SIMPLON PAVO GRAN FONDO DISC £3849
THREE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THE...
The frame
Austrian company Simplon’s bikes have only been available in the UK in the last year. In the Pavo Gran Fondo it’s created an innovative frame; the chain-stays are twisted to aid comfort-giving flex and the seat-stays are made from Vibrex fibres to damp road vibrations. Add in the rear-facing fork dropouts that enable the fork leg profile to be flatter for better controlled fore-and-aft movement and the front is as plush as the rear. With a weight of just 870g there’s no penalty for added comfort or the inclusion of disc brakes.
The ride
The Pavo’s geometry is on the racier end of out-and-out endurance. Its 72.5-degree head and 73-degree seat angles make for a bike that’s comfortable over distances, yet swift when you want to get into the drops and sprint. Excellent tyres, a bang up-to-date D-shaped carbon seatpost and a carbon bar with a swept-back top section mean the contact points are as sorted as the frame.
The options
Once you’ve chosen your model and groupset, you can choose options on chainset, saddle, cassette, and masses of wheel and tyre combinations all at various price premiums or discounts.
ONE THING WE’D CHANGE The price
The Pavo is a brilliant bike, brimming with great performance, but it is at the top end of what we’d expect to pay for a bike of this spec. For less you could have a new 2018 Cannondale Synapse carbon with Ultegra Di2, or our current Bike of the Year, Specialized’s Roubaix, with a similar spec and pocket a saving of £350.