Reviews of 2018 Fuji Gran Fondo 23 Disc

The Fuji Gran Fondo 2.3 C may not look flash, but it's a confident ride

Colin Levitch / Firsthand Media

Oval's alloy bars are stiff and have a nice compact bend

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

The Gran Fondo 2.3C is – as the name states – built for endurance rides

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Oval's 327 alloy clinchers are quite wide and spread the high book 25c Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick tyres nicely

Colin Levitch / Firsthand Media

Tyre clearance is no issue for the Gran Fondo two.3C

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Nosotros were pleasantly surprised how smoothly the Oval-branded hubs rolled

Colin Levitch / Firsthand Media

No faults from the Shimano Ultegra mechanical shifting

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Along with many of the mixed and matched finishing kit, we're forever impressed past Shimano'due south 105 brakes

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

The carbon wrapped seatpost looks dainty, simply doesn't offer annihilation more than than a cheaper blend one

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Get-go carbon dropouts and broad bowed fork legs proceed the forepart terminate laterally potent, but also help smooth out road imperfections

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Praxis Works 50/34T rings were reliable and quick shifting

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Out back a Shimano 105 11-speed 11-28T cassette provides a nice gear range

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

We found the Oval R500 saddle too softly padded

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

The tall 170mm headtube on our size medium sample made for a relaxed and upright ride

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Oval provides the alloy cockpit

Colin Levitch / Immediate Media

Long asymmetric chainstays help prevent the tail from wagging nether power

Colin Levitch / Firsthand Media

The American owned, Japanese bike brand Fuji has loads of experience in producing high quality bikes, and the Gran Fondo ii.3 C is no exception. Founded in 1899, the make is named after Mount Fuji, a symbol of forcefulness and endurance to the Japanese people – qualities that are maintained in the Gran Fondo 2.3 C.

There is no mistaking this cycle has been designed with all mean solar day comfort in mind – heck, it's in the name. It's fitted with a sprinkling of cost-saving components, with the aim of keeping the price low without sacrificing too much in the manner of functioning.

• Highs: Comfort, wise just budget friendly spec, relaxed geometry
• Lows: Heavy, no mountain caprine animal
• Buy if: You're after a comfortable ride with upright geometry at a fair price

Ride and handling: Shine but lacking spirit

The Gran Fondo two.3C rides serenely. The C5 high modulus carbon frame does a respectable job soaking upwards route buzz and smaller imperfections, while the cushy 25c Vittoria rubber and Oval 327 wheels take on the lion'due south share of that burden.

A cost saving carbon wrapped seatpost provides the perch. It looks nice, but its 31.6mm bore doesn't do to much to aid comfort.

Offest carbon dropous and wide bowde fork legs keep the front end laterally stiff, but likewise help polish out road imperfections: offest carbon dropous and wide bowde fork legs go along the front end laterally stiff, but also help smooth out route imperfections

Offest dropout add to the cushy ride, and bowed fork legs keep the front stop from feeling similar a wet noodle

Up front end, offset dropouts add together some vertical compliance, taking the border off bigger hits to go on your hands comfy – again aided and abetted by the wide tyres and wheels. Despite the alloy confined and thin Oval-branded bar tape transmitting some vibration, we had no issues with numb hands.

Geometry on our size medium test bicycle was upright and relaxed, with the twitchy characteristics of a race ready frame being – equally y'all'd expect – nowhere to be plant. The 71.5 degree caput angle places you comfortably between the wheels, making for stable, albeit somewhat boring handling. Like a luxury machine with a V8 engine, the Gran Fondo moved when ordered to, only it naturally lacks the snap of sportier counterparts.

Having the front cycle further abroad from the passenger certainly combats toe overlap in smaller bike sizes, merely it also slows handling. For those of us riding size medium and below, the ride is will be slightly subdued – though there won't be any scuffs on the toes of your shiny new kicks.

As the Gran Fondo two.3 C gets larger though, the head angle gets steeper and the geometry becomes more than aggressive. For riders taller than 175cm, the ride and treatment of the Gran Fondo ii.3 will exist a footling faster and sharper – more than inline with a race bike, but without the aggressively low position.

