I am looking to buy a roadbike and have come across Azzurri which I believe is an Australian company that imports frames from Taiwan. They have 2 models that i am considering both with full monocoque carbon frames.
Uno which has full 105 group set, WH-500 wheels, weighs approx 7.94Kg and retails for AU$2,599
Primo which has full Ultegra group set and WH-550 wheels, weighs approx 7.70Kg and retails for AU$2,799
I've looked for reviews on these bikes and haven't come up with anything, does anyone out there have either of them or know anything about them? I suppose I'd be comparing them to Giant TCR bikes which you can get pretty good deals on at the moment as they are just about to bring out the 2008 range. I've looked at Felts and Scotts but you seem to pay alot more for similar groupsets.
Does anyone have any comment on how the shimano WH-500 and WH-550 wheelsets compare to the Mavic Aksyum?
Azzurri used to be Learsport - I think they made ok bikes - some were Columbus the same as the Azzurri.
I know you can buy R500 wheelsets for about $170 AU, R550 for around $100 more and the Aksiums sell for $369 - so for a start they cost more and I have read they are more solid than the 550s. The Mavics have sealed hubs I think, the R500s don't.
The Aksiums are made in France and assembled in Spain, or so I have been told. They look pretty nice as well.
Thanks for the feedback janiejones. I knew that Azzurri used to be Learsport but i don't think Learsport had any carbon bikes, like you say, they were the columbus alluminium frames. I have read good things about the Learsport columbus frames, i was wondering whether their carbon frames are also good. I suppose another option could be the Scott CR1 team which I've found for $2,699. It has a carbon frame, 105 groupset and comes with the Mavic Aksium wheels.
