Its levers are slim and fi t the hand nicely,while the activation of both shifters and brakes requires minimal effort. With 11 speeds, the jumps between the rangy 11-28 cassettr are perfectly stiff . The saddle by comparison is fairly squishy and features a pressure relief channel.

Wheels

Although designated ‘entry level’ in the Fulcrum range, trickledown means the Racing Sport wheels come with many of the features you find on much more expensive pairs, such as wide asymmetric rim profiles, durable sealed cartridge bearings and higher tension spokes that boost stiff ness and power transfer. They’re fitted with Continental Ultra Sport tyres. Their 25c width is nicely supported by the rim, providing a good profile and lots of bump-eating volume. With a lightweight folding bead, they don’t add excess weight while the relatively high number of threads per inch and tacky compound helps them latch onto the tarmac and smooth out its imperfections.

The ride

First impression

Pulling the ROC out of the box for the first time, the complete bike felt decidedly insubstantial. On the road this means the whole package gets underway with an absolute minimum of effort. Initial impressions of the Merlin’s geometry are that it’s definitely at the snappier end of the sportive bike spectrum. Quick to get moving and quick to turn, it definitely promises to be a fun bike to burn up some miles on.

On the road

The complete Shimano 105 groupset is very agreeable to use. Everything works faultlessly. Braking is powerful and the shifting, especially between the chainrings, is quick and confidence inspiring. The bike’s large diameter downtube is fairly conventional in its almost continuously round profile. However, its breadth ensures there’s not much evidence of twisting across the front of the bike. It’s also triple-butt ed, meaning it gets thinner internally in three stages. One of the eff ects of this is that while the whole bike stays stiff it also manages to take some of the edge off the terrain beneath its wheels.

Image 6 of 6

Image 6 of 6

It’s a slightly ethereal thing to explain, but the Merlin is definitely an aluminium bike that really makes the material work to its utmost. The result is a ride that’s superior to most cheap carbon frames, which can feel dead by comparison. However, although the bike does an excellent job of attenuating some of the sting from the road it’s still a pretty taut package. Comfortable for an aluminium race bike, it’s not as smooth as many dedicated sportive bikes. 

Handling

The Merlin’s secretly combative nature isreflected in its geometry. The short head tube is definitely down around racing length, while its 72.5 degree angle also provides pretty quick turning. In common with the Tifosi, there’s absolutely no reason you couldn’t pin on a number and go racing on it. In fact, its flighty nature means it requires a little more input to keep it on track than more sports-tourer-style sportive bikes. The fairly long stem further accentuates this, popping the rider into a relatively stretched position. However the bike doesn’t wear its racy credentials too heavily. The compact 50/34 chainset means there are still plenty of gears to get over varied terrain, while the saddle is densely upholstered. Mind you, the bike’s weight and disposition provide no anchor to its acceleration, the excellent Shimano 105 brakes will slow it down in a trice. A confidence inspiring trait boosted by the plentiful grip the tyres afford. 

SPEC

Frame

Hydroformed Triple Butted 7005 Aluminium

Groupset

Shimano 105 5800 11-speed

Brakes

Shimano 105 5800

Chainset

Shimano 105 5800 34/50t

Cassette

Shimano 105 5800 11-28t

Bars

Deda RHM EL

Stem

Deda RHM

Saddle

San Marco Era Start Up Power

Seatpost

Deda RHM RS-EL

Wheels

Fulcrum Sport

Tyres

Continental Ultra Sport II 25mm Folding Bead

Contact

merlincycles.com

There’s a certain type of race-oriented bike nerd for whom the arrival of the RJ Chicken & Sons catalogue represents a genuine event.

For years, they’ve imported all sorts of exotic European bikes and equipment to our frequently grey island.

Tifosi, the Italian word for sports fan, is the company’s house marque. Having built a solid reputation for no-fuss bikes among the country’s club riders, we were excited to see just how quick their budget racer might be.

The frame

A lot of work has gone into shaping the Tifosi’s various tubes. The underneath of the large down tube is flattened, as is the uppermost part of the top tube, presumably to improve their torsional stiffness.

The chainstays are short and chunky. A relative lack of length ensures the rear wheel stays tucked-in towards the seat tube and keeps the wheelbase to a minimum for quick turning.

Their burly profile resists twisting under pressure from the pedals. Terminating at a pair of neat clamshell dropouts, the shape of the chainstays provides a sizeable area for the junction weld between the two, further increasing stiffness.

Welds across the frame are neat and functional, as is the finishing. Fitted with a tapered aluminium steerer, the fork’s carbon blades exhibit no noticeable side-to-side movement.

The cable routing mixes aesthetics and practicality. While the rear brake line remains outside of the frame, the gear cables are neatly routed internally, entering just behind the head tube and leaving through a neat port just before the bottom-bracket shell.

Groupset

Most of the slots on the Tifosi’s groupset are filled by Shimano’s ultra-reliable and extremely competent 5800-series 105 components.

As is fairly standard practice, a couple have been substituted with an eye to keeping the bike’s retail price down.

