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Bowman Cycles Palace:R first look - check out the updated aluminium racer in this video

Updated aluminium race and high-performance road bike launched, we take a first look

Bowman Cycles has been busy. The British company is only a couple of years old but in that time has been evolving its model line, and this week founder and designer Neil Webb popped into the road.cc office to show off his latest additions. 

There are three new models: the Palace:R, Layhams Disc and Pilgrims Project X. Each is an update to existing models in the range but things go much deeper here than a new paint job or spec list, they’re practically new bikes in their own right.

In this video and article, we’re focusing on the new Palace:R, the Layhams Disc and Pilgrims Project X will follow shortly. 

Palace:R goes on a diet, swaps pressfit for threaded BB

The original Palace was a stunning piece of kit, so good it won our Frameset of the Year title back in 2014. It was one hell of a debut frame for the Kent-based company offering a bike that just wanted to be ridden hard and the harder you rode it the more it repaid you. 

Bowman Palace R.jpg

“Balanced, stable and hugely responsive to the slightest touch. Above all, though, masses and masses of fun.” 

That was how it was described in our review but Bowman reckons they have made it even better. ‘Refined, Revised, Reborn' apparently. Sounds good to us.

Bowman Palace R - head tube badge.jpg

The material may still be the same but the new 6069-grade aluminium triple butted tubeset has been evolved with new profiles allowing for thinner tube walls, and as a result it has dropped 150g whilst maintaining the same stiffness as the predecessor. Claimed frame weight for a 58cm is 1,170g, a very respectable weight for an aluminium frame, and right up there with the lightest examples we’ve seen from Kinesis, Cannondale, BMC and Trek over the years. 

A key feature of the new frame is the FlareSquare seat tube. It’s wide and squared in profile at the bottom bracket, the idea being to resist the twisting forces during hard accelerations. It then tapers to a round 27.2mm seatpost accommodating shape and size at the top. 

Bowman Palace R - bottom bracket.jpg

A change that will please a lot of people, the pressfit bottom bracket has been replaced with a standard threaded version. The cable routing has been improved as well to ensure smoother lines from shifter to mech.

The original Palace only really worked with mechanical groupsets as everything ran externally which it still does if you are going down the cable operated route. If you fancy a bit of electronic action, the cable guides are removable to be replaced by inserts to guide the wires through the frame for ultimate neatness.

Bowman Palace R - stays.jpg

The key thing though, despite all the tube changes, is that the geometry hasn’t been touched one bit which means the Palace:R should have that same beautiful handling as the original Palace while being lighter, though we are looking forward to seeing if the refined tube shapes and thinner tube walls has a positive impact on the ride quality of the bike. The previous Palace was a refined ride but Bowman reckons the changes have netted an improvement in the refinement. 

Bowman Palace R - chain stay.jpg

The updated Palace:R costs £695 and is available in six sizes, 50 to 60cm. There are two colour options, black/jade or green on green. Delivery is scheduled for mid-May. Included with the frame is a full carbon fibre fork with a tapered steerer tube.

Enjoy that read? Now scroll back up to the top to watch the video in which  Neil Webb gives a full lowdown on the new Palace:R, straight from the horses mouth as it were.

Stay tuned for a first look at the Layhams Disc and Pilgrim Project X coming soon…

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!

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11 comments

Avatar
Nick T | 6 years ago
2 likes

That's a brave photo, I've had gusts of wind blow a bike over in that set up..

Avatar
bobbinogs replied to Nick T | 6 years ago
1 like

Nick T wrote:

That's a brave photo, I've had gusts of wind blow a bike over in that set up..

 

yes, but it does look drop dead geeeeorgous !  Normally I wouldn't even bother looking at an "aluminium crit bike" but that one really does merit a second look, or perhaps a third...

Avatar
Rapha Nadal | 6 years ago
1 like

That is a tidy looking bike.

Avatar
DeeJayJay | 6 years ago
2 likes

I've had mine for a couple of months now.... absolutely fabulous frame! I expect the full review will be nothing but praise.

Avatar
Vejnemojnen | 6 years ago
0 likes

I like BB30 bottom brackets better, because they are hassle free when assembled correctly and the bb30 chainsets are generally cheaper than their regular equivalents..

Avatar
drosco | 6 years ago
0 likes

Lovely bikes.

Avatar
matthewn5 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Drool... Sadly they're sold out at the moment.

 

Avatar
Ogi | 6 years ago
4 likes

I'm getting myself one in June. Potenza, Zonda wheels and Deda components, SLR saddle.

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 6 years ago
1 like

You'd think it was a Colnago with Boras if it buzzed past.

Avatar
Stef Marazzi | 6 years ago
6 likes

Ten minute standing ovation as soon as he said "Threaded Bottom Bracket". Well done, you deserve to sell them by the bucket load.

Avatar
neilwheel replied to Stef Marazzi | 6 years ago
0 likes

cyclesteffer wrote:

Ten minute standing ovation as soon as he said "Threaded Bottom Bracket". Well done, you deserve to sell them by the bucket load.

 

Remember that alloy frames are far from silent in the BB area and creak just as much as PF30/BB30/BBwhatever frames do when things go wrong.

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