Dedacciai’s original Scuro was the Italian company’s flagship lightweight race chassis. Later versions saw weight reduced further, and there are now two separate versions. The more expensive Super Scuro RC has a traditional seatpost, while the Super Scuro Evoluzione we’re testing has an ISP. This is an integrated seatpost that you cut to fit and which comes with a dedicated head to mount the saddle.
- Highs: Stunning frame, snappy handling and acceleration
- Lows: Not as well equipped as its peers
- Buy if: You want a bike with excitement by the bucket load
The frame combines a deeply curved and massively oversized down tube with a substantial BSA bottom bracket shell. The fact that this isn’t BB30 or press-fit makes it ideal for the home mechanic. The aero seat tube features a cutaway for the rear wheel, solid, square-shaped chainstays and thin seatstays that flow into the ribbed, aero-shaped top tube.
Though not an aero road bike, Deda has taken airflow into account in the design. This is most evident in the seat tube, but the neatest design feature at the front is almost ‘anti’-aero. The EDG fork has an unusual wide-set crown with flat sections angled inwards, pushing air into the fork either side of the rim – to add air-cooling to the brake surface. This is to prevent overheating, which can be an issue on long descents – especially with some carbon rims.
Big is beautiful? Dedacciai would seem to think so
The frame weighs just under a kilo, which is impressive when you consider that includes the seatpost, and the EDG fork adds just 350g. But there’s also a lot going on inside – and on the surface of – the frame. It's made from high modulus carbon, but the lay-up features Dedacciai’s own AWP (‘anti-wrinkle process’). This results in a smooth and structurally sound internal finish, with a nano resin filling microscopic gaps in the structure, which Dedacciai says results in consistently strong frames.
With the frameset alone making up two-thirds of the outlay required to land you this Scuro, the complete price represents a pretty good balance of value and performance. Campagnolo’s Centaur groupset works very well, but the fact that it is only 10-speed will limit upgrade options. The drivetrain features a Miche Primato chainset with high quality machined alloy chainrings, and shifting is superbly smooth.
Riding the Super Scuro you’d never guess that it’s actually relatively hefty. The rock-solid nature of the frame and wheels, and its snap-fast shifts, give it a fantastic urgency. Get out of the saddle and stomp on the pedals and it bolts like a startled terrier.
The chassis is well matched to the racy 12-25 cassette, though even with a compact chainset you may suffer on climbs. But on the twists and turns of our back road descents we appreciated its real point-and-shoot nature. If you prefer something a little less aggressive, you might find the Super Scuro leaning towards the twtchy end of the spectrum. But our tester loved the handling for its keep-your-wits-about-you fun.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.
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