The massive 170mm headtube on our size medium sample made for a very relaxed geometry: the massive 170mm headtube on our size medium sample made for a very relaxed geometry

That's a *lot* of headtube

The add-on of a tall 170mm head tube (medium frame size) makes for a relaxed position – so relaxed in fact, that achieving a level saddle and bars is no sweat for the Fuji. Even all the same, our tester who prefers a long and depression position, was unable to achieve his preferred fit, even later on flipping the stem and removing all the spacers.

Weighing in at 8.46kg (eighteen.6lb), the Gran Fondo 2.3 C could stand to lose a pound or two – and you can definitely feel the weight when the road goes upwardly, or when chasing your mates every bit they sprint for a urban center limits sign.

Frame and equipment: Smorgasbord of thrifty kit

Long asymetric chainstays prevent the tail from wagging under ability: long asymetric chainstays prevent the tail from wagging under power

Tail wag? Asymmetric chainstays say no!

At the back, long 415mm asymmetrical chainstays keep the rear end from wavering nether power, though, generic dropouts take out a bit of form cistron from the rear finish. In that location's a rather run of the mill span linking the Gran Fondo two.iii C's surprisingly thick seatstays.

Aesthetically the Gran Fondo was hit and miss among the BikeRadar team. While the frame features super clean internal cable routing (of which the included prophylactic frame protectors are a prissy touch), the jack-o-lantern-esque paintjob and relatively pedestrian tube shapes failed to strike a chord with some of our testers.

As mentioned higher up, the Gran Fondo features a mixed handbag of components in order to drive downwards costs – but nosotros struggled to observe fault. Much of the finishing kit comes from Oval Concepts, which is endemic past the aforementioned parent company equally Fuji but independent of the bike make. Oval components are nothing to belittle at, and while they may save a little coin, we didn't notice whatsoever operation trade-off.

We often run into brands mixing and matching different levels of Shimano and third-party drivetrains in an try to hit a price point. Fuji has spent its money wisely on a spec that generally mixes Shimano Ultegra and 105 components.

Praxis works 50/34t rings were reliable and quick shifiting: praxis works 50/34t rings were reliable and quick shifiting

It'southward non often we see Praxis Works chain rings come up stock, but yous won't hear us complaining

In among all that Shimano, we were a scrap surprised to come across Praxis Works chainrings. Praxis rings are unremarkably an aftermarket purchase, merely nonetheless they are quick and rarely miss a shift, especially in combination with the Ultegra braze-on front end derailleur. The forged Oval cranks, which appear eerily similar to crank models from other brands, are null to write home nigh but do a competent plenty chore. Generous 50/34T gearing at the front and 11-28T at the dorsum brand from some easy spinning low ratios.

Tyre clearance is no issue for the gran fondo 2.3c: tyre clearance is no issue for the gran fondo 2.3c

Wide 25c tyres were no trouble for the Gran Fondo 2.three C

We're constantly impressed with Shimano's 105 brakes for their consequent power and modulation. They practice come with a slight weight penalty compared with pricier options, just that's nicely outset past their performance and low cost.

Contributing to the bicycle's weight, the Oval 327 aero alloy clincher wheels are heavy at one,977g, simply are a quality and durable choice. Featuring smooth sealed bearing hubs, the rims are 20mm deep at the front end and 24mm deep at the rear. An external width of 22mm enabled the high book 25mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick tyres to spread quite flat over the rim, providing for good casing support and a offer a large helping hand toward the smooth ride quality

While the Oval kit mostly got nothing but praise, the R500 saddle caused our testers discomfort. Information technology offers a thick and heavily padded pinnacle, but it was soft enough for us to sink into it, resulting in some numbness.

The verdict

The gran fondo as the name states is an endurance frame: the gran fondo every bit the proper name states is an endurance frame

Just in instance you lot'd mistaken it for a racer…

Despite being a low cost carbon bike, it seems Fuji has managed to avert just most every cost saving mistake we commonly complain of. Our just existent complaint with the Gran Fondo is with its weight; but you tin only expect and then much for this sort of outlay.

If you're looking for a crit racing, sprint munching automobile from Fuji, nosotros would suggest looking into the Transonic or Altimira. Only if y'all're looking to boring downwards and set new altitude challenges for yourself, while on a budget, the Gran Fondo two.iii C is a solid pick in a market where the likes of the Giant Defy, Specialized Roubaix and Trek Domane have set super high standards for others to aim at.

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Source: https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/road-bikes/fuji-gran-fondo-2-3-c-review/