BIKE TEST: Guerciotti Eureka Italian Road Bike
Guerciotti first established their name at the races back in the mid-’60s. The Guerciotti family was so enthralled with bicycle racing, especially cyclocross, that they started developing their own bicycles to provide the best technology and ride qualities needed to get their riders on the top of the podium. While they still place much of their focus on cyclocross, lately they have also put a lot of effort into building up their catalog of road bikes. The Eureka SHM50 is Guerciotti’s top-of-the-line frameset geared for road racing, and we had the chance to test the team edition used by the UCI professional CCC squad.
THE FRAME
The Eureka SHM50 uses a mix of different carbon modulus grades: 75-percent high, 20-percent ultra-high and 5-percent super-high modulus carbon to create the best stiffness-to-weight ratio. Semi-aero tube shapes may provide a small advantage over traditional round tubing, but aerodynamics are lower on the Eureka’s priority list. The Eureka requires the use of direct-mount rim brakes with the rear brake mounted under the chainstays. Bucking the current downsizing trend of more compliant 27.2 seatposts, Guerciotti opted to go with a 30.9mm seatpost.
THE PARTS
The CCC Edition Eureka SHM50 comes equipped with a full-Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain, along with a PressFit BB86 bottom bracket for extra stiffness. Guerciotti spec’d a Deda Elementi Superzero seatpost topped with a Selle Italia Flite saddle. Deda Elementi also provides the Eureka’s cockpit with the aluminum 35-series bar and stem. Though our test bike came with Fulcrum Racing 3 wheels, the CCC Eureka would come equipped with a set of Ursus T47 Team wheels. For our testing purposes, to get a similar ride quality as the stock wheels, we also tested the bike with Vittoria’s new Qurano 46 tubular wheels. Last but not least, the Eureka SHM50 uses Tektro T-series brakes for easy integration without the need for proprietary parts specific to Guerciotti.
THE RIDE
Ascertaining what any one rider’s definition of performance is can be a tricky thing. Some find optimum performance a result of frame stiffness, some look for maximum comfort, while others focus on a bike’s handling. With the Eureka, Guerciotti has found a way to indulge cyclists in every aspect of performance. Since the Eureka SHM50 is Guerciotti’s premier road-racing bike, they emphasize that much of their design and technology is aimed at increasing the frame’s stiffness and overall efficiency. Snappy accelerations came effortlessly owing to the beefy bottom bracket area and stiff head tube junction. The notable amount of stiffness in the head tube area allows for great tracking through fast, sharp corners. Match those two attributes and you have a fantastic criterium-racing machine.
Unfortunately due to the extra stiffness of the frame throughout, the Eureka SHM50 lacked the comfort we would typically like to have for a carbon race bike. Since we did test the Guerciotti with tubular wheels, we opted to glue on a set of 25mm-wide tires and ran low pressures to take some of the edge off the road vibrations. Once we bumped up the pressure past the 90-psi mark, that was when we started feeling an excess amount of road chatter. We have to say that, to our surprise, the stopping power of the Tektro brakes was more than exceptional, actually one of the best direct-mount brake systems we have tested out.
THE VERDICT
For a stiff and light bike, the Guerciotti offered a well-balanced ride for riders looking for an efficiency-comes-first road bike. Though it was not the ideal candidate for long endurance rides, especially over imperfect road surfaces, the bike shone brightly on shorter, high-intensity rides. Test riders lauded the Guerciotti’s handling, especially during accelerations out of corners. If fast and powerful riding is high on your priority list, Guerciotti’s Eureka SHM50 could be the bike for you. If you need something more comfortable for longer, less aggressive rides, you may find a more suitable bike elsewhere in Guerciotti’s line of road bikes.
PUNCH LINES
• Impressive stiffness and handling
• Available in a broad size range
• Great choice of direct-mount brakes
STATS
Price: $7995
Weight: 14.75 pounds
Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M (tested), L, XL, XXL
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