Quintana Roo Cd0.1
Tri-specific bikes are becoming increasingly popular with their purpose-built features and tailored geometry. Quintana Roo are one of the only pure tri bike brands around and for 2009 have unveiled what they say is the bike with the lowest drag coefficient ever. QR even boldly claims that the Cd0.1 can cheat the wind!
The Ride
Once you’re onboard you know you’ve got a friend for life, or one that will at least accompany you on many a tough ride. The Cd0.1 is comfortable, it doesn’t demand
form through pain and effort, and allows you to just drop into shape. Everything is where it should be: the base bar is solid and the clips sweep up nicely into your hands, while all controls are within easy reach. It may look aggressive but it’s a softy at heart.
On the road it feels super smooth – the drone of the rear disc wheel makes you feel very professional and important as it echoes its expense down the street. And while the post has a tendency to sink unless you really put some brute strength into tightening up the clamp, it’s soon sorted with a 4mm Allen key. Power transfer feels instantaneous and, once you get up and cranking, you really notice how solid the frame is; there’s absolutely zero flex coming out of the super deep and rigid chainstays.
In the saddle the 78.5° seat-tube angle allows for every effort to be fired into the pedals without killing your legs, and the skinny seatstays allow for enough absorption to help reduce road vibration. Once you get it going it just wants to keep rolling and rolling, as it builds up momentum and retains it almost like a fly wheel. The only issue is stopping it when you suddenly realise how fast you’re going. As with many tri bikes, the brakes aren’t the best so planning ahead is sometimes needed!
The 72° head-tube angle feels fairly relaxed and works perfectly in tune with the front wheel. Even on a fairly blustery day the bike is stable, and gives you confidence to get down on the clips and give it some steam. Cornering feels safe at high speed and presumably this would still be the case at low speed, but the QR doesn’t really do slow so you won’t get chance to find out!
The build
Now, as yet, the UK distributors don’t supply the fully built-up option – the Cd0.1 comes as frame, fork, seatpost, headset and brakes – so we won’t ponder too long on the components. However, the bike we tested would have come in at over £5,500. A hefty chunk of that price stems from the excellent Reynolds wheels, namely the Element disc and the front SDV66c.
The Cd0.1 is pure proof of years of development and testing. The basic fundamentals haven’t been forgotten, but certain features such as the brakes and even the seat clamp may have been slightly overlooked in QR’s quest to create a bike with ‘the lowest drag coefficient ever’.
If you’d gone for the built-up package we tested, you’d be looking at a damn hefty hit on your account, so you need to think carefully about what’s right for you. Fiscal nonsense aside, the bike’s performance still lives up to that of the Superform of 1989, and will undoubtedly give athletes a sound chance of replicating Browning’s success of 20 years ago.
Spec
Frame CD0.1
Forks CD0.1
Groupset SRAM Red 10-speed; SRAM Red bar-emd shifters; TRP 925 brakes
Wheels Reynolds Element disc wheel; Reynolds SDV66C front wheel; Michelin Pro 3 race tyres
Cockpit Vision FSA Trimax carbon tri-bars; FSA Orbit IS headset; Vision brake levers
Seating Fizik Airborne Tri 2 saddle; D0.1 seatpost
Weight 1,295g frame (ML) only; our built up model 7.95 kg (17.53 lb) without pedals
Sizes 49. 52, 55, 58 cm
Note: price stated for frameset only
Contact : www.paligapltd.co.uk