Chief among these is the crankset. The second priciest component, after the integrated shifter-brake levers, it’s a bit of a shame to miss out on Shimano’s excellent cranks and chainrings.

FSA’s Gossamer model is a capable enough stand-in, although not quite as stiff, pretty or smooth shifting.

Tektro R312 callipers take on braking duties. These are affordable enough to swap, and even Shimano’s most basic models would boost stopping power.

Finishing kit

The Selle Royal Seta saddle is long and flat, making it easy to shunt yourself back and forward along its length.

This suits the character of the bike, which rewards regularly changing position. The bars are also a nice shape, with the hoods and drops both within easy reach.

The seatpost is a secure and easily adjustable two-bolt model. At 31.6mm in diameter it’s unlikely to do much to deaden juddering from the roads though.

Wheels

Bikes at this price tend to stick with fairly conventional wheelsets, and the Tifosi is no exception.

However, with a reasonably sparse 24 conventional spokes bracing the lightweight, relatively narrow Weinmann rims there’s certainly no unnecessary flab.

Even with wire-bead tyres fitted they gain speed easily. Schwalbe’s Lugano rubber are exactly the sort of tyres you’d expect to find on board.

Tough and grippy enough, swapping them for something lighter and more flexible would be the single easiest and most cost effective way of improving the speed and handling of this bike.

The ride

The Tifosi looks racy both on paper, due to a short wheelbase and steep head angle, and in the flesh, thanks to its radically shaped tubing and aggressive paint job.

Leaning down to grab the bars, it instantly felt as if we were getting aboard a proper race bike, something our brain normally associates with more expensive machines. Which is silly because a bike’s angles needn’t have any effect on its cost.

Happily, initial acceleration seems to tally with the bike’s racy credentials. On the road With a tapered carbon fork up front, housed in a squat head tube, the CK3 Giro is low and mean.

This instantly drops the rider into a fairly flat-backed position that’s designed for faster riding.

The comparatively light wheels and unyielding frameset mean there’s little stopping it from propelling the rider forwards.

At first glance, the Tifosi’s variably profiled down tube is large enough to be mistaken for carbon.

Made with what feel to be quite thin walls it appears to dampen vibration at the front end, yet resists twisting from efforts at the bars.

While the bottom half of the bike is brawny, the upper part (seatstays and top tube) is noticeably skinnier.

The idea here is to absorb impacts and increase comfort. It works well enough and the bike certainly isn’t uncomfortable, but the ride is definitely firm, something which is added to by the oversize seat tube and post.

While the marketing might say ‘sportive’, there’s definitely a good chunk of racer DNA in the Tifosi’s makeup.

Not that that’s a bad thing, although we’d rather ride an hour-long crit race on it than a 100-mile epic.

Definitely a bike that’s happy to accelerate, it’d be reassuring to be able to stop equally quickly. Unfortunately, the brakes require a fair squeeze to elicit much stopping power.

They also feature far stronger return springs than the equivalent Shimano models, which left our hands aching on prolonged descents.

The tight geometry and low front end mean the Tifosi is happy railing around flat corners as tightly as the traction provided by the relatively basic tyres will allow.

The fairly aggressive geometry makes keeping hold of it tricky if you don’t have decent flexibility, while its nippy handling would best suit an experienced and conscientious rider.

That means if you’re looking for a bike to build fitness from a low base, rack up big miles or attempt a first sportive, you’ll likely be better served elsewhere.

However, those looking to jump in at the deep end, or younger, more flexible riders with competitive aspirations but limited budgets, will find a bike that’s great fun to ride and only a set of race-day wheels away from being legitimately fast.

Ratings

Frame: In a word: stiff. Underlining its racy credentials. 8/10
Components: Mostly Shimano 105 although not the crankset. 8/10 
Wheels: Slender Weinmann rims add pace not weight. 8/10 
The Ride: Lively. Could be a bit much for an inexperienced rider. 8/10

VERDICT

Fast angles means a fast ride on this budget rider that’s just a set of race-day wheels away from being genuinely speedy.

Geometry

Spec

With their recently released debut bike costing a chunky €14,900, French brand Heroïn could use a unique sell to get a few more orders out the factory gates. Not that the remarkable aerodynamic dimpled finish on their framesets and wheels isn’t striking enough, it's just that a quick spin around the carpark behind the bike shop is probably a poor way to decide whether it’s worth dropping that sort of cash.

To give riders a better understanding of their latest bike they’ve partnered with multi-day sportive series, Haute Route, to allow riders to preview a bike specifically tailored to the event.

Taking in extended week long tours of the Rockies, Pyrenees, Alps and Dolomites, along with shorter three day forays around Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez, the bike, called the Heroïn HR, will be available to test during the mountainous stages of all six of this year's events.

Marc Simoncini, founder of Heroïn explained: 'We decided to revisit our H1 model in order to create a unique design for the Haute Route.

'Made specifically to excel in the mountains, the rigidity of its bottom bracket combined with the flexibility of the top tube, and aerodynamic benefit of the honeycomb textured carbon make the HR an ideal climbing bike.

'The HR was designed specifically for participants in the Haute Route, which is viewed as the Holy Grail of amateur racing.'

