WILIER IZOARD XP XENON £1,499
SPECIALIZED ROUBAIX ELITE SL2 £1,649.99
SPECIALIZED TARMAC ELITE SL2 £1,649.99
8 Full Carbon monocoque frame and fork. 8 Campagnolo Xenon 2x10-speed shifters.
8 Specialized FACT full carbon frame. 8 Specialized FACT full carbon fork. 8 Full Shimano 105 2x10-speed gearing. 8 WHR 500 wheels.
8 Specialized FACT full carbon frame & fork. 8 Shimano 105 gears & WHR 500 wheels.
Full carbon frame and forks starts here. With its T600 Toray carbon monocoque construction, the Izoard XP frame weighs just 1,150g / 2.56lb. Sloping rear seat stays help tame the rear end. This Italian beauty would make a wonderful ride should you decide to tackle, say, the Col d’Izoard where Italian legend Marco Pantani made his name - on a Wilier. On more local cols, you’ll discover that the Izoard’s oversize down tube and chain stays are the perfect flex-free platform when you want to crank it up to maximum speed.
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL. Colour: Red/Black/ White. Weight: 8.8kg/19.4lb (no pedals). Web Ref: 13281
Sizes: 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm. Colour: Carbon/White/Red. Weight: 9.5kg/21lb. Web Ref: 12980
Sizes: 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61cm. Colour: Red/Carbon/White. Web Ref: 12990
GIANT TCR COMPOSITE 2 £1,650
WILIER IZOARD XP VELOCE £1,799
CANNONDALE SUPER SIX 105 £1,799.99
8 Composite frame and fork. 8 Shimano 105 shifters & mechs. 8 Giant cartridge bearing wheels.
8 Full Carbon monocoque frame and fork. 8 Campagnolo Veloce 2x10-speed shifters.
8 Super Six Carbon frame & fork. 8 Shimano 105 2x10-spd gearing and brakes. 8 FSA Gossamer Pro 34/50 BB30 chainset. 8 Mavic Aksium Race wheels.
Performance-boosting carbon masterpiece. The TCR Composite 2 is the first full carbon road bike in the 2011 Giant range. It continues Giant’s unmatched heritage (2 decades worth) of manufacturing carbon frames in their own factories. Hand cut Toray T600 carbon swatches are strategically layered and moulded into a one-piece front triangle that incorporates Giant’s proven frame innovations such as the OverDrive tapered head tube and the oversize (but, crucially, Shimano-compatible) PowerCore bottom bracket shell to create this carbon masterpiece: the epitome of performance art in the shape of a racing bike.
Sizes: S, M, M/L, L, XL. Colour: Composite/White. Web Ref: 13162
54
Roubaix takes the rough with the smooth. This bike with full carbon frame, fork and seatpost - all with vibration-muting Zertz - is well named. Fabian Cancellara won this year’s Paris-Roubaix ‘Hell of the North’ cobble-fest on a Roubaix. Just like Tom Boonen the 2 previous years. If you want a fast machine that takes the rough with the smooth (or the pavé with the pavement) no bike matches the track record of the Roubaix.
First rung on the Tour-winning ladder. If you’re looking for undiluted performance, you could take a leaf out of Alberto Contador and Andy Shleck’s (1st and 2nd in the 2010 Tour de France) training log and opt for a Specialized Tarmac. Sure, the Elite SL2 is the entry level bike of the Tarmac family so the full carbon frame isn’t quite as light and stiff as Contador’s S-Works, and it’s Shimano 105 equipped rather than SRAM Red, but for us non-sponsored riders, the Elite SL2 is as good a road bike as we could ever aspire to.
‘An accomplished race machine.’ ‘The Izoard offers great feedback from the road, it’s easily flickable and well damped. It offers a great balance of speed and acceleration for the racers with the sort of comfort that the less competitive riders really appreciate. But it’s the handling that really seems to impress everybody. Compared with most bikes of this size, the Izoard has a slightly shorter top tube and a slightly longer stem, and it’s a combination that works very well in practice. The rear stays are curved, with the aim of increasing comfort. This is one of those bikes that could equally be the perfect long-distance sportive bike or an accomplished race machine.’ Cycling Plus.
Sizes: XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL, XXL. Colour: White/Silver. Weight: 8.3kg/18.32lb (no pedals). Web Ref: 13283
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Five out of five stars: bikeradar.com ‘A mightily impressive frame that combines a superbly damped and compliant ride with all the performance any rider could want. The light but perfectly planted front end inspires confidence from the off, and would be equally at home riding all day or tackling a crit. The combination of a BB30-centred frame with a sturdy headstock and narrow rear stays makes for a frame that’s clearly had a great deal of thought put into its development. 5/5.’ bikeradar.com
Sizes: 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58,60, 63cm. Colour: Carbon. Web Ref: 13274