3/2/2023 0 Comments The silent age outside archon![]() ![]() FSA components up front and a Prologo max choice saddle finish off the spec list and work well together Easily managing even the steepest of gradients as I rolled out of Arbeost in the mist and rain, the C3 was pure enjoyment. On the Col du Soulor and Col d’aubisque climbs I used some 2010 R-SYS wheels by Mavic and they performed brilliantly together. Also, when using ‘race’ wheels this frame is even quicker, more aggressive and smoother. Yes it comes as a complete bike and the FSA rd60 wheelset did an adequate job, as did the Gossammer compact chainset but I personally feel a full Ultegra 6700 drivetrain to accompany the brakes and levers that are supplied as standard would make a difference. As with the GT GTR Carbon Expert that I reviewed not too long ago, this bike purchase is essentially a frame to upgrade. The front end had a tendency to feel a little light when accelerating out of tight corners at the foot of the Col du Tourmalet but this has more to do with my riding style (or lack of) than the bike. ![]() The frame was sublime, very stiff and very quick on the acceleration. I have taken the C3 on all manner of rides, from hilly sprint triathlons to the Exmouth exodus, from 200mile audax’s to tackling the toughest climbs and weather that the Pyrenees could throw at me. I was never going to get a good idea of how the Archon C3 rides from this short jaunt but I did arrive home with a massive grin on my face. They took a few minutes of getting used to but then it was full steam ahead out toward the Cotswold escarpment for a spot of sprint climbing before a steep descent and a fast, flat-ish return to central Bristol. I use 38cm bars on my TT bike but 42’s on my road bike. ![]() On the first ride, a pre-planned 40km route home from the Paligap warehouse in Yate, just north of Bristol my immediate, and I mean immediate thoughts were ‘wow, these bars are narrow’, 40cm to be exact, on a medium frame. Litespeed call the C3 the ‘premium modulus’ frameset and this is constructed with 3k carbon throughout as with the other c series Archon frames. The C3, however, doesn't come with internal cable routing but more on that later…īased on the look of the frame and fork package I expected a reactive, sharp ride that would push me to ride faster and faster. The rear triangle also bears some resemblance to the Cervelo R3 (as tested on ) with its extremely thin seat stays and aerodynamically sculpted chain stays. The side on area of this frameset is quite hefty, I wondered how it would handle in cross winds, especially when I had planned to occasionally test it with my Sram S80’s - i needn't have worried on that score it turned out. The first thing I noticed about this frameset was how much bigger the headset area and bottom bracket are than on the titanium version of the Archon, which is a thing of real beauty. Taken on face, it would seem that Litespeed feel this is the perfect bike, quite a statement for a company who have built so many great bikes in titanium. Litespeed say that their “relentless drive for the perfect ride has finally delivered the results we had hoped for”. So, a carbon Litespeed… The famed titanium bike manufacturer has branched out into a brave new-ish world, the Archon carbon framesets are the result of two years of design, progression and testing. ![]()
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