While Heroïn has brought their latest bike in a couple of thousand euros cheaper than the H1, with custom carbon rims laced to tune hubs, an integrated carbon bar and stem and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset replete with a Rotor InPower meter it’ll still set you back €11,900.

We would be willing to bet that most people, including many hardcore cyclists, will not have heard of Thompson bikes – not to be confused with American company Thomson (no P), which makes finishing kit.

But while the Belgian family-run business isn’t well known in Britain, its history stretches back to 1921 and nearly a century later is now starting to spread its wings.

The Capella is available as either a disc or rim brake frameset, with our test bike fitted with discs. While they are fast becoming the norm on road bikes, it is still relatively rare to see a bike with race-inspired geometry, such as this one, fitted with them.

First impressions are positive, with a much more comfortable ride than we expected. The rear end is especially smooth while also being very responsive to sprints or high-power efforts.

The Novatec wheels are decent all-rounders and perfect for year-round use but at 1,900g for the pair, there is certainly room to upgrade and drop some weight.

The rims are also tubeless-ready, so it was a little disappointing not to have our test bike supplied with tubeless tyres.

That said, the supplied Schwalbe One tyres are fast and light, even if they lack a little grip on typically grimy winter roads.

Handy on the hills

While the Capella does carry a little more weight than many of its immediate rivals, it doesn’t feel any slower on the climbs, with a comfortable cockpit and sensible gearing.

And when the gradient flips from upwards to downwards, it transforms into a bike that just loves to go fast, helped by stable, confidence-inspiring handling.

The Shimano disc brakes are fantastic, adding to that feeling. One of the big selling points for Thompson is the option to choose your frame colours – included as standard in the pricing.

With thousands of combinations, it would be easy to create something unique or simply dress it in your favourite colours.

There are a few small issues, such as a bit of toe overlap experienced by our tester when his toe hit the front wheel, on tight turns at slower speeds.

The beefy carbon chainstays also cause the chain to rattle on rougher roads. But, these don’t really affect the overall performance. This is a joy to ride. 

Ratings

Frame 9/10; Components 9/10; Wheels 9/10; The ride 9/10

Verdict: The Thompson Capella is a revelation, with a fast and comfortable back end and geometry that makes it both very fast but also stable through the fastest of bends. With customisable colour frame hand-painted in Belgium, it offers the chance to own something truly unique.

Spec

Eddy Merckx Cycles posted a multi-million euro loss during 2016, in a result the company is blaming on a significant downturn in the market for high-end road bikes. Bart Van Muylder chairman of the board of Eddy Merckx Cycles and CEO of parent company Diepensteyn told Bike Europe, 'The market for road race bikes dropped by 25% last year and as specialist in this category we were hit unexpectedly hard.

'We were not able to compensate our decline in turnover in other bike categories as we are one hundred percent dedicated to road race.'

'Our turnover was stable although we anticipated on a growth in sales. Still we are proud we could double our sales over the past two years and we still believe in the future of Eddy Merckx Cycles,' he added.

Widely regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time, the eponymous brand was founded by the notoriously exacting Belgian cycling superstar Eddy Merckx in 1980, two years after he retired from racing.

Initially the marque also served as a place of work for many of his former Molteni teammates, including Edouard Janssens, Jos Huysmans and team manager Bob Lelangue.

Having started out making steel bikes under the tutelage of Italian builder Ugo De Rosa, recently Eddy Merckx Cycles has specialised in mid-to-higher end racing bikes made of carbon fibre.

Its tightly focused offering is partly the reason the company found it harder to absorb the declining sales in that segment.

Despite doubling sales and shifting nearly 9 million euros' worth of bikes last year, the company is currently running on a deficit of 17 million euros. Part of this debt apparently dates back to debts incurred during the brand’s sponsorship of the Quick-Step team which ended in 2012.

However with Merckx having sold his stake in the business back in 2014, the drop in profits is unlikely to affect the Cannibal's retirement fund.

In recent years he’s been keeping himself busy riding bikes and helping run the Tour of Qatar and Tour of Oman on behalf of Tour de France organisers Amaury Sport Organisation.

Genesis describes the Delta as an ideal option for both the seriously minded newbie rider and older hands who might be looking for a practical and fast-paced training bike.

With clearance for full-length mudguards it certainly appears practical on paper. However, with its slender tube profiles it doesn’t look to be dragging around any unnecessary heft either.

Frame

The Delta’s frame is extremely unfussy in its appearance, something further underscored by the minimalist graphics and very attractive electric blue paint job.

However, an inspection of its constituent tubes reveals that each has been shaped to fit its specific purpose. The downtube, for instance, starts wide and round at the head tube before being squished to expand horizontally to meet the bottom bracket.

Along with the flattened chainstays it’s fabricated from relatively stiff 6066 aluminium alloy. Conversely, the seat tube, seatstays and square profile top tube are made of slightly more forgiving 6061. The intention here is to tune each area of the bike with an eye to either stiffness or comfort.

All the cables are housed externally; while internally routed options are often trumpeted for streamlining the look of a bicycle, they rarely streamline servicing.

