Abici Bikes Podium Dura-Ace

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Tour de Lac

Bike Setup:
Very nice.

Summary:
I purchased frame/fork with headset via telephone. Abici was easy to deal with, had a great price, and the frame/fork are excellent. Podium replaces a Cannondale CAAD6 that was just too stiff for me.

I have approx 600 miles on the frame. I have not had a chance to race it, but have taken some hard longish training rides. Climbs like a previous reviews' claimed scared monkey. Best cornering bike I have ever had, and I have had around forty bikes. Descends very well. Pack riding is excellent due to quick steering and compact geometry. Love that straight fork.

The finish is excellent. I got the one color Red and it is an excellent paint job. Welds are very clean with no beads in the hidden spots.

Strengths:
Cornering, climbing, finish. Really likes corners and fast stuff.

Weaknesses:
Rr derailleur cable needs some kind of guide in the middle. With the S-bend stays, the cable is exposed between the BB guide and Rr. Derailleur cable stop. I have not had any shifting problems, but it has caught on things while putting into car.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale CAAD6, Klein Quantum, Fuji Professional, many others.

Price Paid:  $3500.00 at Abicibikes.com

Favorite Ride:
Abici Podium 57cm

Bike Setup:
2002 Dura Ace, Rolfe Prima Vigor 2003 wheels, 3T Zepp stem, Easton carbon bars, Flite gel saddle, Thompson alloy seatpost, Look pedals, Shimano Flite Deck computer.

Summary:
The Abici Podium is aluminum proprietary tubing called "Triple X," with an Abici carbon fork. It is a very fast, agile frame/fork combo. Most recently I got 11th on it in the Death Valley Stage Race and used the bike one week later to chase down a couple breaks in the Warner Center Classic 45+. The latter race is visible on Photocrazy.com on pages 17 and 21. The Abici Podium is very quick, responsive and agile. Combined with Rolfe Prima Vigor wheels, the Abici Podium is the fastest, most comfortable bike I've ever ridden, and I've owned a Masi, a Merlin, a Fuso, etc. The total weight is 17 lbs. even with Look type pedals.

Strengths:
The Abici Podium is very light, very stiff where it counts, steers like a dream, and descends flawlessly.

Weaknesses:
Not too many shops carry my bike's brand yet, but you can shop at www.abicibikes.com.

Similar Products Used:
I owned an Abici Starship in 2001, and an Abici XLR8R (Accelerator) in 2002. Each year's innovations are about a year or eighteen months ahead of competitors'.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Abici Website

Bike Setup:
Dura-Ace components, 3T Zepp Stem and Prima 199 bars, Look ergopost, San Marco Squadra HDP saddle, Speedplay pedals, various wheels.

Summary:
The highest compliment I can make about this bike is that when I ride it, I don't notice anything about the frame itself. That is a very good thing because that means the bike pretty much has just become an extension of your body rather than a separate piece of equipment. When I ride the bike, I just think about riding, rather than how the frame "feels." You generally only tend to notice things about the frame when riding when something isn't right anyway. I can't compare it to other aluminum bikes since this is my first. i used to have a Serotta Legend Ti and I like this one more. The Serotta costs more than twice as much also.

Strengths:
You don't even notice the frame when you're riding. It really stands out in crowd.

Weaknesses:
It could use another cable guide under the curved chainstays. The "lawyer lips" on the fork are a pain (though I think pretty much every fork manufacturer does this now)

Similar Products Used:
Aegis Aro Svelte, Specialized Epic (early 1990s carbon fiber), Serotta Legend Ti, Merlin Extralight.