Quintana Roo have been building triathlon-specific time trial bikes since way back in 1987, and with that vast amount of experience behind them, they know exactly what they're doing. The Tequilo and its sister model, the splendidly non-PC named Chicqilo, are the entry-level bikes in the family of nine. Despite being relatively affordable (for time trial bikes), they tick all the boxes that the pioneering brand drew up more than 20 years ago.
Ride & handling: One of the most comfortable tri bikes out there, but not the snappiest
With Quintana Roo’s immense experience it’s no surprise that we felt at home on their frame geometry straight away.
Despite sounding radical, the 78.5° seat angle works well to put you into an aerodynamic yet still comfortable tuck position with noticeably more room between your lungs and legs than you get on more conservative bikes. This in turn means less creep onto the nose of the saddle as you pedal.
The flattened top tube and the other relatively skinny tubes really help to remove a lot of the hammer and hardship of riding rougher roads, while the relaxed poise means it’s controllable rather than nerve-wracking in crosswinds.
Thanks to this comfort and controllability, we spent nearly all of our test time happily stretched out on the long bars.
While spinning easily in the low ratio gears, even bad weather and blustery winds don't spoil the enjoyment. The lack of jarring through the saddle, bars and pedals makes it simple to stay ‘in the zone’ and maintain your rhythm.
While the Quintana Roo doesn’t cut through the wind as obviously as some rivals at higher speeds, once you’re up to cruising pace it holds it fine, and keeps its composure on descents and dirty roads too. We wouldn’t think twice about taking this bike for a super-long ride straight from the box.
Inevitably, such a reassuring and relaxed ride has a flipside, and this is a bike that will wait for you to add the speed rather than encouraging it automatically.
At just over 20lbs it accelerates fine when you do fire up your quads, but there’s some lost power sensation from the back end in the process.
That slight degree of softness also undermines any sense of urgency you might want on shorter, sharper rides, races or interval sessions.
There are plenty of entry-level time trial bikes out there that err on the side of clattering efficiency by sacrificing the comfort that leaves you fresher and more efficient over longer distances. That leaves the Quintana Roo as a standout choice for committed long-distance or high-mileage athletes.
Chassis: Steep frame geometry results in a super-aerodynamic ride position
The slimline looks of the Tequilo are refreshing and there are plenty of cunning drag-cutting features to the frame and forks.
The thin-stripe detailing of the straight-legged aerodynamic forks continues up onto the head tube before curving back along the very shallow ovalised top tube. This all gives a classy look, as do the smoothed welded junctions.
The steep angle of the seat tube means you get less of a wheel-hugging cutout than normal while the cables are routed externally.
Adjuster screws on the horizontal dropouts make accurate wheel positioning easy and a neat twin-bolt clamping piece fixes the carbon post in place.
The Tequilo comes in an impressively broad range of six sizes. These stretch from an effective 42cm to 56cm seat tube, with the women's Chicqilo adding 43, 45 and 48cm sizes.
Equipment: Quality kit, but Vision tri bars don't offer as much adjustability as many rivals
While it’s priced at £1,350, you wouldn’t guess that from the level of kit fitted to the Tequilo. The Shimano Dura-Ace and 105 derailleurs shift faultlessly through Dura-Ace bar-end levers.
The Alex wheels are light enough, though you have the option of upgrading to an FFWD F5R wheelset for £910 extra if you prefer. Continental Ultra Race tyres make a welcome appearance too.
Broad base bars give a range of non-tuck riding positions while the long Vision clip-on tri bars are well-shaped – although we'd prefer more adjustability. The saddle is excellent and our only real criticism on the kit front is that the brakes are a bit soft in use.