As many riders buying bikes at this price will just be starting out, the more easily replaceable external cables seem sensible. With the space for mudguards come their attendant mounting points on the dropouts, and with the addition of a seatpost collar adapter, these also allow for the fitting of a rack.

Groupset

It’s been a couple of years since the Tiagra groupset’s cables went undercover. These days even lowly Sora’s are routed beneath the bar tape rather than flapping around above it.

Still, the similarities with Shimano’s higher-end groupsets are impressive and it’s great to see the stiff and quick shifting crankset included.

With only 10 sprockets, Genesis has elected to do without the smallest possible 11t option, but in truth there aren’t many occasions where you’ll feel its absence.

There are still some roadies who consider anything larger than a 28-tooth sprocket to be cheating, but we reckon it’d be nice to have the get-out clause of a wider-ratio cassette than the Delta’s 12-28, for hillier areas.

On the flat, though, the close spread keeps the jumps between the 10 cogs pleasingly minimal.

Finishing kit

The deeply padded saddle is a model to sink into rather than shuffle fore and aft on, and once we got settled, we found it to be plenty comfortable.

The handlebars are short and shallow, meaning their drops don’t require much of a stretch to get hold of, which suits the bike’s personality and means they’re likely to get used regularly.

They’re also quite stiff and come wrapped up in quality tape. The stem is functional and features some subtle, but attractive, contour-line graphics.

Wheels

It’s unusual to find wheelsets specced on bikes at this price point that set the tarmac ablaze. The ones on which the Genesis rolls are no exception.

Functional enough, with 28 spokes they save a little weight versus alternatives with a full complement of 32, without ever suggesting they’ll be anything less than robust and easily serviceable.

Engagement from the rear hub comes 16 times per revolution which isn’t especially quick, although that engagement does feel robust. The wire beaded Kenda Kriterium tyres come in a sensible 25c width.

The ride

With its high head tube and short-drop bars, everything on the Delta seems in place for collecting the miles without too much danger of overextending your back.

The first turn of the pedals reveals an acceleration that may not lightning quick but certainly isn’t held back by any flex either.

Progress is solid and the bike instantly feels stable, while the head-up position is comfortable and allows for easy surveying of the road ahead without cricking your neck.

Shifting up into the big ring reminds us how nice it is to have a decent crankset and not a cheap stand-in, as the chain switches between the rings quickly and clunks into place with reassuring authority.

Finding ourselves with a bigger gear to push also reveals one of the bike’s other characteristics – its surprising front-end stiffness. Neither the prow, nor the bars attached to it, seem much inclined to budge when pulled upon.

Not that the Delta was designed with an emphasis on sprint-winning ability, but it’s a quality that also makes aggressively stomping up climbs more rewarding than on other bikes of similar weight.

The flipside of this is that it’d be a stretch to describe the front of the bike as overly forgiving. However, with the geometry tilting the rider towards an even weight distribution between the front and back of the bike, our hands stayed pressure-free and comfy for the duration of the testing.

The back end is equally resolute, exhibiting precious little flex despite our best efforts. Most bikes intended for racing will have a head angle of around 73° but the Delta’s is a more moderate 71.5°.

This won’t make the bike go any slower (that’s down to how fast you can pedal!) but it does mean it’s a little less hurried when changing direction.

For most riders, this is likely to prove reassuring, as it requires less attention to keep the bike on an even keel.

The added stability actually makes it fun to muck about while descending, as the wheelbase and head angle combine to increase confidence as velocity goes up.

Unfortunately, to accommodate the fitting of mudguards the Delta employs long-drop Tektro R315 callipers which while proficient aren’t quite as nice as the shorter Shimano Tiagra models, slightly marring this effect.

As mentioned earlier, the stiffness of the bike rewards putting in effort by transforming it into forward momentum rather than unwanted twanging.

This offsets the bike’s middling weight in most instances except on longer climbs. The entire package feels solidly reliable and if this were ever in danger of translating into a harsh ride its geometry and contact points more than compensate.

Ratings

Frame: Well thought out, delivers stiffness and comfort. 8/10
Components: Includes a nice smattering of Shimano Tiagra. 8/10 
Wheels: They do a decent job while feeling solid and robust. 7/10 
The Ride: Enjoyable, comfortable and confidence inspiring. 8/10

VERDICT

The Delta 20 just about manages to get the balance right between practicality and performance.

Geometry

Spec

‘Come on, I’m going to show you the bike that’s going to save the world,’ Specialized’s creative director, Robert Egger, tells us excitedly, as he limps ahead on a recently injured hip. He takes us to a floor filled with various concept bikes of all shapes and sizes.

There are laid-back chopper bikes kitted out with fatbike wheels and disc brakes, super-fast racers with gigantic wheels, cafe-racer motorbikes with cranks in place of engines, bikes equipped with steering wheels and novelty bikes that could have come from The Flintstones.

Egger’s real interest, though, is the union of bikes and electricity. ‘I’m an e-bike master. I love e-bikes,’ says Egger.

‘I told Mike Sinyard one day that every bike will eventually be electrically powered. We may not like it as classic riders, but if we want to grow the bike industry we have to embrace it, and in a lot of ways e-bikes can save the planet.’

