Italian frame building and a large helping of amore – the Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc shows the best of bella Italia and combines it with a Berlin twist, as this bike is manufactured in the German capital. Does the custom bike from Niccolo Bonanno stand a chance against the international giants? You can find out here.
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2020 – 13 high-carat road bikes in review
With the Futomaki Disc, Cicli Bonanno want to combine traditional manufacturing with modern technologies, equipping the frame with flat mount disc brakes, internally routed cables and Syntace’s X12 thru-axles and direct mount derailleur hanger. Buy the frame, and you can customise both the build and geometry to get a tailor made frame. As part of the package, there are no limits on your creativity for your chosen finish. The Columbus Spirit steel tubing of our test bike has been carefully chosen, dimensioned and finished to the very last detail to create a harmoniously proportioned frame.
The Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc in detail
The Light Wolf built wheelset pairs Pacenti Forza rims with Carbon-Ti X-Hub SP hubs and is shod in 700 x 28C Continental GP 5000 tires, making full use of the bike’s clearances. The timeless, modern look is augmented by the mechanical 2×12 Campagnolo Record Disc groupset, which separates the bike from the rest of the test field. For the cockpit and seatpost, Cicli Bonanno fit Fizik Cyrano components, resulting in a total build weight for a size 57 of 8.07 kg. For the custom frame in this configuration, potential customers will have to set aside € 7,000 – we think that’s a fair and justified price.
While the brake hoses run inside the stainless steel tubes, the gear cables run externally. The elegant and practical cable bosses are nicely integrated.
The Campagnolo brakes, developed in collaboration with MAGURA ,delivered the best stopping performance in our test.
The tire clearance around the seat tube is pretty minimal. Style level 1,000. Mud and dirt clearances -2.
Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc
€ 7,000
Specifications
Seatpost Fizik Cyrano 00 25 mm
Brakes Campagnolo Disc 160/140 mm
Drivetrain Campagnolo Record Disc 12-Speed
Stem Fizik Cyrano R1 110 mm
Handlebar Fizik Cyrano R1 Carbon 440 mm
Wheelset Laufräder: Lightwolf, Felge: Pacenti Forza, Nabe: Carbon TI X-Hub SP
Tires Continental GP 5000 700 x 28C
Gearing 50/34 T und 11–32 T 2x12
Technical Data
Size Custom auf Anfrage
Weight 8.07 kg
Syntace’s German engineering in the hanger and dropouts meets Italian aesthetics.
The geometry of the Cicli Bonanno
| Size | 57 (Custom on requeste) |
|---|---|
| Seat tube | 535 mm |
| Top tube | 555 mm |
| Head angle | 73.0° |
| Seat angle | 73.5° |
| Chainstays | 407 mm |
| BB Drop | 70 mm |
| Wheelbase | 965 mm |
| Reach | 374 mm |
| Stack | 570 mm |
Steel bikes are just for romantic dreamers? Not a chance! There’s a lot of performance in this build!
The Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc in review
In direct comparison to its carbon competition, the Futomaki Disc does require a little more input from a standstill, but stays efficiently at speed, where it sprints and accelerates willingly out of corners or slipstreams. While it climbs adequately quickly, it’s really the downhills where the bike plays to its strengths. It may not feel as instantaneously fast as the carbon ‘supersport’ bikes, but on average, there’s no appreciable difference in speed. That’s not least due to the high level of comfort, resulting from a harmonious balance between the steel frame, 28 mm tires, carefully chosen wheels and carbon components. The Futomaki Disc offers enough vibration damping without swallowing up all feedback from the road. The lively and playful handling makes every corner a joy to carve through for experienced riders and the agility of the short rear-end and quick handling front are very well matched. However, beginners may want to take some time to get used to the quick steering, not least because of the frame’s large toe overlap. Thanks to the custom options you also have the opportunity to determine handling preferences with the frame builder, Niccolo. The Futomaki Disc offers a reliable ride thanks to its predictable character and huge amount of braking power on offer from the Campy stoppers. It also invites you to take in the odd farm track – as long as the minimal tire clearances of the rear allow you to.
Tuning tips: Get a proper bike fit and have the bike custom built with your dream spec
Riding Characteristics
4Agility
- cumbersome
- playful
Stability
- nervous
- confident
Handling
- demanding
- balanced
Fun factor
- boring
- lively
Comfort
- firm
- comfortable
Value for money
- terrible
- very good
Conclusion
The Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc’s playful character screams for tight corners and is a guarantee for long-term riding enjoyment. There is a definite prerequisite for knowing what you want with the overwhelming choice of custom options available, but this also makes it possible for everyone to turn their personal steel dream into reality. However, beginners will quickly become overwhelmed when confronted with the choice on offer and with the build tested by us, will likely be unable to cope with its agile handling. This is not a bike for those who don’t know what they are doing.
Tops
- individuality and customisation without superfluous glamour
- good all-round characteristics
- lasting satisfaction
Flops
- significant toe overlap
- limited tire clearances at the rear
For more info head to cicli-bonanno.com
The test field
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2020 – 13 high-carat road bikes in review
Alle Bikes im Test: Argon 18 Krypton Pro (Zum Test) | Bianchi Infinito CV Disc (Zum Test) | BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE (Zum Test) | Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Disc Dura Ace (Zum Test) | Cicli Bonanno Futomaki Disc | FOCUS IZALCO MAX DISC 9.9 (Zum Test) | LOOK 795 BLADE RS DISC (Zum Test) | OPEN U.P.P.E.R. (Zum Test) | Pinarello Dogma F12 Team INEOS Edition (Zum Test) | ROSE REVEAL SIX Dura Ace Di2 Custom (Zum Test) | Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Zum Test) | Trek Domane SLR 9 eTap (Zum Test) | VOTEC VRC PRO (Zum Test)
No, it’s not about perfect race tracks, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along high-speed passages need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret “Smooth tarmac” bikes as follows: Hard efforts at high speeds with a maximum efficient bike on a consistently well-paved road. Effort-joy ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!)↩
… also known as bike riding. Broken-up roads in the hinterland, deadlocked gravel roads, loose surfaces – sometimes muddy, sometimes bone-dry. For this, it takes bikes with super all-round, handling and wearing qualities uphill and downhill. Effort-joy ratio: 50:50↩
If you want to use your bike almost every day, you usually do not need an extremely tuned racing machine. Solid components, which are able to cope with the rigours of continuous usage in any kind of weather, are part of the basic equipment. At the same time, the bike should have practicable details: integrated fenders/assembly options, luggage racks/attachment points and a light system or at least the option of installing bike lights. The position on the bike should be rather relaxed, the overall comfort high, so that the Afterwork Ride becomes a cure and not a curse. Effort-joy ratio: 30:70↩
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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl
