On a Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest
Ride Noise = 12
One of the first things you notice, besides the fact that you’re going fast immediately without much effort, is the fact that It makes no noise at all. No cables banging each other or the frame, no hub-clicks, no chain or cassette noise, you can't tell if you’re riding anything but air. It’s dead quiet to ride. This gives you more time to hear the wind hit your ears, talk to your girlfriend or jabber non-sense to another rider that you are about to abuse on a hill.
Road Comfort = 9
Only on rough, potholed roads will you notice it’s a bit stiff. Everyone hopefully has to realize you must give up a little something to have a bike climb and sprint like this. There is a fine balance between making something stiff enough to race and yet compliant enough to ride for over a 100 miles. This bike has hit that balance perfectly. It’s amazingly smooth on the road compared to the stiffness required when sprinting or climbing.
Brakes = 10
Maybe it’s just because they are new, but this bike stops far superior to any of my other 4 Dura Ace bikes. You just dive in corners deeper and deeper and it builds more confidence with each turn that it will slow down in a hurry.
Di2 Shifting = 10
The electronic Shimano shifting is amazingly good, more specifically, perfect. The more you ride it the more you realize how much time they spent on details. Hood position, shifter touch and location, speed of shifting and accuracy is perfect. You just can’t make mistakes, unless you are lame. The only drawback that I miss is, more of an adjustment rather than drawback, is, when you need to grab 3 gears or more at once you DO have to push the button that many times. It happens maybe just as fast with the button versus the old way, but I (was) used to the old way. This is something you could get used to very easily though and the other attributes far out way this minor detail. All the idol talk about the battery life being an issue is just plain hogwash. You have to be really lame to run the battery dead. It goes forever, I still haven’t charged mine, and is incredibly easy to remove and charge, when necessary.
Shifting trim adjustments = 10
On the fly trim adjustments are very easy, something I thought with electric shift would be difficult. The light readouts make is very simple and it’s hardly ever needed anyway.
Handling = 10
This bike is superb at high speeds and very precise on corners without being jittery. Aim it where you want to go and it goes there with confidence.
Climbing = 10
No question this is its best attribute. It’s stiff and serious about making every ounce of energy go toward your goal at the top. Climbers will love it.
Road compliancy = 9.5
At first I was amazed that it could be this stiff and compliant too. However the more I ride it, the more I realize I was asking too much for a bike to be as thoroughbred of a racer and expect it to suck up every little bump in the road too. Even on big hits, it does have that absorbent cushion that carbon so often gives you. Hit a pothole you don’t see and it doesn’t feel like you broke the frame in half, it’s stiff but still absorbs exceptionally well.
Stability = 10 (you can ride it with no hands at 40mph… go figure)
Wow. I was so confident coming down a steep grade that I let go of the bars just a bit to see if it would start the dreaded fork wobble….nothing. So, I let go and sat up slowly with no hands. Nothing…straight as an arrow.
Sprinting = 12
Oh yes, like climbing when you want to GO, just say so and it’s all business. No flex, no losses, just pure acceleration.
Finish Qualilty = 10
The paint scheme is beautiful, mine is red, the carbon shows just enough to make a statement, the detail of attachment points, drop outs, wire routing, battery holder and general flow of the design is gorgeous. It’s not only fun to ride, but it gets a lot of second looks, questions and compliments.
Side note of surprise: 2010 version of the Dura Ace Carbon 1380 wheels are superb. Great feel, stiff yet compliant, alum braking surface, easy to mount, easy to true, durable and dependable.
If I had to pick on something just to make this review sound more credible, it hops a little in the back under heavy braking on bumpy roads probably due to the short chain stays (402 on a large). This is really nit-picking though. Hey if it was perfect no one would believe all the praise I’m giving it. Honestly it’s amazing and I’m not easily impressed.
