Condor Frame or "off the peg"?

The Fratello is a great bike, a proper all rounder that covers you from light touring right through to club rides via commuting. I'd take that over the Acciaio any day of the week.

You can easily build one up that will be as light as the Acciaio, but has the added utility of being able to handle full mudguards and a rack if you want. Buy the frameset off them and source the rest of the parts yourself and you'll be able to spend the significant savings on upgrades, if that's what you want.

Most of the roadies in the Central London CTC club have at least one Condor bike. The commonest is the Fratello, a do-it-all clubman's (and woman's) steel bike. You have to be pretty good to actually need better. Several also have a Baracchi and are not complaining.

Condor is not by any means London's cheapest but it is knowledgeable and unfailingly helpful. It will build the right bike for you and set it up properly. In my opinion, and that of its many satisfied customers, that is worth paying for.

By all means specify and build your own bike, if you have the skill and tools...and be aware that final set-up, as ever, is subject to the Pareto principle!

As a counterpoint, I test-rode an Acciaio and found it incredibly underwhelming. It was fitted with some really nice kit (Mavic R-Sys wheels, Campag Record) but the ride was totally flat. Not road-smoothing steel, but lumpen and unresponsive.

I ride steel, carbon, and alloy bikes and the ride quality wasn't anything special at all. Also, the actual finish wasn't great either.

Finally, Condor don't do any sort of discounts even if you buy the whole bike off them, pretty much all the parts will be at RRP, so it gets expensive.

You'd get a lot more value for money if you built something up yourself.

Join the Rapha Condor cycle club which will give you a nice discount on some of the Condor bikes

The Condor Acciaio is THE nicest bike I've EVER ridden. I swapped full carbon for the feel of steel, and it's just plain lovely.

If money is important, don't buy a complete bike from Condor, as you'll be bankrupt. Buy frame and forks, then build yourself. If the money isn't a huge factor, the build is amazing, with IMMACULATE attention to detail.

Go Condor, you won't regret it. Excellent service too. I own a black and white Condor Acciaio and it's the best bike I've ever ridden by far. Great for UK sportives.

It's divine. Super stiff but also springy. If that makes sense!

Condor, here's mine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/CLH007/P1020547_zps52b5f5a4.jpg

I want a Condor - even if its just an Italia RC which is realistically all I can presently afford.

There's a bit of history behind the name, and I like that.

Enjoy your new bike.

well, here's the thing - and with the greatest respect to others posting, it would seem i'm the only one here who's got a baracchi. It's just too soggy to be too much fun to ride. A mate of mine got the same fram around the same time as me - and he feels much the same. He now rides a Canyon and uses the Condor for commuting. Carbon commuter? orverkill? Naaaaah.
I've got no experience with any condor frame but this one, so perhaps the Italia, Squadra etc are lovely.

Anyway, as I said, i reckon you can spend your pennies more wisely.

I've got a Condor. 2009 Baracchi in blue (in the sale), built up with 2010 Centaur. It's very pretty indeed, but... and this is a huge but.....

It's not a good frame if you want responsiveness, stiffness, feel of the road. It's just a soggy beast really, hates descending fast, and is heavy enough that it doesn't exactly leap forward when you put the hammer down.

Now I know that you say you want it for relaxed sportives, but to be honest I never feel relaxed on it when I'm going fast downhill or into a corner. It just wallows too much.

Condor are a lovely shop to deal with but they are expensive. As other posters have noted, you don't get the best bang for your buck either. I'm going to hazard a guess that their top end frames are lovely, but for mid range I have my doubts.

Hi, well i'd say about 80% of those in Bynea don't race. There's a huge range of different abitlities, most won't race and enjoy the Sportives / club run side of things, nto to sure about PTW, check out the Bynea Facebook page is probable the best, it would give you a feel for waht goes on in the club.

Gareth

You have a Famous Blue Bike and didn't consider the Sportive Bianco, the Racing or the Stealth?

Just ordered myself a Stealth for what's left of the summer - should be with me in time for the Haywards Heath Howler or the Exmouth Exodus...

I have an orange Fratello. I love it.

Is that the one at Cross Hands? Driven past there hundreds of times but never been in. That may have to change when I'm looking for a new bike later this year, now that I know they do Condor.

Hi, County Cycles are are a good bike shop, but they'll set you up properly on the bike if you wish. I've bought plenty of stuff from them before.

Pretty obvious where my vote goes (see sig) and as Bedfordshire Clanger says the point is that you get something that fits and that meets your expectations.

Condor have been with me through 3 bikes and from complete road newbie (dumb questions and all) to road racer and wheel builder and have taken the time to help me as much as I've needed it when I have.

My advice, go with the Squadra, it's always been a great bike (although the Super Acciaio is my next frame). You will get something that fits because the stem, bars etc will be right and you'll benefit from it.

I'm a very happy Condor owner and I can only echo what thereandbackagain said. You won't be able to beat the likes of Canyon for the price of their kit but you will get an excellent fitting service, an honest opinion on finishing kit to match your budget and complete choice of components as well as a workshop that takes pride in keeping the bikes they have sold in perfect condition if you live close enough to make use of it. It's best to go at a time when they aren't busy to be sure that you don't have to wait around to use the jig or for one of their sales people to be available. So if you can avoid lunchtimes or weekends that would probably be best. You'll need a good couple of hours to talk through options and try out different bars, stems, cranks etc. Good Luck with it. Julian does a great job of the sales and fitting process.

Ooh, I just looked at the Squadra, it's gorgeous!

I want one. I fancy Shimano Ultegra, but I think a frame like that needs some Campag TLC perhaps.

Go for the Condor.

If you go the shop you can talk through requirements and get a build that suits you, not the predefined product niches of a larger manufacturer with their "sport" "elite" "pro" and "team" bikes. It'll minimise the chances of you swapping components out later too.

They'll set you up on their bike rig and check for frame size, stem length, handlebar width and shape, saddle type etc.

My other half bought a Fratello from them. The service was impeccable, and even as a relative novice they were attentive, thoughtful and not patronising in the slightest towards her.

Go for the condor. You might need to fettle with the geometry over time, changing stem length for example, but unless you're a really unusual shape yourself, this sounds awesome.

Mind if I ask what those frames are made of and how much they cost?