The frame – truncated aero tubing

The first thing that strikes you about the frame is the truncated aerofoil design – a design NeilPryde calls OTP profiling – that features Kammtail sections in order to shape air around the body of the downtube and seattube.

• Specification
• Price: £2,300
• Weight: 7.57kg (size L)
• Sizes: XS-XL)
• Website: Neil Pryde Bikes

From the side, it looks like many other new-generation boxy aero frames, but from above NeilPryde have taken the trouble to noticeably contour the downtube inwards, creating a narrower shape to slice through oncoming air.

That characteristic in the downtube spreads up to the headtube, featuring an hourglass profile, with a slender toptube proceeding directly to the tapered and shaped seattube. Thanks to the paint job, it’s easy to spot the NACA-style aero profile at the tail edge of the headtube. The seatstays, like many an aero bike these days, make the junction as low down the tube as possible, with flared chainstays that sweep narrowly to the BB86 bottom bracket area.

The ride – quick and stiff, with direct handling

From the first ride, it’s the direct handling that really shines through on the Nazare. Bearing in mind this is the slightly heavier version – the entire bike comes in at 7.57kg in a large without pedals, so it’s still no heavyweight – the direct front end teamed with the short chainstays means the bike has a distinctly snappy feel when you rise out of the saddle and throw it side to side.

Indeed, it feels poised even when you decide to put the power down in the saddle, with power transfer again feeling sharp and direct as you gather speed. There’s zero sense of lag anywhere, while the sheer stiffness of the bottom bracket area means that every pedal revolution is maximised. Indeed, it’s a bike that really encourages you to dig in deep on tough ascents, simply because it’s so good at converting your energy into forward motion.

It’s funny to highlight the nimbleness of the Nazare first, because its main purpose is to be quick when the speed ramps up – this is an aero bike, after all. That’s where the OTP aerofoil profiles start to really do their job, firstly to slice the frame through the wind, and then insulate it against crosswinds respectively. In these days of creating aero bikes that function properly in real world conditions instead of controlled wind tunnels, the Nazare is bang up to date.

The build – full Ultegra with proprietary finishing kit

The Nazare, in this £2,300 guide, features a strong all-round build that’s truly race-ready. The groupset is a full Shimano Ultegra 6800, with the only exception of a 105-spec cassette (we can assume the Nazare will ship with the new Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset when the product line gets refreshed for 2018), and a tweak from the norm in the 6810-designated dual-bolt calipers that sit slightly recessed into the fork and seat stays. For the record, performance is near-as-makes-no-difference the same as the single-bolt versions.

Elsewhere, NeilPryde hasn’t skimped on the contact points. There’s a Fizik Aroine saddle – an obvious and well-suited choice given the aggressive nature of the bike – while the Ultegra build bike features Neil Pryde’s slick Aeroblade integrated bar and stem, complete with attachment points for a Garmin mount. It’s a comfortable setup to grip, with easily accessible drops, although the tops are particularly wide. I’m not a fan of the very gummy LizardSkins bar tape, but I know other riders who particularly like it – what you want from bar tape often comes down to personal preference, much like the aforementioned saddle, which I do like.

That saddle sits atop a proprietary carbon bladed seatpost, fixed in place by an integrated wedge clamp. It took us a while to get it set up and clamped securely (with the seatpost dropping on my shakedown despite setting up to recommended torque levels and with a ‘normal’ quantity of gripper paste), but once fiddled with and lots of gripper paste applied, it’s a tidy, secure and svelte setup.

Rolling stock on paper is provided by Fulcrum in the alloy Racing 7s, although our test bike came shod with Racing 5 LGs – an ‘unofficial’ upgrade over the consumer spec sheet. To be honest, neither set the world alight (we know, having experienced both), but the 5s are about 100g lighter (1,658g compared to 1,763g). The Fulcrum Racing 7s are, in our experience, solid, dependable training hoops and, like many manufacturers, Neil Pryde have included them here to keep the overall cost of the bike down. It’s a shame a bike such as this doesn’t get a set of aero hoops, but then the assumption is that’s an upgrade us consumers could make later down the line.

In fact, it’s not until you look at the Nazare SL with Dura-Ace R9100 groupset that you get something remotely aero with Fulcrum’s carbon Racing Quattros. Then you’re spending an extra £2,500 – enough for set of (very) top end carbon clinchers to put on your standard Nazare, with a few hundred to spare and a leftover set of wheels.

Finally, our test machine also came fitted with 23c Clement rubber, as opposed to the 25c Schwalbe Duranos the bike will be made available with in shops. We also fitted a set of 25c tyres to see if that helped dampen the ride and while it helped to deaden some of the feedback from the road, the frame remains a tightly-wound beast.

Conclusion

The NeilPryde Nazare is a quick, racy frame, with an impressive ability to turn your effort into speed, while the handling is direct and sharp – ideal for tight racing scenarios. The rolling stock doesn’t match up to the aero frame’s talents, representing an upgrade opportunity, but the are solid enough for general riding.

Where the Nazare isn’t quite as strong a performer is over long rides. There’s a tendency to feed back to the rider in what might be best described as an overshare, so it’s not as composed over pimpled roads as some rivals if you’re a high mileage rider. Having said that, if you like a very informative ride and a seat-of-your-pants responsiveness, the Nazare represents good value.

As a result, I think it’s ideally suited towards racers and riders who like a fast, stiff, aero-efficient ride that handles directly and sharply and puts you right into the thick of the action. Throw on a set of quality aero hoops and the Nazare will be ready for action. That said, if you want an aero bike that also has good levels of compliance, there are better options out there for all-day comfort.

Pros

• Very quick ride; stiff, responsive frame
• Quick handling
• Stable in crosswinds
• Good value

Cons

• Stiff ride can be harsh
• Potentially fiddly seatpost setup
• Basic rolling stock