Red Bull Pro SL 3000

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

Frame: Triple-butted 7005 Ultralite aluminium, T6 heat treated, smoothed welds

Fork: SL Modulus Concept full carbon

Headset: Xtreme oversize, integrated

Wheels: Easton EA70

Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 4000 S, 700 x 23 c

Sprocket: Shimano Ultegra 6700, 12-25

Crankset: Shimano Ultegra 53/39

Derailleurs: Shimano Ultegra 6700

Levers: Shimano Ultegra 6700 STI

Brakes: Shimano Ultegra 6700

Seat post: Race Face Revolution

Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo T 2.0

Handlebar: 3T Ergonova Pro

Stem: 3T ARX Pro

Bottom bracket: BB90, press fit

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?

Red Bull says: "Red Bull's flagship aluminium racer has been for many year the PRO-SL. Several German championship titles and a lot more victories have already been won on it. PRO-SL bikes have also become test winners in multiple international tests. We are especially proud about the fact that it has been chosen as Bike of the Year by the Dutch cycling nation.

"Besides their excellent riding features, the PRO-SL bikes convince by an outstanding, light and stiff aluminium frame."

In short, it's a performance-orientated road bike designed for fast riding/racing.

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

The build quality is good throughout, with neatly smoothed welds and neat internal cable routing.

The finish quality is good and the graphics are well protected by lacquer.

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

The frame is 7005/T6 triple-butted aluminium alloy although the smooth welds make it look as if it's carbon at first glance.

The fork is full carbon - there's no alloy steerer hidden away inside the head tube.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

We had the 59cm model which comes with an 18cm head tube - which is fairly short for a bike of this size. It's not extreme, but the front end is certainly towards the low and aggressive end of the spectrum compared to something like a Specialized Roubaix, which is 4.5cm longer for a similarly sized model.

The head angle and seat angle, as usual, vary slightly between the sizes: the 73.5°/73° arrangement on out 59cm model is nothing out of the ordinary.

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

Yes. The racy geometry won't be to everyone's taste but the stiffness doesn't result in a harsh ride. We felt comfortable enough even on a couple of 5-hour rides.

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

Yes, the frame is very stiff. You notice it most when you get out of the saddle for short power-climbs when you get a really solid platform to work from. We like that a lot. Bigger, more powerful riders will notice this most – and benefit from it most.

The front end feels really solid too. Again, you notice it most when you get up out of the saddle and start getting bolshy. We had quite a long 3T stem (120mm), but it doesn't flex noticeably and the bars are pretty much flex-free too – there's just a little bit of movement when you're down on the drops.

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

Yes, see above. We had a very small amount of flex in the Easton wheels that we noticed a couple of times on steep climbs, but this bike is big on efficiency.

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

Not on our 59cm model.

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

Downhill cornering is a strength - it feels stable and accurate.

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

Most people spend a lot of time with their hands resting on the lever hoods – we really like the feel of Shimano's comparatively new shape there. You get a flat perch for your palms and a good, big handful to hold on to securely.

Our 59cm bike came with a 42cm-wide handlebar. Why? We couldn't tell you. You've got to have a 44cm option on a big boys' bike.

Saddles generally come down to personal taste but the Prologo Nago Evo saddle will prove popular with many. You get three different densities of padding and just enough give through the nose and centre sections of the carbon fibre-injected hull to shield you from rough and bumpy road surfaces.

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

The oversized (BB30) press-fit bottom bracket – in combination with the frame, obviously – helps to keep things firm even when you stamp hard on the pedals.

The aluminium cockpit components are stiff too, so things feels rock-solid when you stand up and throw the bike about.

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

It's Shimano Ultegra - it's reasonably light, it works well. Set up right it'll work reliably for ages with minimal maintenance. No probs.

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?

Easton handbuild all their wheels and these came with good, even spoke tension, and they were perfectly round and true.

They've stayed that way without any issues so far, but we can't comment on long-term durability yet.

The EA70s come with 28mm deep rims but they're still pretty light. These are really all-round road wheels for use day-in and day-out, but they're light enough for sportives/racing.

We did get a small amount of brake rub a couple of times when climbing out of the saddle - but only because the brake callipers were off-centre. Once re-centred, they were fine.

Conti's Grand Prix 4000S tyre is a good all-rounder too. It offers a sensible compromise between grip and durability and provides decent puncture resistance too.

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

Horses for courses, we guess, but we find Shimano's hoods the most comfortable. We find the lever simple to use from either the hoods or the drops too.

You do get lever adjustment on Ultegra these days, to shorten the reach from the bars for smaller hands. It's essentially a little rubber wedge that goes between the top of the lever and the body of the shifter, so it doesn't pivot out so far. It's not the most technical bit of kit ever, but it does the job.