Condor Italia RC Disc review: a shining example of how good aluminium race bikes can be

The Condor Italia RC Disc underlines what can be achieved using the most modest of performance bike frame materials.

It handles like a race bike should, without presenting an overly rigid ride experience – often touted as a weakness of aluminium race bikes.

The fact that you can spec the Italia RC Disc (for a price) to fit your needs means it also strays into dream bike territory, with none of the drawbacks associated with a proprietary design.

While you must still accept a small weight and aerodynamic penalty compared to the best carbon race bikes, those drawbacks are minor in the grand scheme of things.

Condor Italia RC Disc (Ultegra Di2) frameset

The Condor Italia RC Disc frameset is made using 7000-series aluminium – the brand describes this as “performance aluminium”.

7000-series alloys are lighter and stronger than commonly used 6000-series materials (such as 6061), but are generally considered harder to work with.

That said, the tube joins are very neat (on one of my test rides, a rider mistook the frame for carbon) and the down tube has a triangular shape near the head tube, before transitioning to an oval towards the bottom bracket area.

This has informed the bold Condor graphic positioning, which is striking and refreshing, while lending the bike a muscular look.

The rear triangle of the frame is classical in design – slender tubing with a high junction of seatstay, seat tube and top tube.

A bracing seatstay bridge has been included, but it’s worth noting the frame doesn’t have mudguard (fender) eyelets.

There’s a round, 27.2mm seatpost with an external clamping collar.

The head tube is tapered, accommodating 1-1/8in bearings at the top and 1-1/2in bearings at the base, but there’s no cable routing through the upper bearing and the standard 1-1/8in fork steerer can accept a wide range of non-proprietary cockpits.

Brake hoses enter the fork shoulder and top of the top tube, reducing complication, while the frame can sport mechanical and electronic groupsets.

The carbon monocoque fork is said to weigh 350g, while the frame is claimed to tip the scales at 1,450g (both in a size 55cm).

By comparison, a Standert Kreissäge RS frame is said to be 1,360g, plus 380g for the fork (in a size 54cm) – 60g lighter overall. Officially, the Condor has clearance for 32mm-wide tyres, compared to the Standert’s 30mm.

The Italia RC Disc features a threaded BSA bottom bracket.

Condor Italia RC Disc (Ultegra Di2) geometry

I tested a size-58cm bike, matching Condor’s suggested 186-193cm rider-height range (I’m 188cm tall).

This features a steep 74-degree head tube angle – matching the sharp-handling Kreissäge RS and 0.5 degrees steeper than a size-58cm Specialized Tarmac SL8 (as good a reference race bike as any).

The seat tube angle is 73 degrees, which is a degree shallower than the aggressive Standert and half a degree shy of a Tarmac SL8.

You might consider those two bikes more progressive in this area, in order to open the hip angle for improved power transfer, but the Italia RC is contemporary.

The reach is a more compact 387mm and the stack 597mm, compared to the longer and lower designs of the Standert (398 / 580mm) and Specialized (402 / 591mm).

While not straying into the realms of an endurance bike fit, the Italia RC is certainly reasonably accommodating.

Condor Italia RC Disc (Ultegra Di2) specification

The Italia RC Disc can be specced largely as you wish, assuming Condor has access to the parts you desire.

By default, you’ll be served with Deda Elementi finishing kit, which can be modified to suit the spec level (budget) and fit you want to hit.

My bike came with a Deda Elementi Zero 100 handlebar (40cm wide, measured centre-to-centre), a matching inline seatpost and a SuperZero RS stem (120mm) meeting my preferred requirements. All are alloy.

I requested a Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100-spec build for testing, with a set of mid-section carbon wheels – similar to the Standert Kreissäge RS, Cinelli Nemo Tig Disc and J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc metal-framed race bikes I tested recently.

Mavic’s latest Cosmic S 42 Disc wheels were supplied, which cut under the ‘magic’ £1,000 mark (£900 / $999 / €999) when sold at retail price. They have a contemporary 21mm internal width and weigh a claimed 1,660g.

These were fitted with 28mm Continental GP5000 S TR tyres, and a Fizik Vento Antares R3 saddle was also supplied – both choices I’ve had positive experiences with.

Thanks to Condor’s semi-custom approach, an Italia RC Disc’s end price can vary significantly. A frameset costs £1,399.99, for reference, including a headset and spacers.

According to the brand, my test bike would cost a customer £4,670.99 / $6,070 / €5,569.99

This compares to the Standert Kreissäge RS at £5,560 / $7,293 / €6,599 (subject to exchange rates in the UK and US), while you could have a Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 Aero for £4,799 / €4,999 / AU$7,649.

Condor Italia RC Disc (Ultegra Di2) ride impressions

The Italia RC Disc carries the hallmarks of the best race bikes – its handling is sharp and responsive, and it feels stiff enough to provide a sense of immediacy under acceleration.

I particularly enjoyed getting out of the saddle while climbing, when the bike offered up a satisfying platform to push on over steeper sections and sudden rises in the road.

It’s not the lightest bike on paper at 8.62kg, albeit it doesn’t feel sluggish as a result. In reality, a few hundred grams or so isn’t going to make much difference, unless you often ride very long climbs.

The ride position is suitably aggressive, but it doesn’t take things to the extreme. Generally speaking, this bodes well, given most amateur riders are best off with a more conservative fit (and you can opt for a less aggressive layout than I did, of course).

I was also impressed by the bike’s comfort levels.

It’s on the firm side, but the alloy seatpost didn’t spoil the ride quality through the saddle, and the two-piece cockpit is a good foil for the frameset.

Road buzz is dealt with well – for reference, I typically run 78-80psi in 28mm tyres, weighing significantly over 80kg – even if a pothole will still jar.

I’d argue a carbon seatpost upgrade could improve the compliance further (you could reasonably expect one to be included on a bike costing over £4,500), although I’ve not found myself missing one.

Overall, it felt better balanced compared to the Standert Kreissäge RS, albeit lacking some of the whip-crack handling behaviour of the German bike.

The natural downside to this kind of frameset is you’re giving up some aerodynamic optimisations compared to a carbon bike.

I could feel this at higher speeds (around 40kph), where I didn’t quite get the same sense of efficiency (relative effort level) I might have had from a given all-round carbon race bike.

But, of course, the term ‘horses for courses’ applies – the Condor is designed not to be the fastest race bike in the world, but one that offers the handling qualities of a race bike in an alloy package.

At my more modest average speeds, it gives up almost nothing to carbon competition.