The Sportif 1.3 is part of Japanese/American company Fuji's endurance range, which places a premium on comfort over performance with a back- and knee-friendly setup, but still manages to spec some pretty decent kit.
- HIGHS: Great versatility and practicality
- LOWS: Not one for the wannabe fastmen
- BUY IF… You're after a comfortable ride for training or commuting
The compact chainset is paired with a very wide ranging 10-speed 11-32 cassette, which will get you over any terrain, at the expense of quite bigjumps between gears. And though Tiagra is below 105 in Shimano's pecking order, shifting is easier thanks to the non-concealed cables.
Oval provide most of the kit including the chainset, but the chainrings are from Praxis Works, a high quality treat at this price. The Promax cable discs perform well, but without the all-out stopping power of hydraulic disc brakes.
The frame offers a firm ride, but Fuji have realised this and have the upped tyres to 28mm for 2014 to soften it, while still retaining loads of room for mudguards. The tyres are decently grippy too. The front is kept comfortable by the sumptuous padded suede bar tape.
It's not a sprinter's bike, with acceleration tempered by its weight, and it's not one for hard out-of-the-saddle efforts. But the short stem, tallish head-tube, long fork blades and quite tight wheelbase create a comfortable position ideal for training, commuting or all-day rides.