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SpeedX aero carbon road bike builds in smart tech at a very smart price

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SpeedX Leopard

The SpeedX Leopard is claiming to be the first ever “smart aero carbon road bike”. Sure, things like “carbon” & “aero” are appealing, as is the “smart technology” various phones and devices we’re already riding with. So why not just build it into the bike? SpeedX has done just that with the Leopard, with popular features integrated directly into the bike (including cables), at a price that might be the biggest attraction…

SpeedX Leopard disp

SpeedX put together a Kickstarter to get things going and set a $25,000 goal. If you question the demand of something like a smart carbon aero road bike, consider the fact that their campaign is currently almost at an astounding $1.2 million! The demand may be in part do to the price. Their 105 equipped bike starts at $1,299, and… get this. The Ultegra Di2 bike with carbon aero wheels and carbon bar is only $1,999! Now consider the built in “smart” accessories and you have quite a bit bang for your buck assuming the rest of the bike works out as planned.

SpeedX Leopard functions

The bike’s on-board electronics and GPS calculate all common metrics like altitude, distance, cadence, speed, slope, and even weather. It is compatible with any ANT+ device so it will read heart rate and power, too. The stem houses all of the electronics and battery that connects to sensors throughout the bike and everything will run for up to 800km/40 hours and takes only 30 minutes to charge.

SpeedX Leopard light

The seatpost has integrated light that comes on automatically and it, like everything else attached to the bike, runs off ONE single battery. Translation: Only ONE single battery to charge. We hope to see more frame integration like this in the future because we would love to get rid of Trey’s homemade charging station.

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As far as software goes, a built in program called XCoach analyses your performance and can compare it to others on a SpeedX smart bike, (no word on Strava sync/compatibility or if it will sync with your phone to give you notifications, but hopefully they’re in the know).

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TRP’s TTV aero brake is tucked behind SpeedX’s fork out out of the wind. One of the more proven brakes on the market, SpeedX isn’t cutting corners here.

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All cables and/or wires are internal leaving no exposed cables to dance in the wind, which keeps the bike looking simple and elegant. They advertise that only Trek’s and Specialized’s flagship bikes offer this feature so when considering all of the little features of the SpeedX Leopard, it seems they put quite a bit of thought into the bike’s design beyond the “smart” integration.

SpeedX Leopard lambo

The Lambo stress-test isn’t something you see often, but maybe we’ll see more companies adopting this new (possibly very costly) method in the future. Here’s a video of them performing the “test”.

The only upfront obstacle to adopting the SpeedX Leopard is its limited frame and stem sizing. Though they do offer a good assortment of smaller sizes starting at a 42cm, the largest frame size they offer might not allow those of us above six feet tall to cram into the confines of the 57cm top tube. The second problem is choosing a stem length as the popular 110mm stem length isn’t available. The stem choices start at 90mm, then slightly increases to 105mm (which would be too short for me on a 57cm TT), and then it makes a giant leap to 130mm long. Since this is a very proprietary stem, you are pretty much married to one of the three odd sizes. They have a fit guide for you to use in determining your frame size so hopefully those interested can get pretty dialed in.

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SpeedX Leopard Kickstarter

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44 Comments
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Andrew
Andrew
7 years ago

I barely trust carbon wheels that cost under $2000 let alone an entire carbon bike with carbon wheels and ultegra di2. Get this sh*t outta here.

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

@Andrew your wheel statement is odd and out of place. Tons of awesome wheelset under $2k!

As for SpeedX I would question if if you can remain profitable with their spec catalog. Are they accounting for legal fees, inventory cost, warranty issues etc…. I don’t think they are. Something smells bad on this one

Andrew
Andrew
7 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

$2k was a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

Very sensible point. Especially since the wheels come with an entire bike instead of a coffee mug or a set of tires.
Would you drive a used $1500 car? How good do you think a brand new $1500 car would be?

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  myke2241

Yes, it’s somewhat difficult to do full carbon at $2k even China direct. Very questionable

sad
sad
7 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

theyd sell it for 20k you’d be all over it, but it would be the same materials and design. you do realize that right?

myke2241
myke2241
7 years ago
Reply to  sad

Wrong. A company doing crowd funding to make a $20k bike is also laughable! At least companies like Culprit have a history with their customers and actually working with carbon, SpeedX is fly by night. I also doubt it is their design let alone a tested one!

DRC
DRC
7 years ago

I like the price and the idea of having everything integrated. But what UI is that system running? Strava integration is basically a must have. I think they should have gone with Android Wear and designed a really good app instead of doing their own thing completely. I’m too deep into the Google and Garmin ecosystem to get something that doesn’t work with either one.

