Bespoke Blog

I will concede the fact that I require a brand new £8000 bike to motivate me to ride in the cold is not a great testament to my mental fortitude. But I am weak, and everyone needs their treats at Christmas....

Besides its a great bike and one I am very much looking forward to riding over the next 3-4 months.

Features Editor Dave Arthur has ridden the racier Emonda Disc and was blown away by the package (and Disc brakes in particular). I have Disc brakes on my gravel bike, but this will be the first time I have owned a Disc road bike. Its very much the way the industry is heading and I am looking forward to seeing what all the hype is about.

The large 32mm tyres are a sight to behold. I remember when moving from 23 to 25mm was considered bold! 32s will certainly increase compliance but even more importantly they offer more contact patch with wet roads - perfect for treacherous winter conditions. I am thinking come early spring I will switch out to 28mm tyres with a racier tread and give the bike a new lease of life.

I had the SLR10 version of the Domane which was caliper brakes, had tubular wheels and came in the super agressive H1 fit. That was Porsche's 911 Turbo to this Panamera....

The SLR10 was a great bike - I used it for every UK sportive I did; 5 hours on the bike was a doddle.

I remember when 'sportive bikes' were heavy lumps. This is anything but, and comes in under 7.5kgs in a 58cm. Thats very impressive given all the tech it packs.

Sure this SLR9 is a bit heavier than the all-out race bikes I have been riding recently, but alas I have also put on a bit of winter weight myself. Glass houses and all that....

£8000 is a lot of money - but this is a lot of bike. The SLR is the flagship frame, with the highest modulus carbon. Di2 9170 Disc is sublime and the Bontrager Aeolus 3 carbon wheels (with DT Swiss hubs) are brilliant. Its a fantastic package.

The Iso-coupler in the front and the rear take out the sting in the terrible roads - and the rear one is adjustable - so you can play around with settings based on your weight, tyre width and tyre psi. All very Formula One!

First Impressions are most favourable. Its incredibly compliant, but not soft. It responds very well to changes of pace and loves climbing. Handling is very stable - the slack head tube, low BB and long chainstays result in a bike that tracks beautifully.

It seems a fantastic do it all bike, and one I am immensely looking forward to getting to know much better. Santa has come early and he has brought me a cracker...