Dream Bike of the Month: Baldiso Zenith Reviewed | RennRad-Magazin

193.6 – this number defines the new Baldiso Zenith. It represents the power requirement in watts, which, according to measurements in the GST wind tunnel based on the TOUR test standard, is required at 45 km/h. This makes the Baldiso Zenith arguably the fastest UCI-compliant production road bike in the world right now. But the bike is special for other reasons, too: the frameset is produced entirely by Bike Ahead in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg.

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Furthermore, the frame weighs just 860 grams in size M – a top figure for an aero model. Visually, the down tube is particularly striking: it has a fairly flat design and is very slender in the area of the fork crown. Towards the bottle cage mount, it becomes significantly more voluminous, similar to a teardrop, but tapers slightly again towards the bottom bracket.

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The head tube also has a fairly flat design. In general, the frame's build quality is extremely high. The raw carbon finish is about 100 grams lighter than a painted frame. It also gives the Zenith a very "clean" and sophisticated look.

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However, the gold decals are just stickers and were already starting to peel off on our test model.

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Frame Stiffness & Components

A big plus: Baldiso offers a lifetime warranty and a crash replacement policy for the Zenith. In addition, the frame is fully customizable and optionally available with a custom paint job. During testing, the frame stiffness proved to be extremely high – especially in the bottom bracket area. The stiffness there is 73 Newtons per millimeter – a top-tier value. As a result, the Zenith's acceleration characteristics are excellent.

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The low total weight of 6.75 kilograms in frame size M also contributes to this. Given its clear aero focus, this is a very impressive figure. Fittingly, the gearing of the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset is also perfectly suited for climbing: a 50/34 compact crankset is fitted at the front, with an 11-34 cassette at the rear. As expected, ride comfort is not one of the Zenith's greatest strengths.

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The CarbonWorks seatpost, developed and manufactured in Germany, and the 28-millimeter-wide Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires provide a certain level of damping. During our tests, these impressed with low rolling resistance, high cornering grip, and good puncture protection.

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The tires are mounted on Ennoble Round Ride 50 wheels. These scored points with their high lateral stiffness and aerodynamic properties. Despite their 50-millimeter-deep rims, they weigh only 1390 grams. Furthermore, they proved to be surprisingly stable in crosswinds during our testing. The riding position is, naturally, very low and stretched. The stack-to-reach ratio is 1.42. The compromise between high agility and distinct stability has been very well achieved – with the latter slightly dominating the handling.

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Our lead tester awarded extra points for the well-thought-out and extremely stiff, yet fully long-distance-capable, Ennoble Carbon Pro cockpit. Additionally, the unpadded 79-gram CarbonWorks Ultimate full-carbon saddle proved to be surprisingly comfortable.

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Text: Frederik Böna

Published in RennRad magazine under the "Dream Bike of the Month" section