PFS
PFS
7 years ago

Its weird, I havent seen the lambo lift on the ISO testing list yet. Maybe that we’ll discuss it at the nest ISO meeting week?

mattnewman89
7 years ago
Reply to  PFS

It’s total bullsh*t anyway. Pause the video right as the frame comes into view and you can see the cable that’s actually bearing the load. The frame’s just clamped up there.

Wuffles
Wuffles
7 years ago

Sooo…. this is either the deal of the century, in carbon everything with ultegra Di2 and a free bike computer for 2k… (note to the company: at that price no one gives a damn about your computer).

Orrrrrr…..

They spent all the money on developing the computer, then went and got the lowest bid from some no-name factory in the far east, have no QA inspections or requirements, and no engineering.

Any volunteers to guinea pig this thing? Pretty please? I’ll pay for your medical care!*

*Offer not valid anywhere that doesn’t have free medical care, on days of the week ending in “ay”, or cover actual riding of the bike.

alvis
alvis
7 years ago
Reply to  Wuffles

They crowd funded the stem on Idiegogo and made a ton past their target. Now they are just getting carried away using those ‘profits’ to buy an open mould frame to put this together.
It’s target is actually the indigenous China market. They’ve done golf now the must have is a fancy carbon bike and the Western brands don’t have such a big foothold, and the pricing is way of what will work in that market. This offer is a loss leader for them and the kickstarter is a subsidy not the whole cake.

Rixter
7 years ago

Great looking bike, specs and price point. But like others have stated (@Wuffles yours is nicely summed up) I’d be really suspect descending a mountain pass at speed. Suppose something breaks, they may warranty it or do a crash replacement, but no good if you’re laid up in a hospital or unable to ride for the rest of the season

Yagil Henkin
Yagil Henkin
7 years ago

Is there anyone from the industry than can comment on the possibility of making a good carbon bike at this price and spec? It sounds too good to be true.

alvis
alvis
7 years ago
Reply to  Yagil Henkin

and if it sounds to good to be true……………

Cactoes
Cactoes
7 years ago

It does look sketchy. But I do like the design and integration. It’s tempting but am thinking that I’m better off saving for a dream bike from a well-known company that has a proven track record.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago

Great looking bike, and great deal without the electronics which is crucial since you’ll either be living with a crappy fit or you’ll need to not use the stem

Jason Miles
7 years ago

I assume the DI2 versions have a separate battery that requires charging. If not, please correct me because that would be awesome.

I’m guessing the upcoming Dura-Ace groupset will have better integration since they are speculated to have their own power meter.

6ix
6ix
7 years ago

I’d say kuddos to them for offering this! Do you guys have any idea how much it costs to develop the electronics required for the head-unit alone? Just the FCC testing is tens of thousands. The Lamborghini test is quite impressive too. Does this bike blow the doors off the Madone, Venge or Canyon Aeroad? Nah, not quite but they have definitely thrown their hat into the ring. The dropped downtube is very reminiscent of the Blue AC1. Nothing ground-breaking when it comes to the frame design but the integration of lights and cyclometer is admirable.

mattnewman89
7 years ago
Reply to  6ix

The Lambo test is just a joke.

Mark
Mark
7 years ago

Appears prices are based on kickstarter investments with an increase as more units are “sold”. Delivery not til summer. I see a get in at the ground floor for an wholesale price. I’d like if more companies can start cutting the throat of higher overhead brands. All hesitations are valid with warranty, insurance, etc…. But hell i’m debating on throwing $2k in just for shits and giggles. Can always swap out parts of frame is rubbish.

Bog
Bog
7 years ago

Have they seriously chopped away 1/2 of the fork blades to mount the front brake?! I really hope that was just a mockup or these bikes should come with dental insurance.
Those TRP brakes are also awful. They came on my Propel and I swapped them out because they were so bad.

MotoPete
MotoPete
7 years ago

You can see the proof in the results. No amount of gizmo bike, pony tail, or hip goatee can make you number one! Humphrey Smith Rules!!!

matthew moseley
matthew moseley
7 years ago

t800 and t1000…2k….okay. it doesnt actually SAY toray….

DB
DB
7 years ago

This looks like a well funded company that knows quite a bit about electronics but not very much about bike design. Geometry will fit only a handful of the people who’ve ordered as it is so long and low. The top tube only appears short because of the too steep seat angles , the reach is very long. This geo is comparable to Trek H1 and Felt F-series. Thus not suitable for the people who will be jumping on the kind of deal.

