Diamondback

Podium Equipe Shimano Dura Ace Complete Road Bike - 2016

2015 has been something of a breakout year for the frameset at the heart of Diamondback's Podium Equipe Shimano Dura Ace Complete Bike. Along with Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies' up-and-coming climber, Mr. Woods, the 2015 Podium Equipe proved at Algarve that it not only belongs in the pro peloton, but it belongs near the pointy end. Admittedly, Woods' revelatory climbing had something to do with that, but the Podium Equipe showed that it's a more than capable platform for even the most demanding athletes in cycling's biggest events.

The Podium Equipe's main triangle comes to life through Diamondback's Advanced Monocoque Molding Process (AMMP). AMMP starts with a polystyrene pre-form core and a plastic, internal bladder describing the shape of the frame. Different carbon moduli from Mitsubishi and Toray are laid-up around this core in order to hit the sweet spot of stiffness and comfortable compliance, and the whole package is then encased in an external shell to match the internal bladder and keep the inside surface as smooth and unblemished as the outside. Key structural joints are reinforced with silicone mandrel shells in order to ensure the best possible strength-to-weight ratio, and Diamondback eschews pre-preg carbon in favor of its own proprietary Optimized Resin Compound to ensure total control over the materials' consistency and the frame's qualities.

The end goal of AMMP is, of course, to make a frameset that's both race-worthy and comfortable enough to ride all day long at any speed, so the Equipe features the an upright race geometry that's similar in design to the endurance frames with Italian labels that have been appearing with increasing frequency in the peloton. This geometry is defined by taller head tubes, shorter top tubes, and a touch more fork rake than the slammed look we became accustomed to — but never felt good on — in the late '90s and turn of the century.

Of course, as Woods' results confirm, this isn't a sportive bike. Its stack and reach come in just under the average for many of the pro machines you'll see in the peloton, so the cockpit configuration can be set up as an agro crit stiletto when the time comes for pain. The bottom bracket and chainstays are built up to resist wagging, which ensures that every watt of self-punishment you put into the pedals transfers to the road.

The tapered head tube and Continuous Fiber Technology carbon fork take advantage of the frame's geometry to glue to lines and track confidently when the kilometers are ticking down and the situation starts getting twitchy. In order to keep you fresh for those moments, the slightly flattened seatstays and 27.2mm HED carbon seatpost absorb road noise and keep things vertically compliant, so the frame's stiff efficiency doesn't translate into rider fatigue after two hours of racing.

The Podium Equipe is built-up with the same HED cockpit that Woods runs, and Diamondback kits this model with a deeper wheelset, HED's Jet 4 wheels. Instead of the all-carbon Stinger 3 wheels Woods rode at Algarve, the Jet 4s feature an alloy brake track for more confident braking. After all, we don't all have the luxury of a course marshal to clear the road ahead, so dependable, immediate braking is a necessity, not an optional luxury. This Podium Equipe also differs from Woods' in the drivetrain, with Diamondback opting for the latest model of Shimano's venerable Dura-Ace for everything from the cassette to the crankset — no third party downgrades here.