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Trigon RQC-29 – First ride review

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The riding performance bears comparison with pro-issue bikes costing twice as much

BikeRadar verdict

4.5 out of 5 stars

"A half-price superbike if you’re not a brand snob"

10 comments
Sun 6 Mar 2011, 8:00 am GMTBy

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You have to get your priorities in order when buying a new bike. To paraphrase Keith Bontrager, "performance, affordability, prestige – pick two". A ‘Made in Taiwan’ tag is a long way from conjuring the romance of an artisan Italian badge, so in the absence of prestige Trigon have delivered on the other two points with their flagship RQC-29. We’re not suggesting that a bike costing nearly £4,000 is ‘affordable’ to all but that’s a relative term anyway – relative not least to the performance.

Trigon are new to the UK but you’ve almost certainly seen the Taiwanese manufacturers' products before; they make frames and components for some of the biggest names in cycling. The RQC-29 uses Trigon’s advanced proprietary technology, including Venus C8 carbon fibre, a super-high-modulus blend claimed to give an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.

The frame is cured using a high-pressure compaction method, dubbed ‘Hipact’, with a solid inner mould that produces denser material than conventional air bladders. The entire rolling chassis is made by Trigon, with a lightweight fork, radical one-piece handlebar and stem with an accessory/computer mount, and their own 58mm aero carbon clincher wheelset – tubular tyre and other rim depth versions are available as options.

It’s finished with a full SRAM Red groupset and a top-of-the-range Prologo Nago Evo Nack carbon-railed saddle. Details such as colour-matched Jagwire cables and two good carbon bottle cages give a quality finish. It tickled our scales at just 6.8kg (15lb). The racy styling is well co-ordinated and stops short of brashness. It looks fast. The question is, can it back that up on the road?

The short answer is, yes. The RQC-29 is alert and responsive without being twitchy. There’s a deep-rooted feeling from the tapered (11/8-1½in) front end that gives a lot of cornering confidence, aided by the very grippy Schwalbe Ultremo tyres. It’s comfortable too, especially for such a racy bike. Long rides are no problem as very little wearing vibration reaches the saddle and bigger bumps are also well diffused.

The one-piece carbon bar and stem combo cuts down buzz and the wing-profile provides a large area to rest your palms. Love or hate the accessory mount, it’s great to use. It positions your computer nearer your field of vision for a faster and safer glance down, and in the dark your light doesn’t shine in your eyes when climbing out-of-the-saddle.

The riding performance is the highlight and bears comparison with pro-issue superbikes costing twice as much. The pedalling stiffness around the bottom bracket is excellent, with a real spark to the acceleration thanks to a similar lack of flex at the front when you’re out of the saddle and pulling on the bar. Despite running slightly heavier deep-section clinchers, it climbs brilliantly.

On superlight hoops it would be astonishing. The 58mm wheels pay off on the flat where they cling to your speed and the braking’s good too. The RQC-29 is a joy to ride hard and if you’re hung up on brand image, you’ll have to pay a lot more for something this good. So: performance, affordability, prestige – which two really matter most to you?

Trigon rqc-29: trigon rqc-29

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User Reviews

There are 10 reviews on this post

Showing 1 - 10 of 10 comments

  • Bike specification says it,s equiped with Kenda Volare tyres but the demo bike is equiped with Schwalbe tyres. Which tyres come with the bike. Were the Schwalbes fitted only for the test ride, and if so why?

    Ademort

  • What do you use to prop up the bike for the pic at the bottom of the article?

  • Zachariah

    if you try and balance the bike then run while the pic is taken, just be ready to catch it again before it hits the ground! lol

  • Are these wheels tubular or clincher?

  • "The RQC29 includes Its own 58mm aero carbon clincher wheelset "

  • Zachariah: it's a neat product you've probably heard of: Photoshop.

