Street racing goes by way of considerably of a transformative time for the time being with tendencies and even the racing panorama difficult the established order. That has left producers reassessing how they strategy bike design. The greatest highway bikes have turn into specialist beasts, optimised for a single job whether or not that is climbing, aero or out-and-out endurance.
Loads has modified although in the previous couple of years and we aren’t simply speaking about disc brakes’ triumphant win over rim brakes within the professional peloton. The greatest light-weight bikes that have been as soon as the goal of all bike producers have confirmed to be slower than extra aerodynamic fashions in real-world eventualities. Devoted aero bikes are not purely sooner with bone-jarring laborious trip qualities (in professional racing anyway) and riders are warming to the notion of trip compliance and the broader tyre motion.
Chapter 2 actually consider so too and the Toa is the consequence. Conceptualised and designed in New Zealand, the Toa contains a Kamm-Tail tubing and clearance for 32mm tyres, blurring the traces to create an all-road race bike.
Design and aesthetics
Like all Chapter 2 bikes, the Toa has an air of exclusivity about it. The frames and colourways are produced in restricted runs. The thought is to create a motorcycle that has a boutique really feel – a uniqueness to draw riders who need one thing just a little totally different from the mainstream. Whereas our Gloss Black (or Tuhua as Chapter 2 likes to name the color) take a look at bike could also be understated with its black and gray color scheme and delicate Maori patterns and teal particulars, there are water-inspired Blue and Cyan (Moana) or Tongariro choices, the latter is known as after a volcano on the North Island of New Zealand.
The UCI-approved body is constructed from Toray carbon fibre and options a big Kamm-Tailed downtube to create an aerodynamic and stiff spine. This blends easily to the headtube, as does the almost-level high tube which contains a slight upwards bow. The seat tube and seatpost have a D-shaped profile so as to add compliance when seated, whereas de rigueur dropped stays have been added to boost consolation and are deeply dropped on our dimension 54cm take a look at bike.
The fork has a slight curve to the legs and the highest of the fork blends backwards into the downtube to provide the ‘fork crown’ a really easy end with the body.
The body and fork have clearance for 32mm tyres, though ISO requirements technically restrict advisable tyre widths to 30mm. ISO calls for 4mm clearance on all sides of the tyre for particles, nonetheless, working 32mm tyres with 3mm on both facet shouldn’t trigger any issues on the highway.
The seatpost clamp is positioned on the highest of the highest tube and seat tube joint, out the best way of wheel spray and simply adjusted. The seatpost can be easy to regulate, utilizing a thumbscrew to set the angle and a single bolt to tighten the saddle in place.
The remainder of the body detailing is effectively executed with a neat rubber cowl over the seat clamp bolt, a properly formed headset cowl, easy slide-together two-piece headset spacers and a three-bolt downtube bottle cage boss permitting decrease mounting when you select to solely run a single bottle cage.
The body is suitable with each mechanical and digital groupsets (Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo) with full inside cable routing. There’s additionally a T47 backside bracket and the flat-mount brake commonplace might be fitted with 160mm brake rotors for optimum braking efficiency.
Specs
The Toa is obtainable in XS to XL to provide an excellent vary of sizing and our medium body has a 73-degree head-angle and seat angle, 548mm high tube 73mm backside bracket drop and a 971mm wheelbase – all very agreeable numbers. The M to XL sizes are all fitted with a 43mm offset fork, whereas the smaller XXS and S get a 53mm offset fork.
The medium body is available in at a claimed 1,099g, 420g for an uncut fork and 135g for the seatpost (+/- three per cent). Our take a look at bike tipped our scales at 7.4kg, which is completely acceptable for a semi-aero bike nowadays. Arguably the body is a contact heavy when straight in comparison with mainstream opponents, however we’re speaking just a few 100g right here.
Chapter 2 solely gives its bikes as frameset choices (this contains headset, seatpost, thru-axles and quick-fit spacers) which implies it’s as much as the client to decide on their most well-liked construct. Our bike was complemented with a Shimano 11-speed Dura-Ace mechanical groupset and Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels. The wheels are arrange tubeless and fitted with 30mm Schwalbe Professional One tyres entrance and rear.
