"The Setavento... proved phenomenally responsive, the bike seemingly egging you on at every opportunity to push it harder. The unique "zing" of the frame and the superb damping qualities of the fork allowed uneven surfaces to be ridden at speed without shaking me like a pneumatic drill, yet even when climbing out of hte saddle with my full weight on the pedals, the frame remained supple without demonstrable whip, and the bottom bracket area stayed reassuringly stiff. Cornering hard to avoid a missed turning cound't persuade the bike off line and the 165mm cranks fuelled the feeling of invincibility, allowing aggressive cornering without grounding a pedal, making it a good choice for time trials, or pared to the essentials as a track bike. While its unlikely to see service as an urban tool, the Setavento's agile handling, comfort and explosive acceleration ensured it was a blast to ride around town..."

and concluded;

"The finish is excellent, and the ride is both majestic and responsive, making it a superb machine for someone sure of what they want from a fixed or for whom money is no object.  It could also prove to be an extremely good hill climb/TT mount, while removing the brakes will set it free for occassional track fun."

Frame 9/10, Handling 9/10, Equipment 9/10, Wheels 10/10, Conclusion: Setavento 9/10  Checkout the full review.

List Price as tested £1495 (2005), List Price now £1595

Equipment:

• Horizontal rear dropouts
• Reynolds Ouzo Pro carbonfibre fork
• Campagnolo Record Titanium front brake caliper
• Thomson Elite layback seatpost and 110mm stem
• Stronglight track chainset, 165m cranks, 48 tooth chainring, & 17 tooth rear sprocket
• Goldtec FlipFlop hubs on Mavic OpenPro rims
• Rear brake mount and cable guides, threaded with cable for rear brake.

Total Mileage: Approx. 1500 miles  Condition: Excellent

There are a couple of variations on the reviewed specification;

• 25mm Continental Ultra Gatorskin tyres
• 111mm Campagnolo Centaur bottom bracket

Please note the bicycle comes without pedals and does not come with the Speedplay pedals photographed.

For those who are new to the idea, a "fixed wheel" bike is one with direct drive to the rear wheel. There is no freewheel, just a simple fixed sprocket. It is not possible to pedal backwards while going forwards. Instead, a slight back-pedalling results in slowing down. Traditionally used on the track, accompanied by no brakes (safe in an environment where no-one has brakes and the racing is very fast and close), this frame can be used on the road with the addition of a front brake and fixed sprocket rear wheel.

Dimensions:

• Seat Tube (c-c): 475mm
• Seat Tube Extension: 80mm
• Seat Tube (centre to top): 569mm
• Effective Top Tube (c-c) 54cm
• Head Tube 14.5cm
• Chainstays 405mm
• Frame angles: 73 degree head, 73.5 degree seat
• BB Height: 275mm

Would suit a rider  5'9"-6'0" tall

• 1 1/8th non-integrated headset fitting
• 120mm rear hub spacing
• 27.2mm seatpost
• English thread bottom bracket
• Oversize downtube to reduce flex and increase pedalling efficiency
• 2007 headtube badge
• Two pairs of bottle fittings
• Rear brake fitting &cable guides
• Lifetime Limited Warranty

Reynolds Ouzo Pro Forks

Campagnolo Record Titanium Front Caliper

Goldtec Rear Hub and Izumi Chain

3Al/2.5V Titanium with a Lifetime Guarantee

Please note the bicycle will be sent directly from our Quality Control office in Beijing, China.  Delivery usually takes 12-16 days.  We will refund by PayPal any tax or import duties incurred on import of the bike into the UK on receipt of the relevant tax or duty receipts faxed or emailed to us.