Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Turas Poggio 105 road bike

7
£1,249.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Good value, punchy, direct speed machine gets the power down; feels a bit ‘clinical’ though
Weight: 
8,840g
Contact: 
www.turasbikes.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

“Turas? never heard of ’em!” That’s a response you’re going to have to get used to if you ride the Poggio anywhere near another cyclist. If they keep knocking out machines with this level of performance though it won’t be that way for much longer.

So who are they? Turas Bikes are based in Co. Galway, Ireland and launched last year with just two frames. This year has seen this grow to eight with all but one being carbon fibre. Head honcho Mark McKeigue explains the main focus is about creating the best package available for a particular budget rather than the stiffest or the lightest.

They’ve had a bit of success on the domestic scene too with 32 race wins in 2013 helped by the sponsoring of Nicolas Roche’s junior team.

The Poggio is the entry level carbon machine coming in either this Shimano 105 build for £1249 or for £1650 you can go for Ultegra 11-speed At 8.84kg (19.4lb) it is a similar weight to the KTM and Mekk 1.5 we’ve recently tested, both of which are carbon framed and 105 equipped.

The Irish designed, Italian built and painted frame is made from Toray T800 high modulus carbon fibre as are the fork legs. Chunky would be a good description especially when you look at the size of that downtube/bottom bracket/chainstay junction, even before throwing your leg over you know the Poggio should lay down the power.

The underlying theme of the Turas is one of stiffness which comes from a feeling of solidity rather than harshness. Considering the huge profiles of the lower half of the frame, the ride shows some consideration has been put into the lay-up of the carbon to get a bit of comfort out of it.

Turas describe the Poggio as the perfect machine for long days in the saddle and I happily put in some decent 4-5 hour rides on it. It’s very easy to ride with good manners and neutral steering and the frame happily soaks up the bumps, well the small ones anyway. Larger sections of washboard Tarmac had the tubes resonating a bit as the tyres bounced between the peaks and troughs.

It’s the shorter harder stuff though where the Poggio is really in its element as that’s where the stiff, planted feel of the frame gives the most back to the rider.

The handling sharpens up once you give it a bit of a dig and the stiffness around the bottom bracket area really makes it respond as soon as you push hard on the pedals. Hills were attacked whether they were being ascended or descended and the Turas just seemed happy to push on.

It’s not the most exciting bike to ride though. There is feedback from the frame in terms of what it’s up to but it’s not the one I’d grab out of the shed to just go for a ride on. Some bikes are like this though, the Storck Fenomolist was the same, ride them hard and you’re repaid in the speed and handling department but on more sedate jaunts rider and bike never quite seem to gel.

The Vision Team 25s (so called due to their 25mm profile) are decent wheels on a bike at this price point providing plenty of rigidity descending or honking out of the saddle. Acceleration was pretty brisk too. Wrapped around the Visions were Michelin’s Dynamic Sport 700x23 tyres which considering you can pick them up for around a tenner each proved to be very good indeed. A softish compound provided plenty of grip in the wet or dry and they were pretty robust to boot.

Shimano 105 is about what you’d expect at this price and it matches the frame well. Shimano’s clinical feel ties in with the solidity of the Poggio. It’s not quite a full groupset as the cassette is a Tiagra unit while the compact chainset and brakes are non-series but they are of the same quality and colour coded to match the black mechs and shifters. It all performs as well as it normally does, dependable and easy to use without really being exciting.

Tying in with the Italian frame is the Deda finishing kit. It’s an all alloy set up that looks good but is very stiff, the 31.6mm seatpost not doing much to take the sting out of the ride.

Overall the Turas Poggio is a good value racer with the budget being split sensibly between frameset, finishing kit and wheels. It’s definitely for the rider who puts performance over passion though.

Turas bikes are available to the public direct from the company and the e-commerce part of their website should be up and running very soon.

Verdict

Good value, punchy, direct speed machine gets the power down; feels a bit ‘clinical’ though

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Turas Poggio 105

Size tested: 54

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

Frame: T800HM–3k Carbon Fibre.

Fork: 1' 1/8 ALLOY/CARBON T800 HM – 3K.

