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Neilpryde's original Nazare – formerly the Alize – used a combination of truncated airfoils and clever tube shapes to make it one of the lightest, stiffest aero road bikes around when it launched in 2011. Rather than being an evolution of that design, the Nazare2 is a whole new bike. Neilpryde says it's lighter, stiffer and faster, and that it offers up to 20 per cent better performance than its predecessor at 40km per hour.
Made from Neilpryde's C6.9 carbon, the overall look of the frame is cleaner, with the previously sharp lines created by BMW Group DesignworksUSA for the original smoothed out. The down tube is now closer to the front wheel for better aerodynamics, while Neilpryde says that lessons learned from the first Nazare (which will remain in Neilpryde's 2015 lineup) mean the designers – now based in-house – have tweaked where the kammtail shapes are used to their best possible effect in balancing rigidity and aero performance
Neilpryde is one of the many bike companies to adopt Shimano's direct mount Dura-Ace brakes for a marginal aero gain and better shape integration with the fork, without compromising stopping power. There's also a Shimano direct mount TT brake on the underside of the chainstays, where the BB86 bottom bracket area has been specially shaped to shroud it from rushing air. Neilpryde's proprietary PU Molding process means one-piece stays that the company says equals increased power transfer through the rear triangle.
The Nazare2 frame has a claimed weight of just 920g, putting it at the lighter end of the current generation of aero road bikes, and about 100g lighter than Cervelo's new S5.
Neilpryde has designed the bottom bracket area to shroud the rear Shimano Dura-Ace direct mount brake
Whether electric or mechanical, all cabling is internal and so is the Di2 battery, which is housed under a panel on the down tube. The company has also moved the entry point for the cabling from the top of the down tube to behind the stem (the opposite move Felt made with its redesigned AR series) for more drag saving, while also tweaking the seatpost clamp for better integration. There's also an after-market post available to enable a 78-degree effective seat angle – ideal for time trial and triathlon duties.
In wind tunnel tests against the first bike, Neilpryde's figures show the Nazare2 as having less air separation right from the fork's trailing edge at 0-degrees of yaw making it 17.5 per cent faster at 40km per hour from front on. The bike also outdoes its predecessor by 10 per cent at 10 and -10 degrees and 20 per cent at 10 and -10 degrees according to Neilpryde.
The bike comes in two models, starting with a Shimano Ultegra set-up, complete with Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels for £3,299 / US$4,695 or with Dura-Ace, a Rotor 3D+ chainset (with round rings) and Fulcrum Racing 3 wheels for £4,399 / US$6,095. The Azare2 is also available as a frameset (including the direct mount Dura-Ace brakes) for £2,699 / US$3,795.