The Test RideI took it out for a proper test on a big group ride: 130km (80 miles) with 2,398m (7,800 ft) of climbing. The parcours was mountainous but also had a lot of flat sections. It was a memorial ride, but a good chunk of the local race community was there, so there were plenty of egos. This gave me a good chance to pull some turns and test the bike on the ascents and descents.
My Context & ComparisonFor reference, I'm 171cm (5'7") tall and 63kg (139 lbs).
My previous bike was a Specialized Allez Sprint (Size 49), which I always felt was just a little too small for me. I'm getting back into riding and racing after a 10+ year break and recovering from some running injuries, so I'm not as fast as I used to be. My handling comparisons are all coming from that Allez Sprint lens.
How It HandledClimbing:The bike climbs really well. I took it up Deer Creek, which is a brutally steep climb @ 11.5% for 3.6kms (2.25 miles). Grinding out a gear while seated was a more (relatively) enjoyable experience. Compared to other aggressive bikes (like my Allez), things can get very twitchy on steep climbs at low speed. The QuickPro, however, was stable. I could pick the best line across the road without worrying about the front wheel flopping over and putting me out of the apex of the turn.
This stability was even more noticeable on a longer, faster climb like Latigo Canyon. (This is a ~14km / 9.1-mile climb in the Santa Monica Mountains, averaging ~5%). By this point, I was 90km into the ride, it was getting hot, and I was just holding my Zone 2 (around 200 watts). The bike's handling allowed me to just relax, stare at the road ahead, and take up the whole lane to find the best line. It's a much different experience from my old bike, where I felt I had to actively fight to keep it from flopping off my chosen line while also trying to focus on power.
Descending:After Deer Creek, you're rewarded with the descent down Yerba Buena, which is fast with lots of fun chicanes and minimal braking.
I'm still getting used to the bike, but I was really able to push it into corners. As a test, I'd scrub a little speed from a rider in front of me before a turn, and I was consistently able to carry more speed through and out of the corner to get right back on their wheel. My confidence on this bike grew with every turn. I'm excited to take this bike down more descents in the future.
On the FlatsI haven't really put the bike through its paces yet in a hard, flat-out effort. But frankly, I'm not too concerned with how it performs on a flat parcours with a bunch of SoCal crit ogres, because that's pretty close to what the bike was designed to do.
Ride FeelCompared to my Allez (aluminum), the ride feel is more or less what you would expect from a carbon super bike: it's more smooth and plush.
However, there is one characteristic that is noticeable from any other bike I've ridden, and it's the most striking feature of the bike: the Fork. When going downhill, I noticed the wind on my legs felt different. The inside of my legs didn't feel wind, as opposed to the outside of my legs, which was a strange sensation. Unsure if that makes you faster or slower, but it's noticeable at speed.
Final Conclusion - How does it climb? It climbs exceptionally well. It's very stable and not twitchy, even on steep climbs, which lets you focus on your line instead of fighting the bike.
- How does it descend? I was able to push it into corners and carry more speed than I expected.
- Is it the lightest? I have no idea. I don't weigh my bikes.
- Would I race this bike? Yeah, it's not shit.
- Is it worth the money? Compared to what's out there from Western brands, I think it's a no-brainer. Against other Eastern brands, perhaps there are better bikes per dollar (or euro or w/e), but it's a strong contender.
- Would I recommend this bike to other people? Yes.
