Tifosi Auriga Chorus Disc review

Tifosi has been with us for 22 years, and while it started out making affordable, classic winter trainers, commuter bikes and tourers, it also builds race bikes.

Its parent company, Chicken CycleKit, has a long association with the British racing scene.

This is the third-generation Auriga, but Tifosi hasn’t rested on its laurels. It has added FSA’s ACR stem/headset system to the build, which allows cables and hoses to be routed through the bar and into the stem.

It has also given the Auriga a clean look that’s better than its rivals, even though they have the advantage of running SRAM’s wireless Rival AXS group.

Tifosi Auriga Chorus Disc spec details

The Auriga chassis was designed using a combination of CFD – computational fluid dynamics – and real-world testing, and the resulting main tube shapes have a familiar aerodynamic kammtail profile.

The very substantial down tube has a sharp, arching curve that transitions into the fork for a slick, smooth shape to the front end. The aero fork splays out into a wide-legged stance, creating a tyre clearance that’s quite generous for an aero bike.

Tifosi states a maximum width of 28c but, such was the amount of clearance, I reckon it would be possible run 30c tyres front and rear.With its dropped seatstays and a deep, aero-shaped seat tube that has a large wheel-curve-following cut-out, the Auriga’s rear end could easily have come from a time trial bike.

And though it has an aero-shaped seatpost, the Auriga is designed to be more agile than many aero bikes, to cope with race styles such as the city-centre, crit-style Tour series, where a quick-handling bike works best.

My large-sized, 58cm equivalent Auriga has a tight 999.6mm wheelbase, steep, parallel 73-degree frame angles, a slammed 560.2mm stack and 408.7mm reach – which is very long. This puts you in a low and aerodynamic riding position.

The Deda Zero2 aluminium bar is specified in a 42cm width that’s narrow for this size of bike and matched to a 110mm stem. But despite the narrower hold, the Auriga is surprisingly easy to handle.

Campagnolo’s Chorus is often overlooked, but I think it’s more than most of us would ever need from a mechanical groupset. Gear changes through the ErgoPower levers and triggers are rapid and accurate.

The step-down triggers allow huge multi-shifts across the cassette, where you can feel the mechanics switching effortlessly between gears with minimal fuss and maximum speed.

Campagnolo’s disc brakes are another success, packed with feel and progressive, usable power. They did squawk a bit in the wet, until the rotors cleared moisture, but they never felt anything other than very, very controllable.

Tifosi Auriga Chorus Disc geometry

Tifosi Auriga Chorus Disc ride impressions

The Auriga is a fast bike in a straight line, with a stiffness that translates into rapid acceleration. You need to concentrate to cope with its dart-like direction changes, but its exciting nature meant I always felt like I was having fun rather than going through the motions.

And while it weighs a tad over 9kg, it climbs well. The great-looking Campagnolo Scirocco wheels may be low in the Campagnolo hierarchy, but they are quality wheels and have the company’s signature sparse spoking and alloy rims with a genuine aero profile.

On the hills, the Auriga doesn’t feel heavy, but having low-resistance, fast, light tyres would hugely enhance the bike’s overall performance.

The Schwalbe Luganos are good basic tyres known for their hardiness, and I was impressed by their wet-weather handling, but they just don’t feel particularly lively, and they somewhat dull the Auriga’s considerable charms.

Tifosi Auriga Chorus Disc bottom line

There’s a lot to love here, not least the Auriga’s exciting speed. The ride is firm but the contact points are excellent, with the fantastic Selle Italia Boost saddle helping to make it both comfortable and quick.

It could do with better tyres for when the weather’s drier, though.