March 07, 2008

2008 Bicycling Buyer’s Guide Recommends…

Bicycling Magazine

  It’s that time of year when respectable publishers are revealing their favorites for the 2008 season. WOMEN’S SPECIFIC ROAD "THE MASTER OF VELOCITY HELPS YOU GO FASTER" CONTESSA SPEEDSTER

INNOVATION: Scott made the first tapered aluminum ski pole for racers and it made the first aero bar for bikes, too. In other words, the company likes to help people go fast. The Contessa Speedster can put you on the road to speed.
QUALITY SPEC IN WOMEN'S SIZES: The drivetrain mixes Shimano with Truvativ, two brands that offer reliable performance. The sleek aluminum frame is outfitted with women’s sized components, from the anatomic bend handlebar to the short-reach shifters. This means you get a predictable ride, and the increased confidence that comes with a good fit.
SIZES: XXS, XS, S, M, L
FRAME: Double-butted 7005 alloy
FORK: Addict carbon w/ integrated alloy steerer
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: Shimano cassette (12-25), 105 derailleurs, Truvativ Elite crankset (50/39/30), SCOTT Pro brakes, Contessa handlebar, O-Zone saddle.

ROAD ENTRY-LEVEL "RACE PEDIGREE AND HANDLING" SPEEDSTER S60

With all the hype about carbon, people often miss the advances in metal frame-making. Some of the S60's aluminum tubes are made by hydroforming — high-pressure fluid is used to press the metal into shapes that can't be achieved by welding or machining without a loss in strength. The result is a beauti­ful, sculptural frame that could easily be mistaken for carbon. The real benefit of hydroforming is a strong, responsive ride feel. The S60's ride is much more aggressive and nuanced than you'd expect of a bike in this price range. It has a somewhat steep head angle that encourages quick inputs and steering hard through corners. Acceleration is snappy. The only thing holding me back was the 22-pound heft of this Speedster, the base model of a six-bike line. When I upgraded to a mid-price FSA RD-400 wheelset, dropping nearly two pounds, the Speedster immediately felt faster. Another upgrade worth making is swapping the triple chainrings out for a 50/34 compact double. The triple chainrings make it too easy for the front derailleur to be slightly out of position, and it lacks a trim adjustment, so you can't manually dial out the rub. Still, heavy weight and triple chainrings are par for the course on bikes in this price range. What's unusual is that the Speedster S60's frame is so good that it's truly an upgrade worthy steed. Buy it, and then add high-performance goodies as you can afford them.
BUY IT IF: You want a racy platform you can build on for years to come.
FORGET IT IF: You're intimidated by quick handling.
SIZES: XXS, XS, S (tested), M, L, XL, XXL
WEIGHT: 22.0 lb.FRAME: Hydroformed 7005 aluminum
FORK: Addict carbon’ alloy steerer
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: Shimano derailleurs, Sora ST-2200 24-speed shifters’ SCOTT Road Drop OS bar, Road Team stem, Comp hubs, Jalco DRX 6000 Aero Profile rim.

ALL-MOUNTAIN "THE HEART OF A KING" RANSOM 40

A DUKE'S RANSOM: You could buy 2.5 Ransom 40s for the price of one $8,450 Ransom LTD. Despite the price difference, the Ransom 40 features the same heart as the LTD. The Equalizer TC shock, with on­ the-fly terrain adaptability and three handlebar-adjustable travel settings: locked out, 90mm and 165mm.
DON’T FEAR THE TRAVEL: Despite the 165mm, or 6.5 inches, of travel, the Ransom is a relatively light bike with a geometry well suited to epic rides and climbs.
SIZES: S, M, L, XL
FRAME: 6061 hydroformed aluminum, Scott Equalizer TC shock, 165mm travelFORK: Marzocchi 55R w/ 160mm travel
COMPONENT HIGHLIGHTS: Truvativ Firex 3.1 crankset (44/32/22), SRAM X.9 rear derailleur, X.5 shifters, Shimano Deore front derailleur, PD-M424 pedals, Avid Juicy 3.5 disc brakes w/ 203mm front and 185mm rear rotors.