Friends of Italian racing bikes, who previously made their purchase decision primarily for romantic reasons, can now live out their preference again on the basis of technical data: Never before has a frameset of Italian origin passed the TOUR test with such good results. The frame builder who achieved this feat is called Sarto. The company was founded in 1959 by Antonio Sarto, now over 80 years old, who specialised in the exclusive customisation of racing frames. In addition to series manufacturers such as Pinarello and Corratec, his customers included riders such as Bartoli, Rominger and Armstrong. The family business with 15 employees is based in Mellaredo in Veneto. Enrico, the patriarch's son, has been with the company since 1992 and was the driving force behind the decision to switch production entirely to carbon fibre. According to Sarto, around 2,500 handmade frames leave the factory every year, the majority of which are produced for other brands, such as the British mail-order company Planet-X.
Our test bike, the Cima Coppi based on the RR02 frame, currently marks the highest stage of development in Sarto's racing bike programme. The design language is simple, all tubes are round, giving the racer a discreet appearance. Only the chainstays have a slightly angular profile, which is intended to give the frame a little more rigidity. The frame is manufactured using the tube-to-tube process, in which the tube blanks are sawn to size and milled to fit precisely, just like in steel or aluminium frame construction in the past. Anyone who previously thought that the traditional construction method could no longer be used to build competitive frames in the carbon age will be proven wrong by Sarto: with an overall score of 1.4 for the version built by the German importer with Campagnolo's Super Record ensemble, the Italo racer is currently one of the best bikes tested by TOUR - and that's how it rides: light, true to track and yet agile.
The big advantage, however, lies in the flexibility of the geometry: although there are fixed sizes, customised frames are also available - at no extra charge. Speaking of price: 3,300 euros is certainly a considerable sum for a carbon frameset; however, the Cima Coppi will still find buyers in view of the craftsmanship, high quality and customised frame option. After all, from a technical point of view, it can compete with the best frames in the world, and the top models from the large-scale manufacturers are not much cheaper. Good reasons, therefore, to indulge more in the Italian moments of life ...
Price complete wheel 8,651 Euro
Price frame set 3,339 Euro
Weight 6.0 kilos
Reference/Info www.sartocycles.com; www.asteroide-mpi.com
Frame sizes** 45, 47, 50, 53, 55,5, 57, 59 cm
Seat/steering angle 74/74,5 °
Seat/top tube/head tube 533/570/172 mm plus 17 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 995/47 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 576/406 mm/1.42
EQUIPMENT
Fork Sarto Carbon
Steering bearing Columbus integrated
Brakes/gears/bottom bracket Campagnolo Super Record (50/34 t.)
Wheels/tyres Campagnolo Shamal Ultra/Continental GP 4000S
Handlebar/stem Schmolke TLO/Deda Zero 100
Saddle/post Selle San Marco Aspide Carbon/Schmolke TLO (27.2 mm)
MEASURED VALUES & INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Weight of complete wheel 6.0 kilos (without pedals)
Frame/fork/steering bearing weight 817/342/79 g
Standardised weight frame set**** 1.249 g: 1 , 3
Steering head stiffness 96 Nm/°: 1 , 3
Lateral stiffness fork 52 N/mm: 1 , 0
Bottom bracket stiffness 58 N/mm: 1 , 3
Comfort frame 99 N/mm: 1 , 0
Comfort fork 101 N/mm: 5 , 0
* The frame set accounts for 40 per cent of the overall score and the features for 60 per cent. These ratings include individual grades, which we have only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated up to the final grade with all decimal places; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are given with rounded decimal places.
** Tested frame size greased.
*** Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach): 1.36 means an extremely race-like riding position, 1.60 an extremely comfortable riding position. A typical sporty position is in the range of 1.44 to 1.49.
**** Adjusted weight for frame size 57 cm and fork steerer length 225 mm.
