Volagi Liscio frameset

Volagi's designers may have gone down the comfort route with their Liscio frameset but over the last couple of months this modern looking carbon frame has been impressing everywhere from time trials to fast commutes and interval sessions. If you're the type of rider that likes to dabble in all aspects of road riding this may be the only bike you need.

I can remember when the Liscio was first released as it was one of the first road bikes to really take the whole disc idea head on. It was a bold move to not offer a caliper version but by designing the frame from scratch around the brakes I think aesthetically speaking it's one of the most natural looking disc-equipped bikes on the market at the moment.

The Long Bow Flex Stay, the curved seatstay, seat tube junction is certainly striking and this is one of the areas where Volagi has designed some comfort into the frame. Curved seatstays aren't a new thing, we see a lot on titanium bikes to offer a bit of damping by promoting flex though these are normally curved towards the seatstays as they need to be welded to the seat tube. Volagi go the other way allowing them extra length to bypass the seatpost and attach to the top tube. Does it work? Well yeah though like all things that do their job well you don't really notice it unless you really concentrate.

The Long Bow flexes just enough to take the sting out but not to the extent you feel any loss in the performance stakes. Maybe three times over the test period did it feel too soft at the back where I had to glance to see if I had a slow puncture. This was mostly caused by hard acceleration over rough surfaces where the seat stays were working hard against the opposing forces. Each time though it was for a matter of a fraction of a second.

The curved top tube and continuous seat stays make the frame look much more compact than it actually is. It's nowhere near as extreme as those first Giant TCRs back in the day but you do get to run a lot of the aero seatpost which also increases comfort. The rest of the lines are curved and blended which coupled with the paint job adds a flowing style to the frameset. It's definitely a product of a 3D design package rather than a builder's jig.

Our 55cm test model came with a 167mm headtube which is pretty tall for a performance road bike but you don't feel like you're sitting upright. In fact crouched in the drops with just a 5mm spacer below the stem I could still get a perfectly aero flat back position. For sportives, long club rides or fast audax treks (the Liscio will take full guards with 28mm tyres) the higher position is spot on when on the hoods or tops allowing you to keep your head up without having to bend your neck too much.

The angles of the carbon monocoque frame are a sensible compromise between stability and providing an engaging ride. The head is 72.5° which gives a very relaxed feeling to the steering perfect for carving through long descents after a hard day in the saddle when fatigue can be an issue. It tracks well thanks to the tapered steerer providing plenty of stiffness, though understeer can start to creep in if you do go into a bend a little too hot. We are talking very high speeds, sharp turns here though as I had the Volagi above 55mph on plenty of occasions and the tight front end and 998mm wheelbase make for a very positive handling bike with no surprises or quirks.

That tapered front end also helps withstand the huge brake forces generated by the TRP Hy/Rd discs and calipers our Liscio was running. These are the same brakes that we had on the Sabbath September Disc we recently tested and they are phenomenal performers. Cable operated actuating a hydraulic piston they provide almost the same degree of modulation as full hydraulics and even after repeated 50mph to 0mph stopping efforts on a local descent there wasn't any hint of fade. Volagi had fitted 160mm rotors up front with a 140mm rear which I've found to be the best combination on the road most noticeable so on a club hilly time trial through country lanes where I was able to brake much later into tight bends keeping the average speed up. A slight drag of the front or rear disc kept the bike perfectly on line.

The 50/34 chainset and 11/27 cassette certainly gives plenty of gear options, ideal for the aforementioned time trial which not only had a 50mph twisty descent but also a 25% climb chucked in for good measure. The Volagi certainly made it known here that its happy to climb whether in or out of the saddle.

There is a lot of stiffness in the frame for an endurance orientated bike especially at the bottom bracket area where you've got some pretty chunky chain stays and the profiled down tube meeting the BB30 arrangement. Volagi have used a mix 30T/24T which has a lower tensile strength and stiffness than the more usual 40T plus grades used on out and out race bikes which has resulted in a good balance of comfort and performance.

You can ride the Liscio for hours and while it still feels a little harsh compared to a titanium or steel frame it doesn't beat you up at all. At the end of a six or seven hour ride you really do feel pretty relaxed in the upper body thanks to the geometry and carbon layup.

For short efforts the Volagi responds well to hard accelerations thanks in part to a lightweight set of wheels. The Ignite EL's are Volagi's own and come in at a claimed weight of around 1600g, which makes them some of the lightest road disc wheels we've tested. They have a 135mm spacing on the rear hub which has become the adopted norm for disc wheels and frames. That width can cause a few heel clearance issues on short chainstays but thankfully on this model and with the caliper positioned out of the way there are no such issues.

There is a lot of talk about wheels being strong enough to take the braking forces from discs but I haven't seen any issues on the bikes we've tested so far. These Ignite ELs stayed perfectly true and the spokes maintained their tension throughout the test period. The hubs are pretty striking with their bright red paint and the sealed bearings ran smoothly and quietly.

As a frameset including headset and seatpost the Liscio will set you back £1,595 which I think is on the money for a quality built frame which offers so much diversity. Some R&D costs will have to re-couped to as this certainly isn't an open mould frame design.

Ours came will a full Ultegra mechanical groupset which suits the frame nicely, I'm more of a Campag man myself but the softer feel and more chunky styling of Shimano's second tier group complements the curves of the frame. 'Eye of the beholder' and all that. The shifting worked faultlessly over the entire test period without any need of adjustment.

Obviously being a frameset you can build it up however you so desire and the frameset is Di2 compatible should you want to go down the electronic route. There are a couple of places to bolt the battery and the wires will be fully internal just as they are with standard cables.

Overall, the Volagi Liscio is a really well built, solid feeling frame that's brilliantly finished. This transfers into the ride as the Liscio feels nicely planted at both high and cruising speeds with plenty of feedback. Carbon fibre is not necessarily the go to material for the long distance rider but with some clever design and material lay ups Volagi have created an all day cruiser which won't embarrass itself when you stamp on the pedals.

The Liscio is pretty perfect for 95% of the type of riding I do. Commuting, day rides, quick blasts and the odd sportive were all taking in its stride and its only if you spend the majority of your time on the absolute limit are you going to noticeable the bit of stiffness you're going to be giving away to a full on race bike. Kind of irrelevant anyway really considering discs aren't allowed in races.

Add to the fact that it'll do all that come rain or shine thanks to mudguard mounts and clearances and you really do have an all year round machine.

Verdict

Well built, top performing evolution of the humble road bike that shows discs aren't just for commuters.