Testreport

SIMPLON PAVO: tradition meets innovation

The first SIMPLON PAVO came onto the market 17 years ago. Now RennRad has tested the fourth generation of our classic road bike. According to the testers, we have achieved our goal of creating “a fusion of lightweight construction and aerodynamics”!

Please note

We have renamed our PAVO IV to PAVO as of model year 2025. The present test report had been published before the name change.

At first glance: “Not just an uphill bike” ...

The fourth generation of the SIMPLON PAVO has been developed from scratch. Our engineers have used their experience from the development of the world's most aerodynamic road racing bike and combined it with the outstanding climbing characteristics of the previous PAVO models.

At the front, this is reflected in the almost invisible cables and lines that run through our specially developed headset into the inside of the frame. Added to this are a slim head tube, our in-house aerodynamic carbon handlebar/stem unit and slightly outwardly curved fork blades - which together “keep the frontal area relatively small”. At the rear, the aerodynamic focus is particularly evident in the low-set, narrow seat stays and the seat post clamp integrated into the frame.

... but also strong uphill

The testers particularly emphasized the “light and extremely torsion-resistant” carbon frame on the uphill. The frame is not made up of several parts, as is the case with standard production, but is manufactured in a single component. The ultra-modern autoclave production of the frame in Portugal also saves weight and further increases stability.

Top: Other wheels or components can be selected quickly and easily using the SIMPLON online configurator.
-RennRad Magazin 05/2024-

The tested bike

  • Frame weight: 800 grams
  • Total weight: 7.68 kilograms
  • Frame: Carbon
  • Fork: Carbon
  • Size: M (55)
  • Brakes: Sram Force AXS; 160/160 mm
  • Gear group: Sram Force AXS
  • Gear ratio: 48/35 | 10-36
  • Wheels: DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut; 50 mm
  • Tires: Schwalbe Pro One; 28 mm
  • Cockpit: SIMPLON handlebar-stem unit ARC1; 120 x 400 mm
  • Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow

Agile and smooth-running at the same time

According to the test report, the handling is “characterized by a very high level of agility”. The PAVO IV owes this above all to its short chainstays and the 75 degree steep seat tube angle. The long head tube results in an upright, compact and “fully long-distance capable” riding position. The testers also emphasized the high level of smoothness: Our road bike owes this to the “rather flat steering angle and the fairly long wheelbase”. The result: a big plus for the all-round characteristics!

Read the complete test report from RennRad (PDF).

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