  • TRIGON RQC29

    I received this frame and forks yesterday and built it up as soon as i got home , i have bulit with Sram red groupset , american classics 420 aero wheels with ulteremo r1 tyres and recon alloy cassette. this keeps the weight down on wheels to 1.1kg front 1.295kg rear. bar a re 3t ergo and seat is prologo nago . so the spec is similar to the full bike review.

    i have had a ribble ,quest , dolan ,and look 566 , none of them are anywhere near as good as this bike it is excellent.

    i took it out for a test run tonight 30miles mixed terrain and it rides like a dream . the front end is solid , you can really cane it around corners, the frame has very little flex around the bottom bracket, all you put in comes out on the road . it climbs with ease , i was 1 gear lower on a more difflcult climb today in delemere forest area and it flys up hill , dont get me wrong i was still knackered , but it was soooo much more pleasant. the most suprising thing is with all this pace it still has a excellent ride an smooths out bumps.

    think twice before going out and buying a italian dream machine , use your head not your heart and buy a trigon, after all you probably are if you spend 3x as much just with a different badge.

    Ian bryant chester

  • I took delivery of my Trigon RQC 29 last week and assembled it with a Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed 2011 groupset and Eurus clincher wheelset fitted with Schwalbe Ultremo tyres and a Regal saddle with titanium rails and rivets, which I have fitted to all of my bikes for which I find the most comfortable saddle on the market. After making a few minor ajustments to the saddle and stem height during my first ride here are my veiws on how the bike compares to my other bikes:- Colnago CX1, Colnago CLX 2, Kuota KOM and Kebel models.

    Although I have been very pleased with the the way my other bikes perform, I was taken by surprise just how responsive and lively the Trigon handles on descending, cornering and when sprinting out of the saddle. Although the ride is very similar to the Colnago CX 1, I must say that the Trigon RQC 29 is by far better value than either of my other bikes.

    The carbon wing bars and stem are another bonus and so comfortable either on the tops or on the drops.

    I totally agree with the comments that Ian Bryant has made regarding how he describes the way that his bike rides, even taking into account that Ian is using Sram Red rather than Campagnolo Chorus groupset. I can't wait for my Trigon deep section clinchers to arrive with the Campagnolo cassette fitting.

    Dave Marsh Universal Cycle Centre

  • Had the trigon a few weeks now , still in love , but this windy weather is seriously getting on my nerves,

    i have changed my wheels this week for a set of Fulcrum Zero two way fits they are bling and this bike just get better ( and my pockets more empty) . but they are worth every penny the light wheels have set this thing on fire ,slight downward slopes become speed traps for me , i now hit 30mph compared to 24-5mph on my old bikes .

    love it , buy one, and come on press put this against other bikes ,they would be very red faced.

  • last few weeks I am the proud owner of Trigon's top model, namely the RQC29

    integrated carbon handlebar and stem, assembled with Sram red

    since I did not know which wheels to take but I decided to take the cheaper Mavic , although a little heavier, very well run with the Ultremo straps.

    The cranks are 172.5mm

    The first thing I noticed was the stiffness of the frame and the relatively good amenities.The cornering is excellent, the handling and roadholding are very goed.Wat I ask myself is whether the expensive brands like Orbea, Colnago and Willier and other Merxcksen better can also be congratulated on the SRAM Red group, the best I've had so far.

    revolves around the weight 7kg, with more expensive wheels, the weight of the bike a few hundred grams of cut, the question is whether I can drive there faster.

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Specification

Name:
RQC-29 (11)
Built by:
Trigon
Price:
n/a

Weight (kg):
6.8
Weight (lb):
15

Frame & Fork:

 
Frame Material:
TRIGON RQC 29
Fork Model:
TRIGON RC 52S
Headset Type:
TRIGON R5C

Brakes:

 
Brake Levers:
SRAM: RED
Brakes Model:
TRP 970SL-W

Transmission:

 
Cranks Model:
FSA k Force Light Road BB30
Bottom Bracket Model:
FSA BB30
Rear Derailleur Model:
SRAM: RED
Front Derailleur Model:
SRAM: RED
Shifters Model:
SRAM: RED
Chain Model:
KMC X10SL ti
Cassette:
SRAM: OG 1090 11-26T

Wheels:

 
Rims Model:
TRIGON CWT58

Contact Points:

 
Saddle Model:
PROLOGO: NAGO EVO NACK
Seatpost Model:
TRIGON SP138-316
Handlebar Model:
TRIGON RB126

:

 
Description:
KENDA Volare tyres

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