Frames

Whoosh! There you go. That's my review distilled into one word – the new Wilier TwinFoil is one fast bike.

Although when viewed from the side the TwinFoil looks vaguely similar to a bunch of other time trial bikes, the front end is very unusual and the frame boasts several innovative features all designed to reduce drag and maximize your speed. Even as pro-level TT bikes go, this is seriously quick.

It's a lovely looking thing, the Singular Osprey. More than likely you'll buy it on the strength of those looks, hoping it'll build up into a comfy road bike for some classy and leisurely miles. And you won't be disappointed: the frame and fork gives you a nice traditional steel ride with the geometry and overall weight making it more of a long-distance cruiser than a speed machine.

The Kinesis Gran Fondo Sc is part of the eight frame Racelight road range which has something for the racer, distance rider, sportive rider, TT'er, commuter and tourer – pretty much every type of road cyclist then. The Gran Fondo is designed to ride like a race bike but with the geometry tweaked a bit to give a slightly more forgiving ride. I tested it alongside the new Gran Fondo Ti and it was interesting to compare the Easton alloy tubing with the renowned comfort of a titanium frame.

New for 2011/12 a titanium Gran Fondo frameset enters Kinesis's Racelight range, using the tried and tested geometry of the scandium version which we're testing alongside the GF_Ti as an experiment in comparing frame materials directly. The GF_Ti is all about taking advantage of titanium's ability to deliver a frame that's comfortable, durable, and long lasting.

Wilier - or Wilier Triestina, if you want to get all proper about it - have been making bikes since 1906. That's - what? - ages. But the Italian brand isn't one to rely on its heritage; it's big on innovation too, and that's clear in the brand new Zero .7.

Onix is a new British brand that's only just started to offer complete bike builds. The Azzuro is the top-level bike in the line-up; it's a carbon racing frame that you can have built up as you like from a whole range of different options.

First, though, some controversy... You probably know that most carbon frames are made in the Far East: China and Taiwan. Some are made in Italy, some elsewhere, but the vast majority come from the Far East.

When a steel bike for testing was mentioned I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I love steel bikes, I've owned three of my own in last few years and tested a couple more and every one has left a smile on my face. While I was doing a bit of research on Tonic's Vanishing Point I just couldn't get one little number out of my head - 2400g frame and fork weight. After miles and miles on carbon and alloy machines weighing a kilo under that was I finally about to ride a steel bike that wasn't going to inspire?

Hitting the scales at 6.34kg (13.95lb), the Pearl Dice Pro is the lightest bike we've ever tested at road.cc, and that lack of weight is the overwhelming feature of the ride - it has an exceptional appetite for acceleration.

Our test model came in a non-standard build, so we're essentially reviewing it as a frame, forks and wheels package.

In a marketplace full of sloping top tubes, tall head tubes and compact chainsets frames like Ragley's Cragg Vale are becoming a rarity these days. Traditional style geometry and a headtube so short it'd make most time trial bikes jealous all come together to create a proper roadie's machine and one of the best bikes I've tested.

The first road stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia saw the unveiling of Colnago’s latest top of the range C59 being ridden by Colnago-CSF Inox sprinter Sacha Modolo after 4 years in development. The frame follows on from the technology used on Colnago’s EPS model but has been put a diet bringing the frame in at around 950g.