We spotted the Neil Pryde Zephyr at Eurobike 2013 and the Hong Kong-based firm’s ‘endurance race’ bike is now available in the UK.
The Zephyr expands the Neil Pryde range to four bikes, alongside the aero Alize, super-light Bura SL and Bayamo time trial bike, and will be available as a frameset only for £1,999 or in a Shimano Ultegra build for £2,899.
Neil Pryde say the Zephyr combines the power transfer required of a race-ready machine, with the comfort called upon by long days in the saddle.
Power transfer come from the use of the same carbon fibre as the Alize, while additional comfort is provided by a revised geometry – a medium Zephyr’s toptube is 5mm shorter, the headtube is 20mm taller and the wheelbase 10mm longer than the same size Alize – and a new fork and seatstay design.
The fork’s curved blades are designed to absorb vibrations kicked up by the road, while the seatstays uses a carbon fibre layup which places more material at the back than at the front, which Neil Pryde, who have four decades experience working with carbon fibre in the windsurfing industry, say allows for additional flex. Cantilevered rear dropouts and the shape of the seatstays, running into the seattube, are said to amplify the effect.
The Zephyr has all the hallmarks of a modern machine in a fast-growing product category which has seen the launch of the Trek Domane, Cannondale Synapse and Bianchi Infinito CV among others. There’s a 27.2mm seatpost – a seatpost with a smaller diameter is said to offer more flex and thereby further boost comfort – and a tapered 1-1/8″ to 1-1/4″ headtube, as well as clearance for plush 28mm tyres, while frame weight remains competitive at a claimed 1,050g for a large/56cm.
Website: Neil Pryde
UK distributor: 2Pure
