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W AVANTI CORSA SL 2WORDS BY RUSSELL JONES PHOTOS BY STEVE LAWTON

With this in mind New Zealand Road Cyclist put the new Avanti Corsa SL 2 to the test, to see if it

could hold its own, buck for buck, against any challenger from around the globe.

My initial reaction was it looks ‘classy’ , and when I say classy, I mean in a quiet, unassuming way. The matt black carbon

finish projects a stealthy and prototype feel to the bike, the different features taking time to stand out, the more you look, the more you see. And when you spot them you soon realise that this frame projects itself as a fast no-nonsense race bike.

The lines of the frame are sleek; angled from the front you notice the slight bulge in the

head tube that moulds backwards into the progressively flattened off top tube, which then tapers back into the seat tube - an area that simply oozes flawless design.

Here the integrated seat clamp and the lowered rear stays provide a futuristic feel, enhanced by the missing rear brake bridge (the rear brake is installed behind the bottom

In a sport that is often fixated with a fascination on frames and parts from foreign lands, the Kiwi brand of Avanti can often get over-looked as a consideration when choosing our next steed. However, with a performance road bike range that is brimming with world-class features and a history that boasts Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championship-winning bikes we would all be foolish to not to give this homegrown brand a proper look.

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bracket), again giving the frame a hint of a ‘this is something special’ and a crafted feel to it. Another clever feature that doesn’t stand out but reeks of carefully thought out design are the asymmetrical chain stays.

Bolstered on the non-drive side, the oversized BB86 bottom bracket shell has been maximised for strength from the frame,

the drive side rear stay ever so slightly larger to combat the extra stresses forced on it. Using Avanti’s Computational Fluid Dynamics design aid, the squarer-looking down tube rounds off the lightweight but strong look of the frame while maintaining its aero quality.

The electronic compatible internal cable routing adds to this aero feel in addition

to being aesthetically really neat. The rear brake cable dives into the down tube port, only showing itself underneath near the bottom bracket producing that pro time trial bike touch to the design. Equally, the rear mech is cleverly fed from an integrated stop inside the rear dropout - functional and aero, clean and classy.

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Overall, it carries an air of finesse about it, there is something understated about its appearance. Besides, the

SL 2 doesn’t need any blingy graphics or a bright-coloured paint job to advertise its solid performance; it proves itself on the road. Out of the saddle climbing feels powerful, the tight rear triangle transferring your power efficiently onto the road, in the saddle climbing feels comfortable, encouraging you to push and test yourself against the hills.

ARMED WITH ULTEGRA

In fitting with the lightweight modelled frame, the SL 2 comes spec’d with the mechanical version of Shimano’s Ultegra groupset, therefore negating the need for any extra weight of the battery from the Di2 version. As I’ve said before, Ultegra is always the solid ‘fit-and-forget’ functional groupset of the Shimano range, and yet again it reaps the benefit of the Dura Ace trickle-down effect.

Straight away the alloy Ultegra 6800 wheels feel fast, and with a weight of only 1640grams for the pair so they should be. During the month-long test period the wheels were faultless, top tier Dura Ace-like features such as the offset spoked rim have resulted in a reliable, strong pair of hoops. Plus, the Kenda Kriterium tyres rolled really well on smooth roads and were noticeably grippy on rough-sealed climbs.

The updated ergonomic brake hoods felt so natural, I found myself wanting to stay there for both chasing and spinning. The hidden gear cable looks so much neater than traditional Shimano STI shifters, the cables cleverly routed around the bars to present a natural flat hand-rest on the tops.

With the dual symmetrical pivot design of the brakes, Shimano claim a 16% improvement on previous versions. I can’t be as precise as that but I did find myself quite comfortable while descending my local

test hill, feathering the brakes around the hairpins while holding the hoods instead of the traditional drops position, making for an overall more relaxed descent.

This inherent stability is not only the result of the geometry but also the design of the front end of the bike, the 1 1/8” top headset combination with the 1.5” bottom race minimises flex in this area (while also saving weight) and is paired to the solid and smart-looking Zero Attack Pro handlebar and stem.

The bars have quite a wide straight top, which is perfect for opening up your chest for improved breathing while climbing but also brought some additional emergency confidence during an impromptu Roubaix-style roadworks moment. Away from the traditional D, its ergonomic shape has an aggressive enough position to feel fast and tucked but is also comfortable enough for it not to feel unnatural for the steady spin out on the way home.

THE INTEGRATED SEAT CLAMP - AN AREA THAT SIMPLY OOZES FLAWLESS DESIGN.

THE ELECTRONIC COMPATIBLE INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING ADDS TO THE BIKE’S AERO FEEL.

THE CORSA’S FUTURISTIC FEEL IS ENHANCED BY THE MISSING REAR BRAKE BRIDGE.

THE ULTEGRA 11-SPEED 11-25 CASSETTE PROVIDES JUST THE RIGHT GEAR WHEN YOU NEED IT.

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The acute bend also minimises the possibility of banging your forearms when sprinting, as can be the

normal compromise with the traditional shape. Put it this way, I’m reconsidering my own choice of bars after enjoying these for the duration of the test.

The rear shifting, as expected, is flawless, the levers reacting almost instinctively. The Ultegra 11-speed 11-25 cassette amply fills in any unwanted jumps throughout its range, resulting in you always finding just the right gear when powering along flats or when hitting those hills. Equally, despite dealing with the 11-speed range, the front shift is also faultless.

Copying the elongated lever design from the proven Dura Ace front mech has resulted in the same reduced push, which in turn brings quick and easy shifting.

Also filtering down from the Dura Ace 9000 groupset is the four-arm design of the Ultegra chainset; this not only looks classy but also brings a cunning economical advantage to play. Although the SL 2 comes with the race-ready 53/39 chainrings Shimano have designed this chainset to be compact compatible too, meaning you can run a 50/34 without forking out for a whole brand new chainset, perfect for those extra hilly one-off rides or trips to the mountains. Add to that the short cage rear derailleur on this model can run up to a 28 sprocket (this model is supplied with the ample 25) which will get you over anything anyone can throw at you.

Saying that, the stiffness from the Hollowtech II chainset that tightly hugs the bottom bracket makes this bike just beg to be ridden in the 53. I often found myself winding away the miles in a form finding 53x15, only flicking the right lever a few times to ease over the occasional rise.

Neatly housed and almost hidden behind the chainset is the 6870 rear brake. In the often conservative and conforming world of the road bike, these brakeless seat stays look a bit weird when riding behind them at first - but ultimately project a sleek and lightweight top end aero look, a feature other manufacturers are starting to add to their ranges.

Importantly, the brake works well; solid neither grabby nor sloppy, which to me means firstly they’ve got the cable run right and then secondly they’ve got the positioning right. As well as the aero advantage, there does seem to be a certain logic in mounting the brake on arguably the stiffest part of the frame to enhance braking performance.

CONCLUSION

Despite being a trimmed down version of their aero orientated Corsa DR series frame, the SL (Super Lightweight) still manages to cleverly hide some of the aero features of its stable mate in its armoury while shaving and saving precious weight.

The whole package not only looks like a race bike, but it feels like a race bike. Lively not twitchy, light not delicate, agile and ultimately proving itself fast - after earning a few PBs on my local test climbs

along the way - it’s easy to forget that this isn’t even the flagship of Avanti’s SL range, it’s got that top shelf national squad or team issue feel to its ride.

This performance, combined with its understated but classy looks, means you’ll be quietly surprising a few people if you turn up on the Avanti Corsa SL 2 for your next ride.

SPECIFICATIONS: AVANTI CORSA SL 2

FRAMEADT CR5 Carbon, Performance Road Geometry, Universal component capability

FORK ADT CR5 Monocoque Carbon Integrated with 1.5-1 1/8” Steerer

FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano Ultegra 6800

REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano Ultegra 6800

SHIFTERS Shimano Ultegra 6800 22-Speed

CRANKSET Shimano Ultegra 6800 53/39T

BRAKES Shimano Ultegra 6800

BRAKE LEVERS Shimano Ultegra 6800, with Shimano Brake cables

WHEELSET Shimano Ultegra 6800 Wheelset

TYRES Kenda Kriterium 700 x 23c with Superlite Tubes

CASSETTE Shimano Ultegra 11-25T 11-Speed

HANDLEBAR Zero Attack Pro 31.8mm

HANDLEBAR STEM Zero Attack Pro 31.8mm

HEADSET Tapered Integrated Aheadset 1-1/8”- 1.5”

SADDLE Zero Zenith Pro

SEAT POST Corsa SL Carbon 27.2mm

BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano BB86 Press Fit

CHAIN Shimano Ultegra 6800

RRP $4,799

THE AVANTI CORSA SL 2...THE WHOLE PACKAGE NOT ONLY LOOKS LIKE A RACE BIKE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE A RACE BIKE.

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