Price Paid:  $0.00 at www.abicibikes.com

Favorite Ride:
Peak-to-Peak Highway

Bike Setup:
Campy Chorus groupset, Bontrager Race Lite wheels, American Classic Seatpost, TTT Forgie Stem and Bars, Time Impact Pedals...other stuff is unimportant and more a matter of personal tastes...oh, did I mention that I have a nice Thule rack?

Summary:
I didn't know what to expect, buying my Abici XLR8R on-line, but it was all very smoothly orchestrated. All deliveries arrived and were in fantastic condition.

I chose Abici based on reviews I had read, and based on personal communication with folks already riding Abici's. I wanted more of a "boutique" frame; nothing against the bigger names, but I like to support the indies that devote hours of attention to the detail that a frame demands. Having received a beautiful frame and now riden my bike for about a month, it's clear to me that I made a great decision.

This frame provides the ultimate platform for scorching acceleration without compromising ride comfort. This allows all-day-long comfort and on-demand performance.

I call myself a recreational rider, but I will race occasionally...for me to call myself a racer would be an overstatement, however. Nevertheless, I'll race on this bike probably 8 to 10 times this upcoming season and will do so with confidence it this bikes race-ready condition.

I welcome e-mail from any prospective Abici customers.

Strengths:
Lightweight, compliant ride quality. Beautiful tubing, structurally and aesthetically.

Weaknesses:
Only weakness is having to help the uninformed rider how to say "ah-BEACH-ey."

Similar Products Used:
Past rides include Cannondale, Specialized and Kona. Nothing is directly comparable to the XLR8R from Abici.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
any at 3 a.m. and drunk

Bike Setup:
Full Campy Chorus, TTT Zepp h-bars/stem, Flite saddle, AmClassic seatpost, Keywin pedals, cheap clin

Summary:
After a couple years away from racing, I decided to get a new bike to jump into the year with. Previously, I had only ridden steel on the road, mostly Italian with a couple US manufacturers here and there. Never having been a fan of aluminum after having a noodle of a Miyata when I lived in Japan, I had shied away from it as long as I could...not easy when you grow up in the same state as the big C company. Looking at the landscape of new frames that have come out the last couple years, the whole carbon fiber idea really got me. Of course, there have been those on either side of the argument and for many the jury is still out...but not for me. Whether it is the diffential butting Columbus uses now overall, the carbon stays, the full carbon fork...this is nothing like my friend R1000 that I had borrowed a while back. This baby is smooth. Climbing is straight forward with little flex apparent at the BB. Decending is a world apart from the early 90s vintage Miyata that would have me tucked on the top tube shivering in fear. And the best thing is I can ride for hours and hours without shaking any filling loose from my teeth!

Strengths:
Rigid where it counts
Cushy where it counts
Handles as good or better than any bike I have been on
Awesome paint job
The nice feeling you get when dealing with a small company that loves cycling
Oh and did I mention the paint is awesome!

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Felt, Colnago, DeRosa, Bianchi, Cannondale, Aegis

Price Paid:  $1399.00 at Abici web site

Favorite Ride:
Abici XLR8R

Bike Setup:
full Dura Ace--even Shimano race wheels
3T bars and stem
Flite gel saddle and Thompson seatpost

Summary:
This frame one-ups last year's Starship in two ways: (1.) the carbon seatstays, called the Abici Carbon Damping System, or ACDS, eradicate road vibration (2.) the widened down tube, where it is welded onto the bottom bracket shell, gives a stiffer frame for a better sprint.

Strengths:
The carbon seat stays are a lot better for my 44 year old back.
The sprint is awesome in a crit.

Weaknesses:
I have detected none so far.

Similar Products Used:
I rode last year's Abici Starship in about fifteen crits and two road races.