The trouble with e-bikes at the moment, Egger believes, is that they aren’t cool. ‘I think making bikes look awesome is number one for me. I mean, at the moment [on an e-bike] you look like an idiot.’

In terms of aesthetics, Egger has wasted no time testing the boundaries. ‘I love motorcycles. I get a lot of motivation from them, and I have bicycles that actually are half bicycle, half motorcycle,’ he says, bringing us to what looks like a MotoGP bike, but with a set of bicycle cranks.

‘I’ve done lots of bicycle-type e-bikes, but I’m working on one now that’s a goddamn motorcycle.

’This isn’t the only artefact here that looks nothing like a bicycle. ‘I love drag bikes – that’s a drag bicycle,’ he says, pointing to a bicycle with a long nose and enormous rear spoiler. ‘It’s the world’s fastest-looking bicycle, but it’s actually quite slow.’

He walks across the room, ‘I grew up on a dairy farm so there’s my cowboy bike,’ he stands in front of a fur-lined bike with shoulder-height handlebars.

‘This is the world’s comfiest saddle, it’s a horse saddle. Cancellara loved this bike when he was here – I think he stole one of the pedals,’ he says pointing to a single pedal-cum-horseshoe.

‘He wanted it because it gives you more horsepower.’

His bikes are far from novelty alone, and one bike here symbolises a vision of the future of cycling with incredible clarity. It catches Egger’s eye, and he make a dash toward it.

‘This is a bike I designed last year,’ he explains. ‘Well you know, the UCI – I’m not a big fan. So this bike is everything the UCI doesn’t want you to do – the ‘Eff You See Eye’ [fUCI].’

With a giant rear four-spoke wheel, an aero visor on the front, and a stark fluro orange colour scheme, it can’t be missed. ‘Everything is run from your phone,’ Egger explains.

‘This one is made of various plastics, fibreglass and carbon, but we actually made a functional wheel and it’s fast. It acts as a flywheel, the engine gets it up to speed and then the rider takes over. So it’s a very efficient use of energy. There’s actually a motor in it but I can’t say anything about it.’

‘But I was telling you about the bike that could save the planet,’ he says, directing us to the CUB – Cool Urban Bike. ‘Young people don’t want the burden of owning a car, plus you’re living in a place where there’s mass-transit. So instead of a car you can have a CUB.

Basically you buy a chassis and you can customise it with all these different options – it could be fenders, a double saddle to take your kid to school, storage, various panniers and pods. There’s a motorcycle-style kickstand and a lock that pulls right out of the frame.

If you had this bike in San Fransciso you wouldn’t need a car.’Now that sounds practical, but why does Egger take the time to build all the other, off-the-wall bikes.

‘Why? Just to piss off and have fun.’

On-One is a well-known mountain bike (MTB) company, the off-road counterpart to road-bike retailer Planet-X, and this is a bike that blurs the lines between the two brands.

Marketed as an ‘adventure road bike’, this model leans more towards pure road riding with 28mm tyres fitted, but with tyre clearance for up to 40mm that would allow more rugged riding or gravel roads.

The carbon Toray T800 frame will be the stand-out feature for many and it delivers responsive, direct acceleration.

And while the Bish! Bash! Bosh! can’t match more endurance-focused bikes for comfort, it only really struggled on the bigger, sharper-edged bumps.

Another notable feature is the SRAM Apex 1 groupset, with its single 42-tooth chainring that offers a huge range from the 11-42 cassette.

This tech is borrowed from the MTB world and there are many benefits, such as it being simpler and quieter thanks to the clutched rear mech, which also helps the chain stay on without the need for a guide.

Easy up

With a much lower smaller gear than any normal double chainring bike, climbing is a breeze on the Bish! Bash! Bosh!.

The compromise on our test ride was that at higher speeds any slight downhill saw us spin out before we hit top speed, and on the flat we found ourselves using only the smallest two sprockets, with a considerable gap between them.

The Apex shifters are also not the most comfortable to hold when riding on the hoods and the shifting quality can be a little vague at times, a problem that's exacerbated by bar tape that feels thin and doesn’t do much to dampen road noise.

The full hydraulic SRAM Apex brakes, however, are a real plus point, with excellent power and control. The Selcof components get the job done, with the relatively wide handlebar another nod towards more rugged riding intentions.

The bike’s wide, tubeless-ready rims meanwhile are another bonus. Despite the niggles, this is a versatile and fun bike with many great qualities in its favour.

Ratings

Frame 9/10; Components 7/10; Wheels 8/10; The ride 8/10

Verdict: While our test bike came with road tyres, the off-road design and versatility of the Bish! Bash! Bosh! is self-evident. With a carbon frame and a spirited ride it’s good on the roads, but with wider wheels would also be perfect for riders who like to wander off the tarmac occasionally.

Spec

Following Louis Vuitton's acquisition of a majority stake in bicycle manufacturer Pinarello, speculation had centred around how the fashion boutique would change the creative direction of the Italian frame builder.

Now, a leaked image has given the first hint of the future aesthetic we can expect to see on Pinarello bikes.

