# 2013 Evo Test Ride



## Scott2 (Nov 1, 2009)

Rode the Evo Ultegra Di2 today. Awesome bike. 

I had several Giants for a long time and and a lot of miles and rode my OCR (all carbon) Ultegra bike mostly. Last year early season I test rode and immediately bought a Wilier Gran Turismo Ultegra bike. I bought it because it was a step-change difference over the Giant in that it's stiffer but not harsh, handles great and feels faster overall. I've ridden several other bikes since I bought it but none also had that significant difference until today. The Evo is clearly lighter, stiffer, the bottom bracket is amazingly solid, and it didn't feel harsh at all, the Di2 is killer, and overall it feels like a big upgrade from the current bike.

Then I took out a Cervelo R5 that the shop recommended as competition for the Evo. Nice bike, a bit softer ride and it felt just like my Wilier. To me the Evo is a very big difference from my current bike but the Cervelo is not The Di2 also may be a big deal. I have some arthritis in my hands and riding and shifting for my normal 70 mile Sunday rides sometime takes a toll on them. The electronic Ultegra seems like it would take a lot of the load off.

So - questions:
- any other Evo Ultegra Di2 ride impressions?
- Anyone compare an Evo and R5? or another worthy competitor?
- Can anyone explain the difference between 2012 Evo's, 2013 Evo's, and 2013 Evo Hi-Mods?

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the Evo Ultegra Di2. It desperately needs lighter wheels but that's no surprise, otherwise it seems like an amazing bike and a fair deal at~$5200.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

Last year's Evo is the same frame as the 2013 Evo Hi-Mod, they just didn't call it Hi-Mod last year as it was the only Evo. For 2013, they added the non-Hi-Mod Evo to hit a lower price point (similar as they did with the previous non-Evo SuperSix, SuperX, Flash...). It should be pretty much the same in stiffness and feel, just a bit heavier. The 2013 Evo Black is slightly lighter than the Hi-Mod with what they call Nano carbon but I wouldn't be surprised if the weight difference is more due to the lack of paint than the different carbon blend.


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## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

Well....you rode both the R5 and the EVO.
Why do you need some one else to tell you how they ride?
Pick the one that fits you and you like the best.
As far as the Di2....if you like it...it can be put on any bike.
I just picked up a Evo Ultegra Di2...it's top 3 of the 30 or so bikes I've owned in the past 20 year.


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

the mayor said:


> Well....you rode both the R5 and the EVO.
> Why do you need some one else to tell you how they ride?
> Pick the one that fits you and you like the best.
> As far as the Di2....if you like it...it can be put on any bike.
> I just picked up a Evo Ultegra Di2...it's top 3 of the 30 or so bikes I've owned in the past 20 year.


Without sidetracking too much, I'm just curious what your top 3 is. Sounds like you have a lot of bike experience.


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## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

88 rex said:


> Without sidetracking too much, I'm just curious what your top 3 is. Sounds like you have a lot of bike experience.


Number 1 with a bullet: early 90's Concorde Aquila. After several poor fitting bikes ( done by fitting gurus)...this bike was the "ahhh, this is what a good bike feels like". Classic Euro race bike handling. .Put a million miles on it. I still have it and use it for a basic fit template.

Tied for 2nd with the EVO: 2004 (I think that was the first year for these) Orbea Orca. Light and comfortable.Another bike that I have basically ridden into the ground. I still have it, too. Very sharp handling bike...you have to pay attention to where you put your weight, especially on the bars.

The EVO Ui2 is a cross between the smooth, stable Concorde and the light Orca. I fell in love with the EVO when I rode one last year. I see myself wearing this one out too.

Honestly...the EVO is better than the Concorde( much lighter)...but the Concorde was "that" bike...the one that made me love road riding.

I have owned a bunch of other bikes that, after riding for a while, just didn't do it for me and got sold. And there were a few that I just plain hated.


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## eekase (Nov 10, 2009)

the mayor said:


> I have owned a bunch of other bikes that, after riding for a while, just didn't do it for me and got sold. And there were a few that I just plain hated.


^^^Sounds familiar..
I ordered an EVO frameset from my LBS last week. Parting out my Cervelo R5 and maybe my Spec SL3 to make room for it in my basement/work shop.


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## tranzformer (Dec 27, 2007)

eekase said:


> ^^^Sounds familiar..
> I ordered an EVO frameset from my LBS last week. Parting out my Cervelo R5 and maybe my Spec SL3 to make room for it in my basement/work shop.


Nice. You'll be a Look/Cannondale snob just like me. :thumbsup:


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## FPSDavid (Apr 14, 2012)

eekase said:


> ^^^Sounds familiar..
> I ordered an EVO frameset from my LBS last week. Parting out my Cervelo R5 and maybe my Spec SL3 to make room for it in my basement/work shop.


How much did the frameset cost?


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## tranzformer (Dec 27, 2007)

FPSDavid said:


> How much did the frameset cost?


My shop quoted me $3500. Our team discount is significantly cheaper.


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## TriSliceRS (Sep 15, 2012)

*Weight difference for Di2?*

I am becoming more curious about the Di2 route.... Granted the specs aren't apples to apples (wheels, crank, etc), but does someone have close to hand the weight diff between the electronic and analog group sets? In both the Ultegra and Dura ace varieties?


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## TriSliceRS (Sep 15, 2012)

*Some Di2 weight numbers...*



TriSliceRS said:


> I am becoming more curious about the Di2 route.... Granted the specs aren't apples to apples (wheels, crank, etc), but does someone have close to hand the weight diff between the electronic and analog group sets? In both the Ultegra and Dura ace varieties?


Here's what i've found...
Dura Ace Di2 - 2149 grams
Dura Ace Mechanical - 2219 grams
Ultegra Di2 - 2298 grams (i haven't found this, but i've heard that DA is 149g lighter)
Ultegra Mechanical - 2402 grams

hmmm... the delta between the Di2 and Mechanical for Ultegra seems a little high...


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## the mayor (Jul 8, 2004)

TriSliceRS said:


> I am becoming more curious about the Di2 route.... Granted the specs aren't apples to apples (wheels, crank, etc), but does someone have close to hand the weight diff between the electronic and analog group sets? In both the Ultegra and Dura ace varieties?


The difference is a little over 1/4 lb more for the Ui2 shifters, deraileurs and battery...
You don't need electronic shifting.....but after riding it....I know I wanted it.
The big draw back is I hate the mechanical Dura Ace shifting on my cross bikes now :cryin:


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## eekase (Nov 10, 2009)

FPSDavid said:


> How much did the frameset cost?


Sorry for the late reply...
The quoted frame price is: $3,412.50. The ETA is tbd as of now.

Its the "Supersix EVO Red Racing" frameset in Black w/ green highlights, not the blk/red/Lt. blue scheme.
SUPERSIX EVO RED RACING - SuperSix EVO - Elite Road - Road - Bikes - 2013


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