Litespeed Firenze - Bike Test - Thursday 4th May, 2006.
"THERE are gentler ways to test a bike — and there are kinder ways to iron out the inevitable teething problems — than to receive the bike on a Friday afternoon, set the saddle height and bars correctly, test the brakes, squeeze it into the back of a van and drive it out to the Ronde van Vlaanderen randonnee, to be ridden for 140 kilometres over Flanders' epic roads the following morning.
Thus, the first time I actually rode the bike was the two-kilometre spin through the traffic to the signing-on in Oudenaarde. Riding up the brick paving through the heaving crowd to the start, the bike developed an irritating little rattle from the hub of the FSA front wheel. Fortunately it was not a serious issue, just the pressed-in cover of the bearings coming loose. A swift push solved the problem in seconds and we rolled through the start, past the Frenchman on a cyclo-cross bike who crashed immediately on the greasy pavement, and onto the race route — you've got to love mass-participation events.
The short top tube of this compact frame makes for a slightly more upright riding position than I'd usually choose, but the relatively compliant fork, curved seatstays and the feel of titanium combine to make the ride very comfortable. In fact, it is pretty clear that this bike is designed for comfort and should probably be considered as sportive-specific. There is more movement than usual at the bottom bracket, as each part of the frame takes its share of road vibration, but it doesn't detract from the performance until subjected to maximum sprinting efforts — only then does the flexibility mark it out as unsuitable for serious racing.
Soft in the saddle
As the stretches of wet cobbles and steep broken climbs wore on, I was increasingly impressed by how comfortable the rear in particular was, in spite of the alloy seatpin, while the front end transmitted a noticeable amount of vibration, probably in part due to the radially-spoked front wheel. I was less impressed by the regularity with which both bearing covers popped off the front hub.
This is a well built, comfortable titanium frame at a competitive price. The handling is sharp and the weight is respectable. And when it is combined with an Ultegra groupset the end product is a bike that is ideal for the sportive rider." - Cycling Weekly May 4, 2006.
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