The Condor Squadra. Firstly, let’s start with the colour: there just aren’t enough cream bikes out there, and I’d like to see more. With that out of the way, let’s move on. The Squadra sits roughly in the middle of Condor’s road bike line-up and is built around an Dedaccia EM2 Scandium-aluminium main triangle with tubes hydroformed to give it a distinct look and a Dedacciai Drive carbon fibre rear end grafted into place.

Visually, the frame borrows styling cues from the higher up framesets and those being raced by the Rapha Condor squad. Prices start at just £1,199.99 for a Tiagra specced model however, with prices drifting up to nearly three thousand for Dura-Ace and Campagnolo Super Record equipped bikes.

This test bike has a Deda Nero Forza 5 fork, with carbon blades and steerer tube. It’s kitted out with Campagnolo’s 2009 Centaur Carbon groupset, complete with the latest Ergopower shifters (full impressions on those separately later this week) and Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels shod with Continental Grand Prix tyres. It costs £1,749.99.

From just a quick spin around the block to get some photos, it’s immediately clear that this is a bike that can cater equally for the racer looking for a light and responsive ride and the cyclist seeking leisurely but involving character. A full first ride impression soon…

More at www.condorcycles.com/squadra.html