Our Toa is completed with Chapter 2’s Mana one-piece carbon handlebar which we discovered to have a really snug form. There’s a pleasant quantity of flex to assist additional soften the trip with out dulling steering accuracy as effectively. Weighing in at 395g (100mm / 420mm), it has a slim general look too and does a very nice job of tidying up the entrance finish, each aesthetically and by routing the cables fully internally. The Mana bar is an optionally available additional although, so you will want to funds a further £619 / $699* to your construct if you would like one.
*On the time of writing, Chapter 2 are providing the Mana bar free with the Toa frameset.
Efficiency
Whereas Chapter 2’s aero Koko takes the highest spot when it comes to race optimisation, the Toa gives extra of a grand tourer really feel – it is nonetheless speedy nevertheless it’s far simpler to stay with. Huge fast-paced days are the place the Toa thrives, taking over all method of highway surfaces and holding you contemporary and able to assault KOMs or contest town-sign sprints.
The marginally curved fork and subtly kinked rear stays add quite a lot of consolation, with out softening the body’s construction. In reality, it has a superbly sprung nature to it, with the sensation that the bike hunkers down for grip and is derived forwards as you drop the hammer to inject some pace right into a steep kick in gradient or by way of the exit of a nook.
Grip and floor adhesion are the place the Toa shines and this makes it actually quick by way of the corners. The Toa would persistently set PRs on segments I had ridden many occasions, the very fact the Toa did this by way of a winter testing interval when roads are sometimes damp or dirty is much more spectacular.
Tough or grippy roads are ironed out too, which in the end helps preserve tempo and provides additional confidence when cornering. That is solely additional assisted by the 30mm tyres fitted to our take a look at bike. When confronted with lengthy stretches of lower than pristine tarmac, you’ll be able to preserve pushing and holding vibration-inducing fatigue at bay.
The compliance and wider rubber do wonders on descents, too, providing you with a great deal of confidence to drive by way of corners. Geometry and weight distribution really feel spot-on as effectively so the bike has a wonderful stability to it when tipping it into an apex at excessive pace.
Verdict
Chapter 2 says that, regardless of being a race bike, the Toa was impressed by the model’s endurance highway bike, the Tere. This most likely goes a protracted technique to explaining why the Toa is so snug. As highway racing turns into extra progressive in terrain, bikes just like the Toa are going to thrive. Comfy riders are quick riders and the Toa delivers wonderful vibration damping and management mile after mile, smoothing out cobbles, grippy tarmac and unsealed surfaces alike to maintain riders more energizing for longer.
Whereas the advantages of consolation on race bikes have gotten more and more vital, it’s not going to essentially win races. But the Toa continues to be very fast, it by no means felt just like the body was absorbing drive or twisting below energy – and the voluminous 30mm tyres means the bike leaps off the road like a drag racer. Geometry numbers are on level and the bike has a beautiful stability that encourages you to eke out probably the most from the big tyres by way of twists and turns.
Toa means “to be victorious, win” in Maori and I feel Chapter 2 are on to a successful system with this bike.
Tech Specs: Chapter 2 Toa
- Body worth: £2,779 / $3,149 / €2,999 / AUD$4,899
- Body: Toray
- Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M (examined), L, XL
- Colors: Black (examined), Blue + Cyan (Moana), Tongariro
- Weight: 7.4kg
- Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
- Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-R9100 chainset, 52/36T
- Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest
- Tyres: Schwalbe Professional One, 30mm
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace Centerlock 140mm rotors entrance/rear
- Bar/stem: Chapter 2 Mana
- Seatpost: Chapter 2
- Saddle: Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive
- Weight: 97.4kg (with out pedals)
Logbook: Chapter 2 Toa
- Temperature: -2 to 12 levels
- Climate: Moist, chilly, windy
- Street floor: Moist, blended surfaces, cobbles
- Route: Tarmac, B roads, rolling topography, blended climbs
- Mileage: 2044km
