Reviews of the Azzurri Di2 Forza Pro from Cycling Express

[sergiomyth]

I've finally weighed mine with carbon wheels and my old selle italia carbon saddle - used to it I guess - weighed in at 5.95, pretty pleased and a bit amazed with that. Guess i really have no excuses now hey If anyone is interested I can post some pics when I get around to it.

[Nhutty]

So what are the main differences between the Mezzo Pro and the Mezzo 90?

Specs wise they look the same.

Is one newer than the other and which would would be considered an upgrade etc?

[usernameforme]

I think the Mezzo Pro is last years, it has a heavier claimed frame weight too (850g v 790g). That difference could be in the paint FWIW, white paint is very heavy and the Mezzo 90 appears to no paint and just a clear coat

[chrisbosh]

I called Cycling Express a few weeks ago as i had a few questions about the bike.

The guy on the phone told me the Mezzo 90 is an entirely new frame.

Went into the store and had a look. To state the obvious you can see that the two frames don't have anything at all in common, other than the words 'azzurri' and 'mezzo' on them.

That said I've been riding the old Mezzo Pro (blue and white frame) for over a year and I've been very impressed by it so don't see a need to upgrade yet. It's plenty stiff for me and I'm not a small rider by any means!

[Cycledelica]

I agree with all of the above comments, but I also have my own perspective. This bike is a racer's bike, its not designed to be a sportif bike. I know some races take you up steeper hills that might require a 25 or even a 27, but the majority of racers should be fine with a 39-23 for most terrain. IMO this isn't a bike designed to comfortably take you up a hill, its one designed to get you up faster than your competitors. That said, they probably used a 23 because it might of been cheaper to get them OEM as few other manufacturers use that on their bikes. I really dislike bike manufacturers who put sportif gearing on bikes that are intended for other purposes (looking at you Specialized, Trek). Just my 2c

I don't believe this is only a racers bike. The fact is that many people who purchase it (like me) will spend a lot more time training on it than racing. I've raced mtb for years but I just started road racing and I plan to do more (hence buying a race worthy machine). A 25 would probably be that little bit more versatile if you live in a hilly area like I do. Some days I just want to relax and spin rather than have to grind.

That being said, I have a 51-17 fixie and I know that being forced into using higher gearing is a good way to HTFU


J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Sep;23(6):1758-63.
Effects of low- vs. high-cadence interval training on cycling performance.
Paton CD, Hopkins WG, Cook C.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19675486

[mezla]

There's nothing non-racing about a 25/27/28... even pros use compacts and big gears for steep racing.

This faux-toughness about hard gearing is a bit silly. Some races have steep bits. Similarity, lots of sportives are flat and a 39-23 is fine.

[clackers]

There's nothing non-racing about a 25/27/28... even pros use compacts and big gears for steep racing.

Yep, Contador did Alpine stages on a 32, Wiggins last year on a 36.

Not real men, obviously.

[usernameforme]

But when they use the 32 or 36 its generally 20%+ for god knows how long

[mezla]

Grinding is bad riding.

[boss]

Grinding is bad riding.

Telling other people how to live their life (or ride their bike), making judgements about others riding styles , and being holier than thou is bad.

It's probably worse than riding in the wrong gear to be honest.

[mezla]

There are facts.

You'll have to figure the rest out yourself, sorry.

[boss]

There are opinions on optimal cadence. Lots of them!

In general high cadence is the go but it really is up to the individual as to what cadence they prefer. Plus, there is some benefit pushing a bigger gear than you're used to if you want to build power.

And hey, some people are strong enough to push a 39-23 up a decent climb.

Fixed a couple of typos champ

[MarkG]

Grinding is bad riding.

Telling other people how to live their life (or ride their bike), making judgements about others riding styles , and being holier than thou is bad.

It's probably worse than riding in the wrong gear to be honest.

Damn straight jimboss.

[mezla]

Wow... what a pair of children!

Edit: Woot, no more will I have to read the inanity!

[MarkG]

Ok, mr all knowing one with regards to online pricing, in store policies and now even group set ratios.

[Xplora]

LOLz... I'm sure I'd bitch out and grab the 36 if I was a professional time trial specialist who had to drag their sorry butt through the Alps for a couple thousand kms over 3 weeks, too.

No point looking at what people with unlimited gear choices are using. If you need 27-28 on the bottom with a racing spec bike, time to work on your training. Few are pumping out TdF kms... they have the ability and sense to recover. Professionals with lots of gear don't have that option.

Now, let's all have a bex and a nice lie down.

[jules21]

just ordered a forzq pro for $2,400 from CN. can't wait