Olympia Leader Disc Ultegra Di2
Who: Since this bike was the first Olympia Leader Disc in North America, we figured a quick peak was worth it. Olympia have a 120+ year history of innovation, and now employ a team of 250 workers in their Italian factory. With road and MTB offerings, OlympiaCicli might still be the biggest bike brand you've never heard of, until now.
What: This Leader Disc was Olympia's first road+aero+disc offering, and promptly won the 2014 ExboBici Italy Innovation Award for design. Featuring a fairly traditional road geometry, this carbon aero bike would seem at home amongst your local Sunday group-ride sprinters..until someone notices the lack of brake calipers, and then #HOLYSHITARETHOSEDISCBRAKES!?
Where: We'll use this section to ask a query? Where...do you ride? On rough roads? In the rain? For long distances? If you say yes to any of those, consider disc brakes for your next road bike, period. Better modulation, better power, and WAY better in the wet. So don't think that disc should only be reserved for gravel grinders. If you don't need a UCI-legal bike (and even that is changing soon), the prospect of an aero-disc racer isn't so crazy.
When: Olympia released this model in 2014 and while it is still a very worthy consideration, we are even more excited to test the upcoming
2015 Boost Disc model, which promises slightly lower weight and higher rigidity. However, what we know for now is that this Leader Disc offers a more traditional look along with a solid-but-not-too-stiff ride quality, aerodynamic tubeset shaping, and the ability to run up to a 27mm tire with most wheelsets, meaning plenty of versatility.
Why: We see this model as a jack of all trades, capable of everything from light gravel grinding and Centurion-type fast-paced cruising, where the tire clearance and aerodynamics would both be key, to shorter and more regular weekly romps and races, where the Leader's stiffness and braking ability could shine through. Either way, this is a bike capable of handling a variety of ride conditions, with some Italian panache thrown in for good measure, especially in the form of the glittering UD carbon weave.
Frame:
Olympia Leader Disc - Size XL - Col. 04
Fork: Olympia Tapered Carbon Disc
Groupset: Ultegra Di2 Hydraulic Disc
Wheels: Pacenti SL25 Disc rims on White Industries CLD hubs #Blacksmithwheels
Cockpit: FSA CSI-99 carbon stem and K-Force-Light Nano carbon compact bar
Saddle: 2015 Fizik Aliante R3
The bulky headtube leads into an aerodynamic fork and downtube, with lots of stiffness:
Aero seatpost, disc brakes and generous tire clearance for speed, safety and comfort:
Slippery tube shapes from extensive computer modeling
helped win the Leader awards:
I won't
repeat in full my love for disc brakes in this space, but...they rock. Talk to us about ordering your own Olympia today, and stay tuned for more #OlympiaCicli model coverage.
