The finish and paint work is second to no one. ![]() They still build 100% of their steel and carbon road frames in the small shop in Monza. Casati is now third generation and was founded in 1920. In Casati we have found a jewel in the road bike market. One of the real attractions – besides price – is that there are no less than five closely spaced sizes in the Pro Lite range too, so finding an accurate fit should be easy.At Era Pro Bike we always seek out the highest quality, the superior reputation and the brands that are exclusive and represent the top echelon of cycling products. As well as the gloss white/ silver colour here, there’s also a gloss black/white option and the frameset is super affordable at 1p under £350. Round-to-oval chainstays keep the drive power locked between the back wheel and the conventional bottom bracket. The seat stays are absolutely massive fin pieces which taper down to slotted diagonal dropouts with screw adjusters to manage tyre clearance against the wheelhugger. However, there’s unfortunately only the one set of bottle cage bosses on the seat tube. The front mech hanger can also be unbolted if you decide to use a minimalist single-ring set-up for flatter courses. There’s also the option to use a spacer system and a 27.2mm round shaft seatpost for a more comfortable ride. It is marked for height and angle tilt though, which helps you remember set-up if you have to pull it apart for travel. The carbon Aerobuster seatpost is clamped into place with a big forged alloy collar, but the fit is so tight we actually had to wedge the side bolts open and then wallop it with a mallet to fight the post in or out. Despite a quick thumb and finger squeeze confirming these are seriously thin-walled tubes, weight is still close on 2kg for the bare frame though. Teardrop frame tubes provide a basic aero advantage with a half depth wheelhugger cut into the seat tube too. ![]() Gear cables disappear into blisters on the side of the teardrop downtube. The short flared-end head tube isn’t tapered but it gives smooth lines around the steering bearings and it’s low enough for a properly wind punching position. Frame: Stiffness means an unforgiving ride in the roughĪs you might expect for the price, the Espresso frame is short on fancy features. Dependable Shimano Ultegra completes the stop/go package. Happily the Pro-Lite Sassari chainset (£189.99) is light but the scooped back arms aren’t the stiffest we’ve trodden on. The screw adjusters and rear skewers need to be done up super-tight to stop rear wheel slippage and frame rub. The braking was also sharp and trustworthy, which is a useful confidence-booster for the newbie riders who will be attracted by the low price. ![]() ![]() The deep wheels still shoved it sideways across the road going past gate gaps or in blustery conditions, but it dropped firmly and quickly back into line without wobble or reverb. Apart from the inherent harshness, the responsive yet surefooted handling of the short wheelbase Pro-Lite is another speed-retention bonus. On flat or even gently rolling roads, it trucks on like a proper juggernaut. Once up to speed the Espresso translates the investment in overcoming inertia into impressive momentum. The upside is that the stiffness of the frame meant that it still held its own alongside softer-feeling bikes on moderate upslopes and steady accelerations – often much to the other rider’s dismay. Even with a decent fork and soft spoked wheels, the clunking and clanging of the alloy frame over potholes and other rough surfaces could still be clearly felt too. To be blunt, it felt like we were about to rip the cleats out of our shoes whenever we tried to hurry its progress. Advertisement Ride & handling: Surefooted, aero and stiff in terms of power deliveryĪs a reasonably heavy bike, with particularly heavy and soft feeling Vicenza clincher wheels, getting the Pro-Lite going wasn’t the easiest task.
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