It doesn’t take long to get the measure of 13's Intuition Alpha Carbon in terms of its design cues and the pros and cons of its performance. In fact it’s all summed up pretty neatly in the front wheel, fork, cockpit and head tube.
- Highs: Very smooth cruiser with an efficient performance position and reduced drag
- Lows: Soft tracking, flexy under power and spongy brakes on slippery tyres undermine power transfer, precision and confidence
- Buy If: You’re a sit-down-and-spin, not a stand-up-and- stomp rider who wants fatigue-free long-haul speed
Right through the bike, 13 has used its own componentry where possible rather than going off the shelf. With the wheels that means you’re getting a semi-aero rim that’s subtly colour coded to match the frame and even gets coloured marker spokes for finding your valve quickly if you puncture.
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Adding colour are 13’s semi-aero rims
The semi-aero fork mounts the Tektro brake behind the fork crown rather than in front. This is a drag-reducing trick that’s normally reserved for pure time trial bikes or premium aero road frames, and shows how serious 13’s designers are about their wind cheating.
The side-pull brakes are noticeably softer than conventional dual-pivot models, and while the power comes on strong eventually it takes a while to get confident with the feel. The mushy action is even more pronounced with the longer internal cable run needed to get to the rear brake under the chainstays too.
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