The Rig:
The Z8 has been ridden quite often indoors and outdoors during the past two months, I rode it in Napa,CA in April and for the most part it has been used it in the rolling roads of Mankato, MN. To this point I can say that whatever the conditions were, nothing was too overwhelming for this simple but fast bike.
From a comfort standpoint, it is what most people want to own. The frame (size 58) fits me great and having the option of setting up your own aerobars are a plus since you can play with your position as much as you want to for comfort (cockpit is 3T Ventus w/straight extensions). The Z8 frame response is great and there is no doubt of its integrity during steep descents. On flat courses the bike is super fast! The bike behaves extremely well riding against the wind and the crosswinds; needless to say the bike is super stable!
The Build:
The first impression of the Z8 is amazing " simple but fast and elegant", the geometry has the reach and stack that fits extremely well right of the gate, minimizing the amount of adjustments or need to add spacers on the fork or even the aerobars, this is essentially what I need for racing triathlons. The all black frame is very elegant. The cutaway of the seat tube follows the rear wheel very tight and I haven’t had any issues with my rear wheel rubbing. The seat post can be adjusted up and down as you need; also there are two options for seat angles which it helps to set up for an aggressive position or you could with with a more traditional "triathlon" relaxed position as well. Another neat feature is the water cage holes in both the down tube and the seat tube, I understand that all of the super bikes don’t have this feature because of “speed” of the frame, quite honestly I love have this option for long training rides, It means I can carry an extra bottle and that gives me an opportunity to extend my ride at least 20 miles without having to stop to refill. On race day I simple take the extra cage off, seal the holes and use the aid stations like everyone else. Overall the bike gives you the opportunity to mix and match your favorite components to make either a high end parts bike or a price point build for starters.
The Specs
Frame: Qachia Z8
Fork: Qachia
Group set: Sram Force + Quarq powermeter crank
Cockpit: 3T Ventus integrated bars w/straight extensions
Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo TTR
Water bottle cages: Xlab chimp and gorilla
Verdict:
Handling A
Specs A+
Value A++
Comfort A
P.S. I will be posting pictures of the bike and build by the end of the week
The Z8 has been ridden quite often indoors and outdoors during the past two months, I rode it in Napa,CA in April and for the most part it has been used it in the rolling roads of Mankato, MN. To this point I can say that whatever the conditions were, nothing was too overwhelming for this simple but fast bike.
From a comfort standpoint, it is what most people want to own. The frame (size 58) fits me great and having the option of setting up your own aerobars are a plus since you can play with your position as much as you want to for comfort (cockpit is 3T Ventus w/straight extensions). The Z8 frame response is great and there is no doubt of its integrity during steep descents. On flat courses the bike is super fast! The bike behaves extremely well riding against the wind and the crosswinds; needless to say the bike is super stable!
The Build:
The first impression of the Z8 is amazing " simple but fast and elegant", the geometry has the reach and stack that fits extremely well right of the gate, minimizing the amount of adjustments or need to add spacers on the fork or even the aerobars, this is essentially what I need for racing triathlons. The all black frame is very elegant. The cutaway of the seat tube follows the rear wheel very tight and I haven’t had any issues with my rear wheel rubbing. The seat post can be adjusted up and down as you need; also there are two options for seat angles which it helps to set up for an aggressive position or you could with with a more traditional "triathlon" relaxed position as well. Another neat feature is the water cage holes in both the down tube and the seat tube, I understand that all of the super bikes don’t have this feature because of “speed” of the frame, quite honestly I love have this option for long training rides, It means I can carry an extra bottle and that gives me an opportunity to extend my ride at least 20 miles without having to stop to refill. On race day I simple take the extra cage off, seal the holes and use the aid stations like everyone else. Overall the bike gives you the opportunity to mix and match your favorite components to make either a high end parts bike or a price point build for starters.
The Specs
Frame: Qachia Z8
Fork: Qachia
Group set: Sram Force + Quarq powermeter crank
Cockpit: 3T Ventus integrated bars w/straight extensions
Saddle: Prologo Nago Evo TTR
Water bottle cages: Xlab chimp and gorilla
Verdict:
Handling A
Specs A+
Value A++
Comfort A
P.S. I will be posting pictures of the bike and build by the end of the week