When raced in the WorldTour peloton by Team Sky the bikes are usually block colours and mostly black, so the use of Louis Vuitton's famous pattern is an obvious departure from what we've seen before.

There is no indication yet of a shift in price – with Pinarello bikes already at the premium end of the market – but we could see an upwards tilt as a result of the value-add that the LV branding delivers.

Team Sky began a new contract with clothing manufacturer Castelli at the start of the 2017 season so now attention will move to any hints from the kit supplier as to a collaborative line with Louis Vuitton.

A ‘circus’ raced by ‘animals’ orchestrated by ‘sadists’ and tended by ‘convicts’, Paris-Roubaix has been called everything from the Hell of the North and Queen of the Classics to ‘bullshit’ (we have Bernard Hinault to thank for that one).

It’s a brutal 260km that sets out from Compiegne, 80km north of Paris, at speeds the late Wouter Weylandt described as ‘a bunch sprint in a major Tour’, traverses the rutted agricultural byways of northern France before winding up in a king-making, often heart-breaking one and half laps of the Velodrome Andre-Petrieux.

If there’s a cycling equivalent to the Grand National, Paris-Roubaix is it. Each year there are busted clavicles, shattered wrists, popped kneecaps and in 1998 Johan Museeuw nearly had to have his leg amputated, so riders and manufacturers have done their utmost to soften the savagery with improvised modifications and specially designed components, giving rise to the term ‘cobbles bike’.

There have been wooden rims, spoke-tying, sandpaper on bottle cages, foam-wrapped handlebars, 60° seat tubes, elastomer damping… the list goes on. 

Innovation reached a crescendo in the 1990s when all manner of suspension technologies were introduced, but those bikes often failed to deliver – or failed altogether – and barring one or two experimental examples, teams seemed content to resume normal service on bikes with wider tyres, double-taped bars and close-ratio gears. 

With the advent of carbon, things briefly ratcheted up in the cobble bike stakes when Specialized presented the ‘Zertz inserts’ Roubaix in 2004, then Trek rebuffed the challenge with the similarly elastomer-damped Madone SPA (Suspension Performance Advantage) a year later.

But while the Roubaix ploughed on, the SPA never went into production. For a time the Cervélo R3 demonstrated that all you needed to win Paris-Roubaix was clever carbon engineering, but eventually Trek rejoined the party in 2012 and kicked it all off again with the Domane, whose rear-damped chassis helped propel Fabian Cancellara to Strade Bianche victory on its first official outing, then conquered Roubaix and Flanders a year later.

The arms race was back on.

Today there’s a slew of bikes that could call themselves cobbles-specific, or at least, cobbles-adept: the Lapierre Pulsium, Pinarello Dogma K8-S, Bianchi Infinito CV, Look 695, Cervélo R3, to name a few.

However, three bikes stood out to us, each for very different reasons. So we thought we’d put them to the test, and what better place to do it than their spiritual home? Bring on the cobbles.

With me on today’s ride are Rob and Sam, both Cyclist staffers, and strapped to the roof of our borrowed Peugeot 2008 are a Specialized Roubaix Pro Di2, a Trek Domane SLR 7 Disc and a Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Team. 

Rob’s rationale for choosing the Domane is pretty simple: he rode the original in the Paris-Roubaix sportive in 2013 and wants to see how this new version compares.

Rob recalls how he saw Cancellara at the end of the pro race that same year: ‘Two soigneurs literally had to carry him to his chair.

He looked properly dead behind the eyes. Someone eventually plucked up the courage to ask him how he felt, and he just replied, “I’m f****ing f****ed.” Then they carried him away.’

Cancellara had just won a third Paris-Roubaix, preceded by triumphing in the Tour of Flanders a week earlier.

No wonder he was royally done in, but one can’t help but wonder how much more he would have suffered without the Domane underneath him – and perhaps how much better he would have felt afterwards had he been on this new iteration, which now boasts Trek’s IsoSpeed damping front and rear, as well as disc brakes.

Both my Specialized Roubaix and Sam’s Cannondale Synapse can boast similar winning pedigree, although I can’t help reminding Sam of what it says on my top tube: ‘2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014’, in reference to the number of wins the Roubaix family has notched up at its namesake race. Sam retorts that this new Roubaix model hasn’t actually won anything yet, but still, it would be a foolish man to bet against it this season. 

Specialized has completely overhauled the bike. Gone (almost) are the Zertz inserts, elastomers that sat in various holes in the stays and fork legs, which did very little by all accounts (it’s said it was the holes themselves that added the compliance – the elastomers were just there to stop consumers baulking at the idea of seeing daylight through their tubes). 

Instead, Specialized has introduced the Future Shock, a sprung cartridge that sits between the top of the head tube and the underside of the stem, offering 20mm of vertical travel, while at the rear is its CG-R seatpost, replete with zigzag bend and Zertz insert to allow it to flex by a claimed 18mm.

It’s lengthy too, which it needs to be as the frame is compact and the post is clamped well below the top tube, again for comfort. It’s interesting to note that without the Future Shock (189g), this is Specialized’s lightest-ever frame at a claimed 700g.

