US brand All-City has this week launched the brand new Zig Zag, a steel road bike designed to, in their worlds, mix classic style with modern performance. It’s also the company’s first disc-equipped road bike.
The new Zig Zag is described as an evolution of the company’s Mr. Pink. Where that bike was a retro-themed steel road bike (you can read our review here), the new Zig Zag is thoroughly modern.
That bike was first introduced in 2012 and we reviewed it in 2017. It was a classic looking road bike with a retro feel. You can read that review here.
What do we mean by modern? Well, it has disc brakes for a start, using 12mm thru-axles and flat mount callipers. There’s also a tapered head tube for extra front-end stiffness and three bottle cage bosses.
But then there are classic details like the brazed seat collar, pump peg, custom head badge, external cable routing and signature dropouts.
Tyre clearance is a key talking point with modern road bikes. The Zig Zag has space for up to 32mm without mudguards, 35mm without. That opens the bike up for some light gravel and dirt use with a few good tyres in that size range that will cope with some rough stuffing.
The use of the company’s own A.C.E. steel tubing, TIG welded, is intended to provide a smooth ride for long-distance routes over all sorts of road surfaces. The geometry has been chosen to offer performance-focused handling.
“We built it to be a ripping fast and efficient machine that shields the rider from road chatter and unnecessary fatigue, allowing them to go further, faster, and have more fun. The addition of disc brakes provides confidence in all weather conditions and allows ultimate control on descents,” says the company.
Practical concerns, as a storm rips across the UK at the time of writing, including mounts for full-length mudguards. The frame has also been ED (Electrophoretic Deposition) coated to protect the frame from the elements.
A Zig Zag frame with Whisky carbon fork will cost £1,300 with a choice of sizes from 46 to 61cm and a red/orange fade colour scheme. According to UK importer Ison Distribution, the frames will be available 15th August. More info here.
Rich, mark and John "1 post" Phipps have probably got theirs. Did you choose remain? That might be the problem....
Literally appeared out of nowhere.
Who cares... if you like it, wear it. Sniffy cycling attitudes are pathetic. Why are some cyclists so uptight about this? Bike not good enough at...
Yup, mine sadly came with a fork different from the one on this picture. Routing along the right blade of the fork, but the front of the crown...
This appears almost too good to be true. It's not talked about enough in the article but appears to work theoretically to turn any old mech into a...
I'm in the 'waste of time and effort on a road bike' school of thought. I persevered for a couple of years then threw a pair of 'perfecty good'...
While it might work on a steel frame, it almost certainly won't on an alu or carbon one, and is still fraught with risk in the case of steel. Is...
Can't argue with this- good news.
I've only had one bike with disc brakes- I had never even tried any out until it arrived. TRP Spyres were immediately a revelation. The original...
OK, show me some media which gives cyclists a fair shot. Which shows that cycling has incredible health benefits, reducing diabetes, cancer,...