Our 5th Bike of the Day is our old
Javelin Torgiano. Though she left us quite a while back, we are including the Jav here since this bike was truly responsible for our realization that hand-made Italian frames are what ride quality is all about.
The Details: 2010 Javelin Torgiano – 13.3 lbs complete
The Build:
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Frame: Javelin Torgiano hand-made carbon
Fork: Javelin Zero carbon
Groupset – Campy/Tiso mix w/ Zipp Vuma Quad
Components and wheels - various
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The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 10/10
Front-end Stiffness: 6/10
BB Stiffness: 6/10
Style/Aesthetics: 8/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 6/10
Total = 36/50
The Good: Super smooth ride quality due to unique tube shaping matched with an agile quickness make this an awesome ride for modern urban roads. Custom geometry also assists in fitting a wide range of riders. Oh, and the Vuma Quad is SICK.
The Bad: Way above claimed weight, not very stiff in the front end or BB, and a somewhat underwhelming graphics package.
The Skinny: A bit of an odd bird - super smooth, yet still cat-like quickness - leaves us impressed, yet scratching our heads looking for the Javelin demographic. Former racers looking for a more forgiving package might be best served.
Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering, I'll say the following about the wheels in the pics above...
- Lightweights: Super stiff, look awesome, but technology is aging and price is crazy-high
- DT Swiss RR's: Smooth, light and killer graphics, but generic Reynolds rims and DT hubs do not make sense for a $4K wheelset
- Mavic CCU's: Good stiffness, very smooth ride quality, solid hubs, and a rim that handles cross-winds well. The jack-of-all trades.
- Fulcrum Racing Speed's: Campy Bora's by another name - a bit long in the tooth, heavy, and braking is just ok, yet still the benchmark for a bomb-proof carbon tubular that can be raced and still used for training.
Stay tuned for our full-on Wheel Roundup later this winter!
