BOTD #15 - Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie Carbon Cross
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Bike of the Day #15 – Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie
In honour of the cold weather descending upon us, we've decided to focus the BOTD on a cross machine - our tube-to-tube carbon Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie. An awesome company, with a true racing heritage across the northeast, and run by the amazing Edwin Bull, Van Dessel are producing some of the best value bikes around these days...
[caption id="attachment_1161" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Ready for battle - stiff, smooth and good lookin'"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1166" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Handcrafted Tube-to-Tube means outstanding ride quality from a stiff-as-hell racer"][/caption]
The Build : SRAM Red (black edition), FSA K-Force Light BB30 crankset, Corima Aero 2D+ wheels, FMB cross tires, Crank Bros. pedals, Fizik carbon post with Aliante carbon saddle, and ENVE carbon bar and stem.
[caption id="attachment_1164" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="ENVE components on top of FMB cross tires"][/caption]
The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 8/10
Front-end Stiffness: 9/10
BB Stiffness: 8/10
Style/Aesthetics: 8/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 9/10
Total = 42/50
[caption id="attachment_1162" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Gnarly, aggressive imagery makes you pedal harder"][/caption]
The Good: Great combination of stiffness and comfort; ridiculous value for a full-carbon frameset with BB30 and tapered front end; Belgian styling, low weight, and a brand name that is far less ubiquitous around these parts than many others.
The Bad: Not as huge a name as the big boyz, for those of you who like to follow the trends, as opposed to setting them.
The Skinny: We all like the simple looks and solid technology behind Van Dessel. We downright love the ride quality, geometry, and truly amazing price tag - $1999 for frame/fork/headset and available in custom builds.
[caption id="attachment_1163" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="SRAM Red, KCNC Gold chain, Corima Aero + 2D Tubulars"][/caption]
Check out the Van Dessel website for tech specs or factory build options here.
[caption id="attachment_1165" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Tapered carbon Van Dessel cross fork with sultry Corima carbon hubs"][/caption]