Hand-built in Italy, the carbon-fiber TF3 is almost everything you expect from a boutique European brand: fast, extremely well made, and unrelentingly sexy. The only thing missing is an exorbitant price. "The panache of a Ducati for the price of a Honda," raved one tester. The TF3 finds a sublime balance between quick handling (credit the smart geometry), Pro Tour–caliber responsiveness (the raised spines in the tubing add snap), and smooth road feel (a result of the flattened, sweeping top tube). Some might call the Athena group set—Campy's third tier—a compromise, but we found the shifting as crisp as any mechanical drivetrain: you get 11 tightly clumped gears in back, and the new ergonomic controllers feel great. Add the
gorgeous detail (check the seatpost) and the SMP saddle, which many called the most comfortable they'd ever ridden, and you have a bike that's almost impossible to resist. 16.1 lbs
Handling: 5 (out of 5)
Responsiveness: 5
Photo: Inga Hendrickson
