TREGNAGO – MCipollini's 2024 road bike lineup expands with the arrival of the Itaca. This model was created to meet the needs of those who want a high-performance bike that can be comfortable and aggressive on all roadsItaca leaves the Cipollini workshops and does so in grand style, with a presentation we attended in the hills of Lessinia. A short ride, about forty kilometers, but one that allowed us to glimpse the features of this new gem.
“Softer”
Itaca, like the whole range MCipollini, is a bike born from the vision of Mario Cipollini, former rider and world champion in Zolder in 2002. The underlying idea is always to propose a vehicle that makes speed and range its dogma.The emphasis, however, is on the great comfort and ease of riding. This feature is accentuated by the seat post, a highly intuition technical innovation. The manufacturing process has included flax fibre which, with its natural qualities, helps to smooth and reduce asphalt vibrations. Smoothness is the basis of this model, which responds well even when the road starts to slope under its wheels.
"The main innovation," said Michele Tittonel, an engineer in the research and development department, "is the seatpost. Adding a flax fiber component has allowed us to create a bike with a more comfortable ride. The imperfections of the asphalt are smoothed out by this natural fiber, Test data shows 19 percent more vibrations absorbed».
Same base
Another important and unique feature for all MCipollini frames is the 3K carbon finish. A result that is obtained through an artisanal lamination process in which the carbon layers are overlapped, thus creating a single piece. No further steps are necessary, resulting in a frame with a pure and perfectly balanced structure.
«This – explains Tittonel – is the bike that MCipollini was missing. Responsive, rigid but at the same time comfortableThe proposed geometries are designed for long rides, so the riding position is not aggressive. Compared to Dolomite, the stack is 3 centimetres higher, while the 5 centimeter tank».
Technical details
The fact that Itaca is a bike designed for endurance is evident from some technical aspects, such as the choice to have wider wheel clearance. It is possible to fit tyres up to 40 mm, although the ideal size, with which we had the opportunity to test the bike, is 32 millimetres.
MCipollini, however, did not want to give up speed and technical choices aimed at this aspect. In fact, the standard wheels mounted on the Itaca model are high profile, 45 mm, for better aerodynamics. For more consistent and responsive braking, 160 mm brake discs were chosen for both the front and rear.