Stacked up against the Domane and Roubaix, the Synapse looks positively traditional, and worryingly unsprung. But Sam has reasons for choosing it beyond its 1980s-cool chrome lettering.

Rush of blood

Within seconds the full brain-jarring force of the cobbles is upon us and I can see the Domane literally spring into life under Rob’s weight.

Viewed from the side the whole rear end seems to be bending, but a closer look shows it’s actually an illusion. The only thing bending is the back half of the split IsoSpeed seat tube. 

Trek has also applied its IsoSpeed concept up front too, with the fork steerer given room to flex in the head tube thanks to bevelled bearing seats, but it hasn’t forgotten about tweaking the rear IsoSpeed system.

Whereas before the amount of flex was predetermined, the new Domane features tuneable – and greater – flex.

A slider in the seat tube can be repositioned up or down – up for a stiffer rear, down for more compliance. 

Rob has gone in his words ‘full boing’, and it shows, much to his delight.

‘I can barely feel a thing in my backside,’ he says without even a flicker of schoolboy innuendo. 

Sam is in similar schoolboy mood, and his bike choice is revealing itself. Built like a Belgian, he decided he was up for accepting a possible beating in exchange for a quick, lithe machine, and as if to prove his point he moves off the crown of the road – which judging by the oil streaks has claimed more than the odd car underbelly – nips onto the muddied cobbled shoulder and ploughs past Rob with a shout that one can only assume was ‘sucker’, but it is windy.

I give chase and the Roubaix gives plenty back. Everything about me is rumbling, one of my bottles flies out of its cage and yet my upper body, arms and hands feel relatively untroubled by the kerfuffle below.

Heroes and villains

While the Domane wears its tech on its sleeve, the Synapse’s happens under the paint and by way of some interesting tube shapes.

There’s a hollow at the foot of the seat tube, and the stays bend and twist in a design Cannondale calls SAVE (Synapse Active Vibration Elimination).

The top tube slopes significantly compared to its racier older brother, the SuperSix Evo, meaning there’s a large amount of seatpost jutting out to offer flex. Crucially, though, that seatpost is 25.4mm in diameter, much narrower than the 27.2mm or 31.6mm posts that adorn most bikes.

Cannondale says the carbon fibres in the seatstays twist in a helix, which means each fibre is longer than if it just ran straight, and as such vibrations have to travel a longer path into the frame, dissipating much of the energy before it reaches the rider.

Given Sam’s continued progress it seems the Synapse designers have done a sterling job. The section of cobbles we’re on – officially called Beuvry-La-Foret but locally referred to as Marc Madiot after the double Paris-Roubaix champion – was only recently unearthed, then extended, by les forcats du pavé, ‘the convicts of the road’, who repair the cobbles and hunt for new stretches every year. 

Thanks to the convicts’ work, Secteur Marc Madiot is now a 3/5-star difficulty, 1.4km sector with a false flat and some shallow turns, which the Synapse is making look easy.

It’s the lightest bike here so no surprise on the slight ascent, but it’s the ease with which it seems to be holding onto the road as Sam pushes a huge gear through the corners that is surprising. It looks like a pretty normal race bike, but it looks perfectly at home here.

The cobbles finally give way to smooth tarmac, permitting a chance to breathe and take stock. According to Sam, the Synapse is in its element in large part because of the Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres.

Both my Roubaix and Rob’s Domane have tubeless-compatible wheels, but only the Synapse came with tubeless tyres. Sam has ridden these roads before too, on a set of clincher Continental GP4000 IIs, and believes the tubeless comparison is like ‘night and day’. 

‘The tyres are 28mm but they’ve come up much bigger because of the wide wheels,’ he says. Rob suggests his 32mm Bontrager R3 tyres are giving him the same level of comfort and grip, but he does concede that on the smooth bitumen they feel somewhat sluggish.

Tyre pressure is undoubtedly coming into play here – both are running sub-80psi, but the difference is the Schwalbes are that much narrower and lighter than the Bontrager, ‘but I can still run them this low without worrying about pinch-flatting’, Sam adds. 

On another bike I might be jealous, but as we thunder onto the climax of our ride, the Arenberg Trench, the Roubaix once again proves it’s not just a fancy lick of paint. 

The big one

At five stars and 2.4km long, the Arenberg is a formidable foe. It may be a stretch to say Paris-Roubaix’s winners are decided here, but the contenders are certainly identified.

Even though for safety’s sake we agreed we weren’t going to race each other today, it seems sacrilege not to go at the Arenberg full bore, so I bite the bullet and hit the drops.

Everything starts rattling and my eyes feel like a pair of those joke glasses with the springs, but once I’m over the shock there’s a glorious moment where I can feel the Roubaix skimming the tops of the cobbles like a ballerina on a building site.

The rear end has come into its own and I can feel it moving in a way similar to the Domane, and while the Future Shock is bottoming out repeatedly, my hands feel solid enough on the bars that I’m able to unfurl a finger to change gear.

The hits become bigger as I lose speed, and by the end Rob has taken me by two bike lengths and I’ve tied for second with Sam.

