The rider’s ride

Cinelli Laser Mia, £4,499 frameset, approx £10,200 as tested, chickencyclekit.co.uk

I’ve loved this bike almost as long as I’ve loved bikes. OK, not quite this bike, because the original Laser came out in 1981 and was steel. But the colour and aesthetic of this carbon reimagining are inherited, so too the proud ‘made in Italy’ label. Geometry is traditional Italian race, with short wheelbase and trail and near-horizontal top tube, the former meaning the bike swivels on a sixpence, the latter lending a bit more lateral flex to the frame due to the larger front triangle it creates (as compared to a compact frame).

Given that, it’s fair to say the Laser won’t win any stiffness trophies, but the flipside is that it holds corner lines beautifully – overtly stiff frames just don’t track turns as well. However, as edifying as it is to corner on it’s even more delightful to ride. The 890g (claimed) frame is light enough, so too this sub-7kg build, but it’s the round, slender tubes that give this bike its endearing, steel-like zing and beautiful balance. Which is just what I imagine its forebears had.