Headset: FSA ORBIT 8B INTEGRATED 1' 1/8 ALLOY BLACK

Rear mech: SHIMANO 105 BLACK/ 10SPEED

Front Mech: SHIMANO 105 BLACK/ 10SPEED

Shifters: SHIMANO 105 BLACK/ 10SPEED

Brakes: SHIMANO BR-561 BLACK

Cassette: SHIMANO TIAGRA 10SPEED

Crank: SHIMANO FC-R563 BLACK COMPACT 50/34

BB: SHIMANO

Chain: SHIMANO TIAGRA 10SPEED

Wheels: VISION TEAM 25 – CLINCHER – BLACK/RED

Tyres: MICHELIN DYNAMIC SPORT BLCK 23'

Stem: DEDA ZERO1

Handlebars: DEDA RHM EL BLACK

Saddle: SELLE SAN MARCO ERA START

Seatpost: DEDA EL BLACK 31,6X350MM.

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

The Poggio is an entry level carbon fibre bike that is a decent all rounder for getting the miles in. Turas claim that it is ideal for all day comfort on long rides which it is, although the frame is a little on the clinical side.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
7/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

The build quality looks good, it's well finished and the cable guides etc are all riveted into position rather than just glued.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

T800 High Modulas carbon fibre is used for the frame and fork legs with an alloy steerer tube.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Sizing guides and geometry are here

http://www.turasbikes.com/poggio-ultegra-11-sp-geometry/

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

Well proportioned. The size-large compact frame tested has a 52cm seat tube, 54cm top tube and 155mm head tube. All this allowed a decent low position without being too extreme.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Yes, it wasn't as harsh as I expected considering the stiffness. It was very clinical and a bit lifeless though. I think a lot of the feedback is muted out but the performance is there.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Yes it's a very stiff package.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

The large bottom area, oversized chainstays & downtube means the power goes straight through to the ground.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

No.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Pretty neutral, coming to life when you pushed it.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

The handling is good, nice and tight and easily corrected.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

The alloy finishing kit is very stiff and probably adds to vagueness of the frame feedback. The saddle and tyres are comfy though.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The wheels are impressively stiff for an entry level set.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

Wheels, tyres and the finishing kit all create a decent package in terms of getting the performace out.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
7/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

Shimano's 105 is a good value workhorse groupset.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

The tyres were a big suprise considering their low price. Vision's wheels were well built and rolled quickly.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

The Deda finishing kit is all entry level stuff but it works well in terms of performance and looks.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes, I prefer a bit more of a connection with the bike though.

Would you consider buying the bike? No.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
7/10

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
festival | 9 years ago
0 likes

Why?
When for the same price you can get the Giant TCR or Defy with the same kit and a superior frame and fork

Avatar
stuke replied to festival | 9 years ago
0 likes
festival wrote:

Why?
When for the same price you can get the Giant TCR or Defy with the same kit and a superior frame and fork

In what way do you define 'superior' ?

Avatar
festival replied to stuke | 9 years ago
0 likes
stuke wrote:
festival wrote:

Why?
When for the same price you can get the Giant TCR or Defy with the same kit and a superior frame and fork

In what way do you define 'superior' ?

Would you rather have a frame and fork from an OEM that looks like other brands because it comes from the same mould and is potentially the same as other frames. Or a f&f from a company that invests in the highest technology, testing and development?

That's not to say all the OEM's produce poor products, unlike those on certain websites but there's a limit in creating something unique when sharing a mould.

Their idea is to make a decent cost effective bike, but the likes of Giant can offer that already and with improved ride quality.

Avatar
stuke replied to festival | 9 years ago
0 likes
festival wrote:
stuke wrote:
festival wrote:

Why?
When for the same price you can get the Giant TCR or Defy with the same kit and a superior frame and fork

In what way do you define 'superior' ?

Would you rather have a frame and fork from an OEM that looks like other brands because it comes from the same mould and is potentially the same as other frames. Or a f&f from a company that invests in the highest technology, testing and development?

That's not to say all the OEM's produce poor products, unlike those on certain websites but there's a limit in creating something unique when sharing a mould.

Their idea is to make a decent cost effective bike, but the likes of Giant can offer that already and with improved ride quality.

Ah, I presumed you'd ridden both the Turas and the Giants to base your opinion on  3

Avatar
Shamblesuk | 9 years ago
0 likes

Blander than a Noah and the Whale album....

Avatar
Chuck | 9 years ago
0 likes

Is the frame actually made in Italy then?

Avatar
belgravedave | 9 years ago
0 likes

Loving the DIY decals.

Latest Comments