The Maratona is an all-new endurance road bike from Yorkshire firm Planet X. It’s the lightest of its kind from the company and, with complete builds starting at just £1,199, it’ll cost you at lot less than framesets from many big-name brands.
Slotting into Planet X's range between the entry-level Pro Carbon and range-topping EC130-E road models, the Maratona is constructed from high-modulus carbon fibre and weighs in at a claimed 1,015g.
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Like all bikes of its kind, the Maratona aims to deliver all-day comfort. Some of that comfort can be attributed directly to the frame’s carbon layup, which Planet X says has been precisely engineered to offer compliance at the rear triangle.
Geometry-wise, Planet X says it's opted for longer chainstays to keep the Maratona’s high-speed handling in check while a mid-length head tube has been chosen to offer a more relaxed riding position.
For a penny under £1,200 you get the choice of two complete build Planet X Maratonas – one with Shimano 105 5800 and another with SRAM’s Rival group. Both builds use caliper brakes from their associated groupsets. Whether you opt for the Shimano or SRAM build, both feature FSA’s Vision Team 35mm semi-aero clincher rims with Hutchinson Nitro 2 tyres. Elsewhere there’s plenty of own-brand finishing kit and a San Marco ERA saddle.
Spend a couple of hundred quid more, however, (£1,399) and you can also have a Maratona with Shimano’s excellent Ultegra 6800 groupset. Or, for those wanting to build a Maratona from scratch, the frameset is available separately for £799.
Claimed weights for each Maratona model are as listed below:
- Maratona Ultegra 6800: 8.05kg/17.75lbs
- Maratona Shimano 105: 8.28kg/18.25lbs
- Maratona SRAM Rival: 8.25kg/18.18lbs