Bikes I currently own, all Dura/Ace: Scott CR1 team issue with carbon wheels 15.2 lbs / Trek 5.9 Madone / Specialized SL2 / Specialized Tarmac E5 / Motobecane Le Champion
During this time I was able to step up to the riders and talk with them about their day and mostly about the G5 bike. When they saw me they knew they were about to get hit with questions about the bike and not the race. For some of them it was difficult to explain the difference between last years bike and the new G5. They would demonstrate with their hands or repeat the same words two or three times. If there were five different ways to mention that the bike was stiff they would figure out a way to do it. Really, after three weeks of talking with the riders the main benefit they treasured the most was the stiffness of the new G5. The riders didn’t want any of their efforts to go to waste, when they stepped on the pedals they wanted the bike to move forward. According to the riders the newly designed BH accomplished this in the front end, the bottom bracket, and the rear triangle - that pretty much covered the entire bike.
Simplicity can be a rider’s friend and in this case it works because the riders get what they want without realizing all the added benefits. The carbon dropouts, the cut out down tube, the tapered head tube, the BB 30 bottom bracket, and replaceable derailleur hanger are items the professionals don’t really notice. As a consumer these are all important features for safety, repair, and ease of use. The Tour riders demand a very stiff bike that would climb well and sprint well. This is a challenge for any bike manufacturer because of the balance to stay laterally rigid while decreasing the weight. The AG2R mechanics pointed out the new tube shapes throughout the G5 allow these contradictory qualities of lightness and stiffness to coexist.
-Frankie Andreu
Dessel continues to be impressed. “I like the way the bike feels when I’m out of the saddle. It drives forward fast . There is a big difference in stiffness from last year.” The new G5 increased the stiffness to meet the riders demands but they also made the seat stays flatter to be more compliant. Efimkin echoed the feelings of comfort, “The bike rides nice. I can do five hours and it doesn’t feel bad. The legs can be bad but that’s not because of the bike.”
As Nocentini rode to the start today he was relaxed and satisfied with his effort through the mountains. Although he was one of the last to arrive to the start line he still had plenty of time to talk and wave to the fans. I cornered him to ask about the last couple stages, “The mountains were hard but the team really helped me a lot.” I pressed him on how the bike has been performing for him despite its color not matching his yellow jersey. “The bike has been great and especially through the corners. Many bikes can be stiff but the G5 seems to fly through the corners and I feel safe with it.” Nicholas Rooche added, “The feeling of the bike out of the saddle is very responsive, especially with the nice wheels. In Barcelona, when there were a lot of crashes, I took a lot of risks to do the sprint and there was no problem with any of the steering. I loved it.”
Joshua, Chris, and other Cyclepath & BH folks,
I've logged 400 miles on the new BH G4 over the past two weeks, including a 101-miler last Sunday. Love it! I know that part of the great ride is the super-light Reynolds MV 32C UL wheelset (which weigh in at exactly their listed weight of 1326g including the rim tape, but no skewer) but the frame has the wonderful feel I had been anticipating ever since I tested the GC two months ago. It is indeed a great climbing bike. I was surprised when I finally took a tape measure to it and to my Seven after today's hilly ride and found that their chainstay lengths were identical. It really feels like I'm right on top of the rear wheel on the BH and all the power I produce is going right to the road. I've had other good bikes, always brand new, but I think I've loved the first rides on past bikes mainly because the bike was new, with all that entails, shifting that's not worn out and wheels that are straight and true, but with the BH I love the ride because it's just WOW, what an amazing top-of-the-line machine. And it's no problem to go down the road no hands, unwrapping a Clif bar. Even little old non-racer me can appreciate it.
The bike weighs 14 3/4 pounds ready-to-ride with a computer, two Arundel sideloader bottle cages (they work great on the small frame) and a small seat bag/tool kit. I subbed a heavier tire on the rear, a Vittoria Diamonte Pro (to hopefully last a little longer), put on a set of Control Tech Race skewers that I had (they operate with a 5mm allen key instead of their own lever, saving approximately the weight of one regular quick release), and found the tubes to be heavier than others I had, 82g instead of 69g, so since I was playing around I changed those too. Other than the above and my own Selle Italia SLK saddle the bike is stock, happily saving slightly more than a pound over my Seven.
