SIMPLON PRIDE – still the world’s fastest road bike

To be able to compare the drag of different road bikes in a neutral, qualified and reproducible method, specialist journals conduct wind tunnel measurements. By doing so, they do their best to create comparable conditions under which different bike models compete against each other. For each tested bike, the amount of energy in watts is calculated which is required to maintain a defined speed against the airflow.

The TOUR test

The editorial team of the TOUR magazine place a "pedalling" lower body dummy on the bike. The air resistance is measured at an approach speed of 45 km/h at various angles from -20 to +20 degrees to the front. This standard also takes into account the turbulence caused by a human body on the road bike. (Read more about TOUR's test protocol. (German only)) Despite the standardised testing procedure, the interpretation of the wind tunnel test  requires a certain amount of caution: for marketing purposes, some manufacturers send their bikes in a configuration with limited functionality to the wind tunnel. The PRIDE II, on the other hand, rolled into the wind tunnel for the TOUR test fully equipped for real-world use: The test bike in medium frame size 55 was fitted with competition-ready gearing with two chainrings and front derailleur, as well as a 400 millimetres wide handlebar that to match the frame size. Nevertheless, at 199 watts, it broke the 200 watt sound barrier for the first time and is still unbeaten today.

Read the test report (German)

The RennRad test

RennRad magazine report the results of their direct comparison wind tunnel test of 10 current aero race bikes without a dummy in its 7/2024 issue. RennRad also focussed on the air resistance at 45 km/h. Also in this test, the PRIDE II emerged as the winner in the "real crosswind" protocol (+/- 20 degrees) with 63.0 watts - even though some competitors had sent their test model to the test with a lower frame height and higher wheel rims.

Read the test report (German, PDF)

As SIMPLON riders know, not only aerodynamics are crucial when it comes to reaching your top performance on a road bike - it's also the best equipment for your personal needs and the opportunity to customise your bike precisely to your individual body measurements. That's why our customers can put together their own customised dream bike with many options in our extensive bike configurator. With the PRIDE II, for example, six group sets can be combined with eight wheel sets. In terms of ergonomics, our configurator offers more options than competitor bikes with three stem variants (each one adjustable in length) and an adjustable saddle attachment. However, in the competition for wind tunnel top results and in terms of weight, some of the PRIDE II's competitors lose sight of real-world equipment demands.

In order to break the PRIDE II's record values in independent wind tunnel tests, we believe that it is not enough to simply build a frame optimised for maximum aerodynamics. It must also hold its own with practical equipment. For example, in a TOUR magazine test published recently, a top bike from a competitor was able to match the PRIDE II in the wind tunnel - but it was equipped with just one chainring, no front derailleur, and with ultra-narrow handlebars measuring just 360 millimetres.

This recent example from TOUR magazine's comparison tests shows just how thin the air in the aerodynamics segment has become: significant improvements in aerodynamics are almost impossible to achieve. This underlines the masterpiece our developers achieved 3 years ago: tested with competition-ready equipment, the SIMPLON PRIDE II is and remains the fastest road bike in the world to this day according to both the TOUR standard and the RennRad standard (with realistic cross-winds) - despite its unparalleled flexibility in terms of customisation to meet your own needs and riding requirements.

Check out the PRIDE II