Culprit Roadi launched

Culprit have released the new Roadi, an aluminium framed road bike with a Shimano 105 groupset, TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic discs and Reynolds Stratus Pro wheels with a claimed weight of 17.95lbs (8.14kg).

The Taiwan-based company run by Joshua Colp from the US has only been going a few years but they have built a reputation for disc-equipped road bikes. Previously they’ve been carbon, like the Croz Blade carbon aero road bike we reviewed recently. This new model aims to make owning a disc-equipped road bike a bit more affordable, and with a price of $1,575 - the only snag is that the price doesn’t include shipping or import duty and VAT from Taiwan.

Triple butted 6061 aluminium has been used to construct the frame and Culprit claim a 1,310g weight for a painted frame with hardware. That’s a competitive weight for a disc-ready alumnium frame, we’ve only seen a few frames go much lighter (Cannondale CAAD10, Kinesis Aithein) and none of them will take disc brakes.

Culprit are keen on aerodynamics and have shaped the down tube with a kamm tail profile. All cables are out of the wind too and internally routed, and it’s mechanical and Di2 compatible. To accommodate the disc brakes there is an inboard post mount caliper mount. They have used asymmetric chainstays and seatstays to help the frame deal with the extra forces generated by the disc brake. The fork is an all-carbon aero design with internal cable routing.

The bike supports both mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes, giving it good upgrade potential. Pictured is a Shimano 105 and TRP Hy/Rd built bike which the company claims is sub-18lb, that’s for a size 56. Six sizes are available and they’ll be offering two other built options when it is available in the autumn. You can also choose from three colour options; yellow, white or black.

More at www.culpritbicycles.com