For your pleasure: Parlee CX prototype

Parlee the carbon-fibre custom frame builder from Massachusetts, USA has shown us some images of a special cyclo-cross build to try some options for the forthcoming season.

The bike is the personal project of Ben Corbalis, the sales guy at Parlee who looks after the USA dealerships and who is also a keen 'cross racer.

In this case, apart from Ben's particular choice of Parlee's uni-directional (UD) carbon tubing with the 2cm shorter headtube option and BB30, he's gone for a completely matt lacquered finish with very subtle reflective Parlee graphics. The Campagnolo components including the new CX cantilevers will be a popular choice with many, especially with all the recent talk of disc brakes. All-up weight with the R-Sys wheels and Challenge Grifo tubulars is 7.2Kg (15.9lb); that would be harder to achieve with discs.

The frames are pricey at £4,399 and pricier yet at five grand if you go for a completely custom-designed-and-built frame. But the standard options based on five sizes plus the ability to choose the carbon tubing characteristics, bottom bracket format, length of headtube and paint finish offers considerably more than you usually get even for this money and they're still individually hand made to your order.

The frame weights range from 950-1,250 grams depending on size which is astounding for a beefy cyclo-cross frame and considering the road-racing orientated Parlee Z5 SL model is in the range 750-875 grams.

The frames can be seen and ordered in the UK from Bespoke Cycling in London, The Tristore in Eastbourne and La Bicicleta in Sheffield.