Parlee Z5 – Road Bikes: Reviews
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Lively All-Rounder
This Massachusetts-based crafter of high-end carbon-fiber frames is renowned for its custom-fit geometry and expertise at mixing comfort, stiffness, and light weight in a single frame. Parlee’s now making more stock-size frames like the Z5—and so far our testers are big fans. “Intensely responsive,” said one. “But in this price range, I’d expect it to be.” Right—the price. The frame and fork alone cost more than most people have ever spent on an entire bike. A slightly price-conscious Shimano Ultegra build held the test scores down somewhat, but the Z5 was still, according to one tester, “maybe the best-handling bike I’ve been on in 30-plus years of riding.” 14.5 lbs as tested (medium-large); parleecycles.com
Handling: 4.8
Responsiveness: 4.5