As we pull up Rob’s doing that maddening casual whistling thing, like it’s been nothing, but I can tell his wrists are bothering him. The front end of the Domane seems no match for my Roubaix in the comfort stakes. 

Just to be sure, Rob and I swap bikes and hit the cobbles again. He concedes the front end of the Roubaix is significantly more forgiving, and I try to convince myself that makes me the true winner.

But aboard the Domane I just can’t shake how incredibly smooth the rear end is. It is simply without compare.

In the interests of fairness we both offer our bikes up to Sam, but he declines. Apparently the Synapse is all the bike he reckons is needed for rides like Paris-Roubaix.

‘It’s just quick and racy, and with the tyres I reckon it’s comfortable enough. I’m not sure I’d want to ride it here if I owned it though. No matter what you’ve got, new bikes get old quickly on the cobbles.’ 

Trek Domane SLR 7 Disc, £4,800

Rob’s summary

‘I rode the original Domane in 2012 on the Paris-Roubaix sportive. That bike was awesome on the cobbles, and this new one is even better.

'There’s more flex at the rear and it’s tuneable, so you can make it stiffer for normal road riding. I wouldn’t want it any less than on maximum boing-setting for Roubaix, though.

'Hovering slightly to pedal, like the pros do, is difficult, whereas on the Domane I could just sit and spin happily. If there’s a downside it’s that the rear is so effective it highlights the harshness of the front – it’s more comfortable than before thanks to the IsoSpeed in the head tube, but the damping isn’t in the same league as the rear.

'Despite that, of all the bikes here the Domane makes the most sense to me.’

Model: Trek Domane SLR 7 Disc
Frame: Domane 600 Series OCLV Carbon
Fork: Domane Full Carbon Disc, E2, thru-axle
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 6870
Shifters: Shimano R785 Di2 hydraulic 
Brakes: Shimano RS805 hydraulic
Chainset: Shimano Ultegra, 50/34t
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra, 11-32t
Wheels: Bontrager Affinity Comp Tubeless Ready Disc, alloy
Tyres: Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite, 32mm
Handlebars: Bontrager Pro IsoCore, carbon
Stem: Bontrager Pro, alloy
Saddle: Bontrager Affinity Elite, titanium rails
Seatpost: Bontrager Ride Tuned carbon seat mast
Weight: 8.33kg (size 56cm) 
Contact: trek.com

Specialized Roubaix Pro Di2, £6,000

James’s summary

‘The Future Shock suspension meant the initial ride feeling was very different to anything I’d tried before and, to begin with, not entirely to my liking.

'On flat roads the Roubaix felt a tad mushy up front. Hitting the cobbles, though, it all made sense as the Future Shock filtered vibrations from big hits like someone had swaddled both of my arms.

'The back half of the bike was less forgiving (although still more compliant than a normal road bike), which made the bike feel disjointed at first, but I got used to the sensation and was left marvelling at just how effective the Future Shock is.’

Model: Specialized Roubaix Pro Di2
Frame: Roubaix Future Shock, thru-axle
Fork: Roubaix disc, thru-axle
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 6870
Shifters: Shimano R785 Di2 hydraulic
Brakes: Shimano RS805 hydraulic disc 
Chainset: Specialized Pro 50/34t, carbon
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-32t 
Wheels: Roval CL 32 Disc, carbon, tubeless
Tyres: Specialized Turbo Pro 26mm
Handlebars: S-Works Hover Carbon
Stem: S-Works SL, alloy
Seatpost: Specialized CG-R, carbon
Saddle: Specialized Phenom Expert GT, titanium rails
Weight: 7.83kg (size 56cm)
Contact: specialized.com

Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod, £6,000

Sam’s summary

‘The Synapse shows you don’t need gimmicks – just a bendy seatpost and tubeless tyres. I’ve ridden these cobbles before on 28mm clincher tyres, and the ride quality was far better on tubeless.

'Still, you can’t take anything away from the frame. I’d put money on the tube shapes as being the Synapse’s real assets  – having ridden one without tubeless tyres and with alloy wheels the bike is still far more comfortable than, say, Cannondale’s all-round racer, the SuperSix.

'It couldn’t compete with the plushness of the Domane’s rear end or the bounce of the Roubaix’s front, but the Synapse was more agile and responsive than the other two.’

Model: Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Team
Frame: Synapse Disc Hi-Mod Save Plus, quick release
Fork: Synapse Disc Hi-Mod Save Plus, quick release
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070
Shifters: Shimano R785 Di2 hydraulic
Brakes: Shimano R785 hydraulic, 140mm rotors front/rear
Chainset: Cannondale HollowGram SiSL2, 50/34t
Cassette: Shimano Ultegra, 11-28t
Wheels: Cannondale HollowGram Si Carbon Clincher Disc
Tyres: Schwalbe Pro One tubeless, 28mm
Handlebars: Cannondale C1 Ultralight, alloy
Stem: Cannondale C1 Ultralight, alloy
Seatpost: Cannondale Save, carbon
Saddle: Fabric Scoop, titanium rails
Weight: 7.65kg (size 56cm)

cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk