WIN 1 OF 12 LIMAR GIRO D ITALIA HELMETS WORTH $199! SEE PAGE 64 New Zealand Road C yclist The aging curve INdoor training Transform your riding this winter How to maintain your performance as you get older may/june 2013 Crouch, touch, cycle How to: Fuel up for winter riding Protect your precious bike from airline gorillas Sleep your way to success Cycling s All Black connection Cycling s no.1 issue may/jun 13 ISSUE 16 NZ $9.90 inc. GST TESTED & REVIEWED EMC Equip 1.1 Avanti Corsa 4.0 www.nzroadcyclist.co.nz www.nzroadcyclist.co.nz How to stay safe on NZ s roads
B I K E R E V I E W Avanti Corsa DR4 WORDS BY ADAM CLARK PHOTOS BY DARRYL CAREY Take the proven performance of your race bike; add the aero advantage of your world-beating TT bike; then add integration on an unprecedented scale. In very simple terms, that s the recipe that iconic Kiwi brand Avanti has used to produce its latest offering, the Avanti Corsa DR4. And as bike reviewer Adam Clark discovered, the result is a bike that fulfils Avanti s vision, when it started out some 25 years ago, to one day be up there with the best bike brands in the world. 30 nzroadcyclist.co.nz
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You could say that Avanti s Corsa DR4 has been years in the making. It owes much of its heritage to the intensive work the company s design team did in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and wind tunnel testing to develop the extreme aero lines of the Avanti Chrono and then applying those learnings to take a high-performance racing bike to the next level.key to that step up has been a commitment to integration to make full use of the bike s aerodynamic qualities. My initial impression of the Corsa was positive. Avanti have gone for a subtle approach in its design with only a touch of colour on the frame, back stays and front forks and a matt grey finish everywhere else. It s a classy-looking, highly-integrated, supremely aerodynamic road racing bike with some nice touches - aero skewers are integrated into a cut out in the front fork and rear seat stay. On top of this an aero head tube cap can be switched out with other sizes to allow for different steerer lengths. Little features maybe, but they tidy up the bike and give it a distinctly aero look. My first ride on the Avanti confirmed that positive impression. The Corsa DR4 is unlike any other Avanti I have ever seen - you can tell just by looking at it they have taken things to the next level - and during my first ride I was nothing but impressed. It was smooth, stiff and surprisingly comfortable. Internal cabling enhances the Corsa s stylish, clean lines. Shimano s new Dura Ace 9000 componentry is the finishing touch to a quality bike. A Dura Ace C50 wheelset confirms this is a serious race weapon. Stiff and responsive, the Corsa responds to all the power you can give it. 32 nzroadcyclist.co.nz
Everything about Avanti s supremely aerodynamic Corsa DR4 has been taken to the next level, with the result that it is smooth, stiff and surprisingly comfortable. Over the time I have been reviewing this bike I have clocked up well over 1000km. From short sharp sessions to long 150kmplus rides, the bike has performed remarkably responsively. And did I mention comfortable? Even after a five-hour ride I could swing my leg off and feel like I was in pretty good shape, always a nice feeling! In racking up those kilometres over a range of different roads, climbs and descents, the Corsa DR4 has been a fun bike to ride - responding really nicely to any extra power you want to put through it. I track all my rides using Strava (as some of you may have seen on the NZ Road Cyclist Facebook page) and I broke a few of my personal best times with no trouble at all. It can be a little difficult trusting a new bike on a descent until you get used to it but descending on the Corsa was a breeze and quick too! Smashed a personal best and reclaiming a K.O.M on my first attempt. The bike set-up as I rode it, was covered in top class componentry; highlighted by Shimano s brand new Dura Ace 9000 11-speed groupset including the new C50 clincher wheelset and carbon fibre Dura Ace pedals. To finish it off was a Zero Attack Team bar and stem and Zenith saddle. As Karl Murray wrote in his comprehensive review in the last issue of New Zealand Road Cyclist (Issue #15), the 11-speed Dura Ace 9000 groupset is amazing; a definite set-up from the less-than-perfect 7900. This reflects Shimano s design acumen at its best. It is well-researched, tested and precisely designed and I loved riding it. The 9000 s shifting is light and positive and the hoods are much more comfortable than on the 7900. As for the new C50 wheels, Shimano wheels are always of the highest quality and these are no exception; stiff in the corners and under power and comfortable even over rough roads. The Zero Attack Team bar was nice too, stiff under power on the drops and nice and comfortable on long rides. Overall Avanti have done an incredibly good job with the new Corsa DR. The bike is quick, stiff and powerful; responsive to every pedal turn. This is a race bike that deserves respect in the peloton. It certainly exceeded all my expectations when I rode it and I ve got to say it looks pretty fantastic. First the Chrono and now the Corsa DR I m excited to see what else Avanti have in store for us in the future. specifications avanti corsa dr4 Frame: Fork: Wheelset: Tyres: ADT CR6 Carbon, Aero performance road geometry ADT CR6 Monocoque carbon Shimano Dura Ace C50 clinchers Kenda Kountach Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 Shifters: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 Brake levers: Shimano Dura Ace Crankset: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 53/39T Bottom Bracket: Shimano SM-BB71 Chain: Shimano Dura Ace 9000 Cassette: Shimano Dura Ace 11-speed 11-25T Saddle: Seatpost: Handlebar: Stem: Zero Zenith Team Aero carbon Zero Attack Team Zero Attack Team RRP: $9,299.99 Distributor: Sheppard Industries 34 nzroadcyclist.co.nz