Condor Leggero road bike review

Established in 1948 and with the flagship Gray’s Inn Road in London store still fully operational, Condor is something of an outlier amongst the online-only and straight-to-consumer bike-in-box brands that we’re now familiar with in 2024. Thanks in part to its work with Italian brand Sarto, Condor has also been able to offer carbon framesets alongside its made-in-house steel and aluminium designs since 2000.

‘We source all the carbon, design all the tube shapes and then Sarto – after giving us input on what will and won’t work – puts it together for us,’ says Ben Spurrier, Condor’s head of design. ‘It’s an exclusive relationship that we’re very happy with. Being able to pick up the phone to Sarto or pop over there in a day is a godsend.’

This chopping down of logistical airmiles dovetails with commendable environmental credentials that extend into Condor’s workshops and sustainability practices. ‘The carbon footprint of our frames is far smaller than most brands,’ says Spurrier. ‘It’s probably something we should shout about a bit more.’

The framesets produced under each name, as you might expect, are entirely distinct in the materials and methods used. Sarto’s and Condor’s models are proprietary to the respective brand.

Condor Leggero: Aerodynamic accenting

The fourth-generation Leggero is a race and aero-accented carbon fibre road bike, which replaces the 2016 edition and slots in alongside the Leggero SL. Leggero might mean light in Italian, but it is the SL that is Condor’s climber’s bike (850g claimed frame weight for a size 55cm) and a full 250g slighter than this Leggero.

According to Spurrier, changes to the design of the Leggero have been led by the direct relationship Condor has with many of its customers, as well as ex-pro riders from the Rapha-Condor days who continue to provide feedback on frames.

‘People wanted dropped seatstays to bring the bike up to date, but we never wanted to go fully down the aero route because that’s not something our customers suggested. Fewer and fewer are concerned with shaving watts.’

That said, the introduction of integrated cabling, a kamm-tail aero seat post and smaller seat stays are all attempts to reduce drag, as is the option to fit a one-piece handlebar and stem.

‘Our aim was to shed weight without compromising aerodynamics. We knew the benefits of a kamm-tail so we applied it to the seat tube and post. Otherwise, the main changes are moving the seat clamp underneath the top tube, the dropped, slimmer seatstays and a tyre clearance of 30mm. If you compare it to the SL, the Leggero was, and still is, designed to be comfortable for 100 miles over rough roads at high speed.’

The types of carbon fibre in the Leggero’s construction are conventional, but Spurrier says the way they’re fused together is a little special.

The Leggero is made from a combination of different carbon fibres from Japan and the USA: unidirectional for strength, high modulus for stiffness and ultra-high modulus for both strength and stiffness, all fused together using something Condor calls nano carbon technology.

‘It involves using particles of carbon within the resin, as well as within the carbon weave, to give the frame more compliance and dissipate vibrations,’ he says. ‘The particles elongate rather than wind around the carbon, binding it together better. Less resin means a lighter frame.’

Condor doesn’t use a wind-tunnel, opting instead to collaborate extensively with Sarto on tube development. Since this is all computerised, it allows for a higher volume of iterative testing, albeit without a tangible prototype.

‘We are able to work up ideas and build 3D models in CAD software here,’ says Spurrier. ‘Sarto builds upon these models to optimise the profiles, running Finite Element Analysis and aerodynamic modelling to achieve the best marriage of strength, stiffness and speed.’

Another element in line with the Sarto experience is the option for full customisation.

‘Every customer gets a full bike fit as part of the process, which is not common at this price,’ says Spurrier. ‘We offer full custom geometry on every Condor frame and, if riders opt for it, we can remove all of those spacers under the stem by building a longer head tube instead.’

Condor Leggero: Softening the numbers

‘The geometry is something that has evolved with the brand and our customers over the last 75 years,’ says Spurrier. ‘We’ve just made tiny tweaks as we go.’

Suffice to say geometry is consistent with the third-generation Leggero, and the frame remains performance-focussed without being too aggressive. At 566mm and 387mm respectively on the 55cm frame tested, the stack and reach are on the upright side compared with other current all-round race bikes, while a 405mm chainstay length, which contributes to a reasonably tight 990mm wheelbase should encourage neat handling.

Across the six sizes, head tube and seat tube angles vary up to three degrees. According to Spurrier, this keeps handling consistent across the different options, though the identical fork offsets – consistent in construction and size across all Condor’s race frames – suggest there might still be some slight differences here for riders of different heights.

Condor Leggero: All the nuts and bolts

As is clear from the price tag, Condor hadn't spared any expense on the componentry of this test build. With an RRP of £4,500, the Campagnolo WSR is the main culprit, and I was slightly less taken with the groupset than the Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels. The integrated bar and stem and seatpost are Condor's own, with two-piece setups stepping in on cheaper builds.

With 28mm tyres Campagnolo says you sacrifice some aerodynamics when paired with the 19mm internal width of the Bora wheels, but even so, the tan-wall Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres were perfect for the kind of rutted surfaces I was riding on.

The Leggero is only built with electronic groupsets, with Spurrier insistent that the number of 90° turns just isn't conducive to gear cabling. You could always half your bill by downgrading to a lower spec, including Shimano 105 Di2 and a Mavic Ksyrium wheelset. I always get on well with the 3D-printed Argo Adaptive R1 saddle which completes the build.

Condor Leggero: Comfort at speed

Based on my test rides aboard the Leggero, designing a race bike without feeling the need to push the envelope on every frontier – be it aerodynamics, weight, or stiffness – produces an enlivening ride. I tasked it with distances up to 100km, including short, sharp climbs, rangy flats, and the usual mixture of road surfaces, and disappointment was in short supply.

The geometry works neatly for the sort of riding where I was always looking to go fast but wasn’t concerned about being the fastest. The reach is noticeably shorter than recent (racier) test bikes and I appreciated the more relaxed elbow and upper body posture this allowed for.

The physics points towards a slower ride, and I’m sure it won’t win any races against the most aero bikes. That said, at no point did I feel hamstrung. Condor bills the Leggero as more compliant than its sister bike the SL, and a more exposed (and carbon) seat post adds some additional flex for posteriors despite the extended cross-section.

However, the stiffness comes through too, helped out by the gloriously well-balanced Campagnolo Bora WTO wheels, which are the pick of the all-Italian build. I find climbing the best test of stiffness, and the Leggero’s level of rigidity was ideal for Kent’s nastiest 20% ramps, holding totally fast during out-of-the-saddle efforts.

Condor’s reluctance to craft more aerodynamic tubes pays dividends on your average day riding in British conditions. The tubes don’t noticeably register unexpected gusts, meaning I could descend winding lanes with more poise and confidence, knowing the bike was less likely to be buffeted around.

If having the fastest bike at the lowest weight possible is a must, then the Leggero doesn’t fit the bill. However, Condor insists that that isn’t what most riders want. Even this off-the-rack build gave me a stiff and lively ride and decidedly comfortable geometry and it was a brilliant companion for zipping round country roads.

An included bike fit and customised tube lengths – supplemented by the experience of carbon experts Sarto – surely dictates that the Leggero can only get comfier. For a frame reaching for timeless aesthetics, the bold branding on the tubes and inside the fork is slightly jarring, but I will defer to Condor’s 75 years’ experience of giving people what they want.

Condor Leggero: the spec

• Price: £11,593
• Weight: 7.3kg (55cm)
• Groupset: Campagnolo SRW
• Wheels: Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro 28mm
• Bar/stem: Condor Integrated
• Seatpost: Condor Carbon
• Saddle: Fizik Argo Adaptive R1

Buy the Condor Leggero now from Condor Cycles