The 52cm frame is perfect with the 9cm stem that Chris predicted. I'm riding it comfortably with one spacer, which is actually 1.5cm. It's a totally different feel with the SRAM levers and the FSA bar. I like both very much. I find myself riding back on the hoods more than on Shimano, where the little bulge of the SRAM hood fits into the hollow of my hand. I also like the trick of pulling the rear shift lever in close to the bar when shifting to a larger cog. It makes the shift more sure. At first I thought the downward-sloping top on the bar was weird but then I rode an old round bar and found I placed my wrists that way anyway, kind of hanging off the back of the bar. Now I'm perfectly comfortable in that position.
It's been a long process to get this bike, from my early correspondence with Chris, to Rob and Jason's help at the Tour of California, to placing my order and finally connecting after all the travels and picking it up--I thank you all!!!
Karen Poole
BH Speedrom customer review
I like to get feedback from my customers when possible on the bikes I sell and BH is a new brand that I love to share excitement for. Gene bought a Speedrom from me just before Christmas and was kind enough to write this review for it. 2009 speedroms will be arriving in a few weeks.
Many bike reviews are heavy on technical details describing the frame, components, and wheels but this review of the BH Speedrom won't have any of that. Why? Because I'm not a techie so I don't know if a full monocoque unidirectional high-modulus carbon fiber frame is a good thing or bad and I don't care. I'm a bike rider so that means when I'm on a casual ride, I care about comfort; when I'm racing I want to be fast; when I'm climbing, I want the bike to be light; when I'm zipping through tight corners, I need a bike that handles well and is responsive; and given the tough economic times, I need the bike to be affordable.
For me, the BH Speedrom passes muster on all of those qualities. From the first pedal stroke when the bike lept forward like a rocket, I've been sold. The Speedrom is a comfortable ride and while I haven't been beyond 40 miles on a single ride…yet, I haven't been anxious to get off it either. Tooth-rattling pavement feels much smoother than when I rode over it on my previous bike and while my dentist will lose some business, it's a good thing for me.
The light weight of the bike makes climbing a joy. On hills I used to grind up, I now imagine I'm Pantani or Virenque. No, not a drug cheat but a champion climber. I'm taking corners at higher speeds and with more confidence because the Speedrom handles like a dream. Best of all, I didn't have to take out a second mortgage to afford the bike.
Lastly, the Speedrom just looks great. It has beautiful lines and a bitchin' paint job so you'll look great whether you are racing, touring, or just enjoying a casual ride.
This past month has been one of monumental change, denoted by the arrival of transcontinental roommates and international, new rides. Upon the arrival of my southern-pride stricken teammates, we immediately started working on building the trusty steeds. The house turned into a pseudo mass production assembly line, I am sure line workers at Volkswagen would have been proud. With cardboard boxes flying and bubble wrap snapping, as any cyclist on a team can attest, the months of January and February can feel a lot like Christmas all over again. New bikes, new clothes, and tons of random sponsor swag, we are like little kids salivating in a candy store.
Personally, I was really anticipating the first ride on my new bike. We suited up and went out for an easy two hour spin to make sure everything was fitted properly and to see how things handled. I am extremely happy with how the new 09’ Connect rides. As a whole, I like the responsiveness of the bike. It handles great on technical terrain, which is a must in the States and even more so when our women’s team makes the trek over to Europe for some UCI racing.
The following day we hooked up with our Saturday “race ride” so we could really see how the bikes handled. There were the obvious gawks and stereotypical stares at our beautiful rides, but being in the break with the “big boys” the first day on my new rig was what had me and the weekend warriors convinced. The 09’ BH Connect would no doubt be perfect for this season of racing. My teammates agree. With the sleek look and great handling, our new BHs will no doubt give us an upper hand, when we step up to the line.
