Bottecchia Unica Reparto Corse

The most affordable model in the Italian company's range, Bottecchia's Unica offers a very good ride for the price, only really let down but its rather high weight compared with rivals at this price.

Bottecchia may not be the most well known of the Italian cycling brands, but they have plenty of history (the company is named after Ottavio Bottecchia, the first Italian Tour de France winner).

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We like: Good value, solid ride performance, wide ratio of gears

We dislike: High weight, poor brakes and lack of mudguard mounts

The Unica is a great starter road bike or an attractive option for someone upgrading from a cheaper first road bike. Take the spacers out from under the stem and you can get a very low aerodynamic position, making it ideal for racers or speed merchants, and the geometry provides good stability and balance that make it a friendly and appealing ride in most situations.

Frameset

There's plenty to like about the Unica. The 6061 aluminium frame is cleanly built with some nicely profiled tube shapes and it's propped up at the front by a carbon fibre fork. The geometry reveals the company's race heritage - with a short 160mm head tube and stretched 555mm top tube on the size 54, it's definitely on the racy side. Don't let that put you off if you have no interest in racing, though, despite its speedy credentials the Unica is surprisingly comfortable over longer distances and compares well with many other bikes at this price.

The aluminium frame is responsive without being unnecessarily harsh, and the carbon fibre fork takes some of the buzz out of the front, as well as contributing to the snappy steering that's revealed when you sling it through turns. Aluminium frames have an unfair reputation for being overly stiff, and the Unica provided a reasonably compliant ride.

It's a nicely finished frame, too, with gently profiled main tubes and a shaped head tube. The gear and brake cables are externally routed, so servicing is an easy task, and there are two bottle cage mounts. While you can fit a rack to the frame, handy if you want to use it for commuting, it's a shame not to see any mudguard eyelets on the frame or fork.

Gears, brakes and wheels

The Shimano Claris groupset is typical of any bike occupying the same price bracket as the Unica. It's a cracking groupset with Shimano's Dual Control shifters, just like you get higher up the Japanese company's groupset range, but rather than the cables concealed under the bar tape, the gear cables sprout out of the side of the hoods.

It's a shame the budget couldn't extend to the Tiagra chainset. Instead, Bottecchia have fitted their own-brand compact chainset, in a compact 50/34 setup. It worked okay, with reasonably clean shifting between the two rings, but the white cranks do cheapen the overall appearance a bit.

With the compact chainset and 11-30 cassette, the Unica isn't short of low gears - a good thing as the 10.96kg (24.16lb) is definitely a handicap on the climbs. It's giving away a kilogram to the Cube Peloton Claris I tested recently, a weight difference that can't be ignored, especially if you're just starting out in cycling.

The Shimano theme isn't carried through to the brakes, but the R340 callipers provide adequate, if not sparkling, performance. They feature non-cartridge brake blocks which give a slightly less crisp braking feel than cartridge blocks, and make brake block replacement less straightforward.

The Bottecchia Racing wheels won't win any prizes for lightness, but they are competent with a stiff and durable build, and the hubs kept rolling smoothly throughout the test period.

The 27.2mm seatpost and nicely shaped and well cushioned saddle are nice touches and help to improve ride comfort. Still, I'd like to see 25mm tyres rather than the 23mm ones fitted, to provide a bit more comfort. The CST/VRB tyres failed to impress, with a distinct lack of suppleness and poor traction in wet conditions.

Finishing kit

It's not often I get on with saddles on cheaper bikes, they tend to be too squishy or oddly shaped, but the Unica's was a hit, with a good shape and comfortable cushioning.

Some will find the stem too long, but for me it offered a comfortable reach. If you're not racing or wanting to push your limits all the time, you might want to ask the bike shop to swap for a shorter one. Bottecchia have thoughtfully added several steerer tube spacers so if you find the head tube a little on the short side, you can easily raise the bar.

The handlebar is from Italian company Deda. It's rare to see top quality branded parts on bikes in this price range and the bar is a highlight, with a pleasant shape and comfortable drops, but the money might have been spent on a prettier stem.

I'm not sure what Bottecchia were thinking in fitting the fake carbon fibre bar tape, though. It offers neither an attractive appearance nor a comfortable place to put your hands. Without gloves it's slippery, and it doesn't provide as much cushioning as some gel cork tapes. I'd change it in a heartbeat.

In summary

While there are a few issues with the Unica (weight, bar tape, tyres), with a few changes it would be a really good bike. As it is, it's competent, with decent ride manners and a pleasant appearance, but the weight penalty is hard to ignore. As likeable as the Unica is, there are better choices at this price.

Verdict

Likeable ride with racy geometry but let down by its high weight