Test riding a Parlee Z4 and a Viner Maxima

Posted by Mark on February 11, 2009 under bike | Read the First Comment

For my 2009 L’Etape attempt I thought I’d treat myself to a new bike, after all it’s been almost seven years since I last bought a new road bike.

Having researched the bespoke carbon market for at least the last six months I arrived at a short list of three manufacturers frames. These were Independent Fabrication’s XS, Parlee’s Z2 and Viner’s Maxima.

You can find good words about all these machines all over the Internet – although Chris Boardman didn’t exactly rave about the Parlee Z1 in his review.

After looking at some of the weights people were getting for full builds I decided to rule out the XS. I’m sure it does have excellent ride quality, with the clever combination of carbon and titanium, but I must confess I’m trying to build something as light as I realistically can (without resorting to the likes of Crumptons or creating a compromised machine).

So I’m down to the two finalists. Time to get a ride in.

I managed to get a quick spin on a Maxima about three months ago (thanks to Kevin at Cycle Doctor), so needed to compare the Parlee. Having already done a fitting session with Barry at Bespoke, he lent me a Z4 for a few days to get a proper test in.

Poor weather for the first few days of the loan scuppered my plans for a proper test ride. Then an opportunity popped up to go for a ride at the new London Hog Hill circuit, courtesy of Cycle Doctor and Viner. Brilliant! A closed circuit, and my two potential bikes head to head.

As the credit crunch took hold towards the end of last year and the UK pound weakened the price of all three of my choices started to rise. Most recently the XS is coming in at over 4,000 UKP, the Z2 at 4,200 and the Maxima at 3,122. Eek!

I must confess my first ride of the Z4 didn’t inspire confidence. I found the ride teeth shatteringly harsh and the steering woefully slow. Like all things though, these views are subjective. I weigh 64kg on ‘a fat day’, and I’ve grown used to a Colnago C40 with a [too short] 10cm stem – which makes the steering lightning quick, and if I’m honest bordering on lethal. My aim with the new bike is to have something with sharp steering, but not so sharp as to take my head off.

The Z4 rides much better on smooth tarmac, and power transfer is instantaneous. Stamp on the pedals and this thing goes forwards quickly. The steering is best described as stable though – if you like your bikes to go straight even when you’re faffing in your back pockets trying to find lunch, this is the machine for you. However, if you want a bike to drop into a bend the instant you think about it, then no.

So, time to get on to the Maxima. Straight away I remember what it is I like about this bike – it just feels to right. The ride is sharp, but comfortable. The steering is near perfect – it turns in quickly, but not too quickly – and it hangs on to a line like it’s on rails. It inspires absolute confidence and makes you feel like you can attack every corner at ridiculous speeds and get away with it. A few laps of the short, top section, circuit at Hog Hill and I’m loving the Viner.

Back onto the Z4. Hmm, now the difference is blurring. The ride is harsh, but actually it’s not that much different to the Viner. And after three or four laps I’m adapting to the slower steering – what I realise is it’s a micro second slower on the turn in, but once it’s in the turn this thing is razor sharp on pinning to a line.

Dammit. This isn’t helping.

Back onto the Maxima.

But there it is, the decider – immediately I feel more ‘at home’ on the Maxima. It is more comfortable, it does have a better steering feel, and I do feel like I’m making progress much more swiftly and smoothly on it.

It’s a done deal. I’m going for a bespoke Maxima. And it’ll save me about a grand.