They need to drop a frame size and put the mold cost saving towards more stems and different fork rake option for smaller sizes. Then rejig the geometry towards fitting the average rider.

The size guide has inseams out of proportion with height.

losing the Tektro brakes would be a plus. Even if it was for discs instead

wide head tube with a shallow gusset and sharply scalloped down tube cutout are not good for the aero claims either.

I like what they’re trying to do but the finer details seem to be missing.

Heinzl
Heinzl
7 years ago

300$ shipping cost + VAT + import costs.

Mikey
Mikey
7 years ago

That price makes me wonder where they’ve cut costs, as it seems to do for many others here too.
No info about the frame weight? It might be quite heavy to meet durability standards if the material is cheap. Is that carbon Toray or something else just branded as t800/t1000? Also it’s not just about the material, the layup also makes a difference.
Maybe they are selling without profit to gain a market share and become a known brand, a bit like One Plus with smart phones. That pricing for sure gives some free marketing in cycling media.

typevertigo
typevertigo
7 years ago

I like the general concept and how cleanly the integration is made. I’d suggest extending it to allow for a dynamo front hub, even if the wiring for that isn’t so neat. That would theoretically make for a smart bike you wouldn’t need to charge up. I’d imagine it wouldn’t be a stretch.

Oh, and disc brakes, too, please.

Price/quality ratio for the build kit is a concern, but we’ll see how these things hold up once they’re released.

Ventruck.
Ventruck.
7 years ago

Really seems like a cool bike, but what insanely douchey marketing.

EatRideGrow
7 years ago

(deleted)

fib
fib
7 years ago

The pictured guy doesn’t shave his legs. How can you trust them to make a good bike ?

fib
fib
7 years ago

Especially an aero bike…

Mick
Mick
7 years ago

You people do know it’s April folks day?

TheKaiser
7 years ago

Anyone care to comment on what the point of the “Lambo stress test” is? All I see is a crane picking up a Lambo, and not even doing anything risky with it, with no apparent connection to the bike whatsoever.

fib
fib
7 years ago
Reply to  TheKaiser

I saw a frame a long the line…

schlechtkorper
7 years ago
Reply to  fib

I was confused by this video as well. The Speedx frame is tied to the Lambo. Thanks for the clarification Fib. I understand now.

Anon
Anon
7 years ago

A little internet research and one can see that they’re quite well funded; having raised over $12M USD from Chinese VC funds. They also seem to have a partnership with the factory, which is a fairly reputable one. As for the profits, I don’t think they’re expecting any on this…but they did get the press that I’m sure they were truly after.

Not fooled
Not fooled
7 years ago

Hahaha! A bit early for April fools!

G Man
G Man
7 years ago

What planet are you people on who say it is too cheap to be any good. You live in the Western world where prices are higher. So what if it is being made at a loss, but I doubt it. If you think it is too cheap then why the are you making comments. Stick to your Western brands which many are made by similar people in the far East. You sell something direct without all the advertising and expensive staff and retail infrastructure it’s going to cost less. Mind you for the UK the import charges should be around 35% so it does not seem a massive bargain. I bet that if this bike didn’t have cables hidden, then it would be just another bike…. It’s been compared to the the top of the range vias etc so when compared that way, most f bikes are cheap.

Kris
Kris
7 years ago

If you add the European VAT and import duty you have a similar price as Canyon or Rose bikes and others. Also I would like to see extensive road tests from the press etc before I would invest money.

Peter Lenhardt
7 years ago

Great concept but the geometry is a nightmare. If you’re not a pro, you’re not going to ride anything approaching these numbers. Heck, most humans just aren’t shaped like this. Consider an image of how you look on your favorite fast bike and then look at the marketing images again.

Jozef Beljar
7 years ago

Very good review thanks.
If you want to see more photos/videos and news about SpeedX bikes, follow us at http://www.SpeedxLeopard.com

Eric S.
Eric S.
7 years ago

Neat concept but I’m very skeptical of this, especially since I’ve read countless articles about sub quality carbon knockoff items from (guess where?) flooding the market. However, this is a sign of where the bike industry should be headed. Tech is integrated in so many other things now, why not your bike?

Ray
Ray
7 years ago

I’ve ordered the Leopard Pro and it will arrive end of October. For me this is a real good Roadbike at a fantastic price. If the SpeedX Leopard Pro could compete with all the expensive S-Works and others…. lets see.

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