FIRST RIDE: PLANET X STEALTH
- Thursday, 22 November 2007
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You may well recognise this bike from the Grand Tours this summer. Cadel Evans rode this frame design, decked out in Ridley stickers, during the time trial stages in the Tour de France.
It comes from a mould in a carbon factory in China. Planet X developed the frame design but because it didn’t buy the mould itself, other manufacturers can also jump in, hence its appearance at the Tour.
With a striking appearance and aggressive tubing shapes, which all are triangulated, the Stealth is certainly solid under power thanks to the large junction designed around the bottom bracket and chainstays.
A miniscule head tube allows anyone with the skills of a contortionist to get as low as they like, which is a nice option.
With a solid rear the front end also offers a good performance but is not as positive as the latest Pinarello and Specialized TT frames. But then a built-up Stealth bike costs as much as
the above two frames alone.
The horizontal lines along the top tube and profiled stays aim to give the Stealth aero qualities of the bigger players without an exclusive price tag. On the downside we found that the handlebar extensions weren’t that sturdy. With an option to upgrade to deeper section wheels our 101 rear and 82 front wheels did the job. Considering their price, these tubular carbon wheels do an excellent job.
When you combine a solid performance with Shimano Dura-Ace, it’s hard to fault the Stealth.
PLANET X STEALTH
Distributor Planet X, www.planet-x-bikes.com
Price £2,199
Frame Stealth Fuselage XL
Fork Stealth
Size range S, M, L, XL
Weight 18.5lb (8.4kg)
Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace
Deviations Tektro R75 Carbon
Alterations USE Tula bars
Gear ratios 53/39 with 11-21
Wheels Planet X Pro 101 rear, Planet X Pro 82 front
Tyres Continental Sprinter
Tubular 22
Bars Planet X Stealth Aero
Stem Planet X Superlite Road
Seatpost Planet X Stealth
Saddle Planet X SL Team Ti rails
Size tested M
CW FIRST IMPRESSION 8/10
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