The Fezzari Veyo debuted in January with a very-light-for-an-aero-bike body, massive tire clearance, and some surprises. I’ve been using it since couple months previous to launch and now, with a a number of hundred miles on it and some actually lengthy (50-80 mile) rides, I’ve some ideas.
The brief model is that this: It’s quick, totally trendy with ample tire clearance, snug sufficient, and likewise actually, actually quick. Did I point out it’s quick? As a result of it’s most undoubtedly, noticeably, very quick.
Let’s take a closeup take a look at the body and the whole bike weight first; trip evaluate is at backside…
Fezzari Veyo SL tech particulars & precise weight
I rode the scale XL bike and, at 6’2″ with regular proportions, it match nice. Fezzari’s dimension chart would have put me on a Massive, however the XL’s 585mm ETT is spot on for the way I like a motorcycle to suit.
That left loads of seatpost extension because of a mildly sloping high tube, which additionally stored the bike feeling spritely beneath. Low seatstays enhance consolation and aerodynamics, however my take is that they do extra for the aero half than the consolation half (extra on that under).
At a look, I feel the bike appears to be like nice…proportions, shapes, profile, I prefer it all. And a better look solely makes issues look higher and extra fascinating.
Truncated airfoil shapes all through the body mix into each other actually properly. A deeper head tube retains the entrance finish torsionally stuff, which is noticeable when standing and cranking.
They use the FSA stealth headset system, which retains appearances clear with out limiting cockpit choice.
When it’s paired with their Imaginative and prescient stem, decrease covers can cover the brake hoses and different different wires or cables from the handlebar again. In the event you use a handlebar and stem that runs these issues internally, you’ll by no means see any of it. As is, it’s just about utterly hidden from view (and wind).
The fork’s crown blends immediately into the form of the pinnacle tube. In comparison with the thin legs of the Fezzari Shafer gravel bike’s fork, this one appears to be like extra regular and offers glorious lateral stability and affordable fore-aft affect deflection.
There’s no making an attempt to cover the water bottles behind oversize downtubes, however they do form these tubes nicely, and offer you a two-position mount for the downtube’s cage. Run it decrease in case you’re solely utilizing one bottle, or transfer it as much as make room for a second.
I like that Fezzari put the seat tube bottle’s placement as little as attainable, at the least hiding it inside any turbulence attributable to your toes and the primary bottle.
The highest tube might be extra shapely than it must be, however provides to the bike’s general aesthetic. The bike is UCI authorised if you wish to race it, and so they say it’s good for something from crits to fondos.
The rear wheel tucks into the seat tube, and clean traces movement from the downtube, throughout the BB shell, and into the stays.
Up high, a customized seatpost makes use of a truncated aero profile with a wedge to safe it. The rubber flap slides up and down the put up as you regulate, serving to preserve the weather out, however a small gap permits peak changes with out peeling it up.
A typical Di2 battery holder matches contained in the entrance fringe of the put up.
Again down low, the chainstays have a shocking quantity of shaping. Mixed with a BB shell that tapers all the way in which out to the sides, they supply a really stiff backside half for max energy switch. I couldn’t detect any twist or flex underneath onerous efforts, whether or not seated or standing.
I additionally simply actually appreciated the shaping from a visible standpoint, too. About the one issues I’d change on this is able to be to make use of tool-free stealth via axles and swap in a carbon fiber handlebar.
I ran 700×28 tires and there’s room for days. The body is rated for as much as 700x32mm tires.
I caught with the “narrower” 28s as a result of I wished to deal with a speedy construct throughout testing, and 28s present a very good quantity of consolation with out being too heavy. Additionally they proved to work very nicely with the Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels in making this bike slide previous air molecules like they didn’t exist.
For longer rides or if I knew the pavement could be lower than superb, I’d lean extra on a much bigger tire to assist mitigate the little little bit of highway noise I felt. Whereas the Veyo SL match me very nicely, it’s nonetheless an aero body, which by nature of the tube shapes are usually stiffer than extra historically formed bikes.
That stated, it’s not uncomfortable or harsh, simply additionally not a daily highway bike. The tradeoff for pace is value it, and I nonetheless completed 4-5+ hour rides simply tremendous. But additionally, I’d swap in a carbon bar and/or a bit thicker bar tape.
Full bike weight with two Fezzari water bottles, Ultegra Di2, Ergon saddle, alloy FSA bar and stem, Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels and Schwalbe Professional One 700×28 tubeless tires is 17lb 6oz (7.83kg).
This isn’t a inventory construct, I used my wheels and tires, however Fezzari does provide a Zipp 404 wheelset improve possibility, so you may get fairly near recreating this your self. The purpose is, it’s fairly gentle, particularly for an aero bike.
The Veyo Professional SL mannequin (with Ultegra Di2) runs $4,999 with DT Swiss ER1600 alloy wheels. The Zipp 404 Firecrest improve provides $1,300 (or get Zipp 303S for +$700). The housebrand Twin Entry Bottle Cages that got here on the bike are an $18 add-on (every) and are among the tightest cages I’ve ever used…no likelihood of dropping a bottle out of those.
Fezzari Veyo SL trip evaluate
I couldn’t actually discover any space the place the Veyo didn’t impress me. Simply cruising with buddies? Excellent. Pacing of us right into a headwind? Not too dangerous. Tucking in and completely dropping them on the descents? Simple.
Even with stronger riders, I appeared extra capable of sustain and preserve going longer and/or sooner than standard. It was delicate, however I felt just like the “quick guys” within the bunch seen, too, as a result of they began taking a eager curiosity within the Veyo.
Fezzari says the bike’s designed to nook sharp and stay steady on high-speed, sweping descents. I didn’t have any alpine passes to check the latter on, however our personal rolling hills and meandering backroad routes supplied loads of small exams for each.
The Veyo reacted rapidly to intentional inputs with out being overly delicate to the careless micro actions made throughout regular using. In the event you like a motorcycle to deal with with plenty of “character”, the Veyo SL could have looking out onerous for it, however that’s not a foul factor for a motorcycle like this.
Which means, I may trip two abreast, inches from one other handlebar, with out drama or concern. It got here to life when wanted, then settled again in for the lengthy haul, regular and environment friendly.
Crank issues up on a climb or dash and it reacts instantly. And contemplating how gentle deep-ish wheels just like the 404 have gotten as of late, and that this body is simply 860g (claimed, dimension M), there’s no penalty on the ascents for aero advantages all over the place else.
Random Assessment Notes
I wished to title this “…defies the wind, and expectations”, however by this level Fezzari has established itself as making some fairly darn good bikes that, by sticking to a client direct mannequin, are additionally extraordinarily reasonably priced. So, I anticipated the Veyo to be good, and it delivered. The model continues to supply top-shelf efficiency at nice costs.
They’re additionally gently nudging issues ahead by incorporating future requirements early, giving riders consolation realizing that their body is upgradeable. The versatile inner routing design permits you to run any cockpit you need whereas nonetheless having full inner routing feeding in on the headset. Prefer it or not, you’re going to see increasingly of this in increasingly classes.
The Veyo additionally has a UDH-like rear derailleur hanger. There’s no direct-mount highway derailleur but, however I may see that taking place sooner or later, too. So, why not embody it right here? At a minimal, it places rear derailleur placement into tighter spec than not, so it’s a very good factor even when DM RD’s by no means occur on highway.
Lastly, it handles tough grime and lightweight gravel roads simply tremendous, too. A lot of my longer weekend rides find yourself on random forest roads, the odd piece of singletrack, and even pure gravel. I’m blissful to say that the Fezzari Veyo SL is lots fast right here, too, even when it does look a bit misplaced.
All in all, Fezzari continues to punch above its worth class for well-conceived, generously featured, forward-thinking bikes. The Veyo SL is a superb addition to the aero bike class and one I’d advocate testing.
