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review

Pearson Minegoestoeleven

8
£5,750.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A quality race bike with great stiffness and fast, direct handling
Ruthless performance on offer
High-end components throughout
Good balance of stiffness and comfort
Wheels have some noticeable weight to them at low speed
Weight: 
8,080g

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.

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The Pearson Minegoestoeleven is its flagship carbon fibre road model, and boy is it fast. The aero tweaks to the frame and the deep-section wheels give a performance bonus when the speed is high, while the unfaltering stiffness from the lower half of the frame gives you a superb platform to apply the power against. And with Shimano Ultegra Di2 fitted, you could say it 'nowgoestotwelve'.

If the Pearson doesn't suit your budget, check out other options in our guide to the best road bikes, from £300 to over £13,000.

Ride

The Minegoestoeleven may have a name that is going to become a chore to write over and over again throughout this review (I'll call it the MGTE from here on in), but from a riding point of view there is nothing that becomes tiresome.

With an incredibly stiff frame, the Pearson makes you want to ride it hard and fast. In terms of responsiveness there is nothing to disappoint, and even massive out-of-the-saddle efforts when sprinting or climbing highlight just how little this frame and fork are giving away in terms of flex.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - riding 2.jpg

It's a proper racing machine, with the focus on allowing you to get the power down, while its aero styling gives even more benefits as it cuts through the air.

As you'd expect, the geometry is on the aggressive side, with a steepish head angle that gives quick and accurate steering, ideal for carving through sweeping bends at high speed or tackling technical, twisty descents with precision.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven.jpg

This medium sized bike has a wheelbase of just 975mm, which brings a feeling of tightness and agility to it. Changing lines if you encounter a pothole or something mid-bend doesn't make it feel flustered, and the speed that it changes direction is very impressive indeed. While its stiffness does bring with it quite a firm ride, that doesn't translate into the MGTE being at all skittish, even on rough road surfaces. It always manages to feel planted, and well controlled.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - riding 3.jpg

Some of that comes from the overall weight. At 8.08kg this build is no superlight race bike, although a fair chuck of that weight is in the deep-section wheels.

On our scales both the MGTE and the Giant TCR Advanced 2 were exactly the same weight, but I was riding them both back to back when taking the riding pictures, and under acceleration I could feel the extra weight in the Pearson's rear wheel moving from a standing start compared with the shallow-rimmed offerings on the TCR.

That being said, the TCR is a rim-braked bike, with a mechanical groupset and slim tubing throughout, so the fact that the MGTE can compete on weight with the Ultegra Di2 and deep-section wheels fitted, plus the amount of carbon used in the larger profile tubes, shows that it is no slouch.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - riding 4.jpg

Any lag in acceleration is soon made up for once the Pearson is moving, with the wheels and frameset making it feel efficient once on the move.

As for comfort, again the MGTE performs well. Its frameset is aimed at performance, so plushness is always going to be a secondary consideration, but I found three-to-four-hour rides fine. There is plenty of feedback from the road, which it manages to provide without a harsh ride, so you can go out for a blast without getting beaten up.

Overall, from a ride point of view, the MGTE is not only fast, it's fun too.

Frame & fork

It's not only the design of the MGTE that bolsters comfort. Pearson focuses a lot on bike fit and position as part of the buying process. Before receiving the bike, Pearson sent me a quick questionnaire (as I didn't have the time to go for a bike fit), asking me the usual things like height, various body metrics, and also flexibility or injuries – of which I have many.

When the Pearson turned up it fitted me very well indeed; it's also designed to be able to accept up to 40mm of spacers without affecting the handling.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - integrated stem.jpg

As for the specifics of the frame and fork build, Pearson plays this close to its chest, not specifying anything about the grade of the carbon fibre used, just saying that both frame and fork are uni-directional carbon monocoques.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - front.jpg

There are two paint finishes on offer, this Monochrome option or a white with various blue and orange stripes, which gives a passing resemblance to classic Martini branded race cars.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - seat stay.jpg

Like many of the current road bikes on the market, the MGTE runs all of its wires and hoses internally via the stem to give a completely clean look.

Also keeping things clean is the minimal of mounts (this is a race bike after all), with just points for the attachment of bottle cages on the down tube and seat tube.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - bosses 2.jpg

Clearance-wise, the MGTE will accommodate up to 32mm-wide tyres, which is good for a bike of this ilk.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - seat stays.jpg

As is pretty common for a carbon fibre frame, the Pearson is available in five sizes, with our medium sitting in the middle.

It has a 540mm effective top tube length, with a 520mm seat tube and a 135mm head tube height. The seat angle is 74 degrees, which gives a forward position to get the power down, while the head angle is slightly slacker at 73 degrees.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - rear.jpg

All of this results in stack and reach figures of 552mm and 382mm respectively.

Groupset

The MGTE is available as a frameset, which includes the carbon aero seatpost and the very nice integrated handlebar/stem from Pearson, for £2,150, or with three groupset options: Shimano's 105 Di2Ultegra Di2 or Ultegra mechanical.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - rear mech.jpg

Prices start at £4,600 with the mechanical groupset and Pearson's Cut and Thrust carbon wheels, with the range topping out with the model we have here at £5,750, with Ultegra Di2 and Pearson Tooth and Nail wheels, which have a 'saw-like' profile similar to something like Zipp's 454 NSW wheels.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - tyre.jpg

The Ultegra Di2 groupset doesn't need much of an introduction (you can read our review for the full details) as it has been covered many times considering the number of test bikes it comes fitted to.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - front mech.jpg

The shifting is very quick and precise, with the minimal performance increase of Dura-Ace Di2 only really detectable if you are riding the two side by side.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - lever.jpg

A 50/34-tooth chainset comes as standard, as we have here, while a 52/36 is available on request, paired with an 11-34 12-speed cassette. It's a setup that gives a good spread of gears for all kinds of terrain.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - drivetrain.jpg

For the braking Pearson has specced 160mm rotors front and rear, which is ample for a road bike. Ultegra callipers give great braking power and loads of modulation, as in you can really feel what is going on through the lever, which reduces the likelihood of locking up the rear wheel.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - rear disc brake.jpg

Finishing kit

The Pearson handlebar and stem is an all-in-one affair made from carbon fibre. It comes in a range of widths and lengths, and I found the shape to be very comfortable.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - bars 3.jpg

It is also stiff enough to cope with some very hard 'honking' efforts when out of the saddle.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - drop bar.jpg

Pearson has specced Fizik kit for the bar tape (Vento Solocush) and saddle, the Argo R5. It's all good quality stuff – there's no scrimping anywhere to save a few quid.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - saddle 1.jpg

It's the same with the wheels and tyres.

As I've said, the Pearson Tooth and Nail wheels show an aero advantage in the real world and are also very stiff, plus they've shown no signs of struggling when it comes to durability.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - rim.jpg

As you'd expect these days, they are fully tubeless compatible, being adorned here with a pair of Pirelli P Zero Race TLR.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - fork clearance.jpg

These are fast rolling and very grippy, making them one of my favourite race tyres, alongside Continental's Grand Prix 5000 and Schwalbe's One ranges.

2023 Pearson Minegoestoeleven - fork.jpg

Value

While there are some slightly cheaper options on the market, the MGTE is still well priced for the quality and spec.

I was very impressed with the Handsling A1R0evo, for example, which I was reviewing alongside the Pearson. They share a lot of traits. The Handsling's Ultegra Di2 build with the Parcours Strade wheels and an upgrade to the same tyres as the Pearson brings it in at £5,529, after a price increase since we reviewed at the end of March.

Merida's Reacto 9000 is a similarly aero-styled race bike, with an aero seatpost and integrated front end, plus an Ultegra Di2 groupset. It comes in at £6,500 but does get slightly deeper Reynolds Aero 65 wheels.

I am currently reviewing the Reacto 7000, which uses a slightly lower grade carbon than the 9000 and has a SRAM Rival eTap groupset. It costs £4,350 – keep an eye out for that one soon.

And Mat is currently reviewing Giant's aero offering, the Propel Advanced Pro 1. Again, it's a bike with similar design cues and all about speed. That build also uses SRAM's Rival eTap and Giant's own 50mm-deep wheels, and costs £5,499.

Conclusion

Overall, the Minegoestoeleven is a very good all-round race bike with a great performance. It's a fun bike for smashing it about on, but its impressive ride quality also makes it ideal for those longer jaunts.

Verdict

A quality race bike with great stiffness and fast, direct handling

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Pearson Minegoestoeleven

Size tested: Medium, 54cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Shifters: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 12-spd

Chainset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 12-spd

Cassette: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 12-spd 11-34

Chain: Shimano 12-speed

Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 12-spd

Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 12-spd

Brakes: Shimano Ultegra R8170

Rotors: Shimano Ultegra SM-RT800 160mm.

Handlebars: Pearson fully integrated carbon one-piece.

Saddle: Fizik Argo R5.

Seatpost: Integrated carbon seat post.

Bar tape: Fizik Vento Solocush.

Tyres: Pirelli P-Zero TLR

Wheelset: Pearson Hoopdriver Carbon Tooth and Nail tubeless-ready 50mm deep wheelset.

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?

Pearson says, "Now in its third iteration, the Minegoestoeleven has always stood at the pinnacle of the Pearson carbon range. The name may seem unusual until you follow the backstory, taken from the spoof mockumentary 'This is Spinal Tap', in which lead singer Nigel Tufnel rationalises how the band manages to be so loud? 'Our amps go to eleven, which is one louder...' Our bike also punches above its weight."

The Minegoestoeleven is a fast, sweet-handling race bike that is a lot of fun to ride.

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

This sits at the top of the range. There are six builds, starting at £4,600, and a frameset option too.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
9/10

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

High quality throughout, and comes with a choice of two quality paint finishes.

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

Aero unidirectional carbon monocoque frame and fork.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

This bike is very much speed orientated, with steep angles and fast handling.

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

Stack and reach figures are fairly typical for this style of bike.

Riding the bike

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

It has a firm ride, but manages to stay on the right side for comfort.

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

Stiffness is excellent throughout the lower half of the frame and the fork.

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

That stiffness means hard efforts feel very efficient.

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? Quick and direct.

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

The handling is very precise and quick, exactly as you'd expect for a race style bike.

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

I liked the Fizik saddle, which I've used many times before, and the Fizik bar tape brings front end comfort.

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

The Pearson wheels have plenty of stiffness for hard efforts out of the saddle.

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

Shimano Ultegra Di2 gives fast shifting, even under load, which makes it efficient on rolling terrain.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
8/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
8/10

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 the usual great performance from the Ultgera Di2 groupset, with fast shifting and powerful braking.

Wheels and tyres

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

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

Plenty of stiffness and a noticeable aero boost at speed.

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

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

Very fast rolling, and very grippy.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
8/10

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

Well-specced finishing kit throughout.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There are some slightly cheaper options on the market, like those mentioned in the review, but the MGTE is still well priced for the quality and spec.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
5/10

Use this box to explain your overall score

The MGTE is well made, and comes with a good spec list for the money. It is a lot of fun to ride, really nailing the stiffness and performance without neglecting ride quality. It's very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 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

14 comments

Avatar
boardmanrider | 11 months ago
1 like

"And with Shimano Ultegra Di2 fitted, you could say it 'nowgoestotwelve'." The nod to 'This is Spinal Tap' is clearly lost on the reviewer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMSV4OteqBE

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to boardmanrider | 11 months ago
1 like
boardmanrider wrote:

"And with Shimano Ultegra Di2 fitted, you could say it 'nowgoestotwelve'." The nod to 'This is Spinal Tap' is clearly lost on the reviewer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMSV4OteqBE

I think it was a reference to the Ultegra cranks that can spontaneously produce extra pieces

Avatar
Miller replied to boardmanrider | 11 months ago
0 likes

Everyone knows spinal tap, if anything the reference is overused, also it jars with 12 speed groups. This looks like an excellent bike but the name is lame and I agree with the other comment about the rounded logo font being wrong for a modern race weapon.

Avatar
HalfDanHalfBiscuit | 11 months ago
4 likes

I spent a good minute or so trying to figure out how that Dutch-looking name was pronounced.

Avatar
muhasib replied to HalfDanHalfBiscuit | 11 months ago
2 likes

We probably need to hear Steve McClaren say the name to figure out the correct Dutch pronunciation.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 11 months ago
0 likes

Can you get a out in front adapter that fits those bars?

Some nice bikes on their website....

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Secret_squirrel | 11 months ago
0 likes
Secret_squirrel wrote:

Can you get a out in front adapter that fits those bars?

It looks on the closeup photo as if it has the standard two bolts underneath the stem for fitting a K-Edge or similar mount.

Avatar
Brauchsel | 11 months ago
3 likes

I don't understand why it comes in a colourway that could, in fact, be more black. 

Avatar
the little onion replied to Brauchsel | 11 months ago
1 like

The original paintjob was a bit sexist. Not that there is anything wrong with being sexy.

Avatar
Brauchsel replied to the little onion | 11 months ago
3 likes

Lick my frame pump.

Avatar
ktache replied to Brauchsel | 11 months ago
1 like

None more.

Avatar
mark1a replied to ktache | 11 months ago
0 likes

None more black. 

Avatar
Rendel Harris | 11 months ago
2 likes

I know it's really shallow, and I know people who are delighted with their Pearsons, but their logo would put me off owning one; that curly font on a modern racebike which is all about sharp clean lines just looks a bit daft.

Avatar
Steve K replied to Rendel Harris | 11 months ago
2 likes

I'm even more shallow - I've gone off them because they closed their store in Sutton, their original location.

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