Cyfac Spirit frame and fork

The Cyfac Spirit is a very high quality steel bike that's handmade in France and superbly smooth to ride.

We tested another Cyfac recently – the lovely Gothica CS carbon sportive bike. The Spirit, which comes as a frame and fork package, is a different beast although it shares some of the DNA. It comes with the same high-quality workmanship, stylish looks and an excellent ride quality.

Unusually for a high-end road bike these days, the Spirit is made from steel: Columbus Niobium Spirit steel to be precise, hence the model name.

This is strong stuff so it can be made with very thin tube walls – as little as 0.2mm thick, according to Cyfac. That's, you know, reeeally thin. The walls aren't that thin throughout, though; the tubes are triple butted – meaning that the wall thickness at one end of the tube is different from the other end, and it's different again in the centre section. The idea is to keep all the strength where it's needed most while trimming off unnecessary weight.

The tubes are slender compared to those you'll see on most aluminium and carbon bikes – slim and elegant, we're saying – and the profiles are various different shapes that differ slightly according to the frame size.

The tubes are filet brazed together – 'Fait a la main a La Fuye, France' (Handmade in La Fuye, France), as it proclaims on the top tube. The filet brazing means you get a very strong joint but it's a skilled, time-consuming process and it doesn't come cheap. Once painted, those joints are as smooth as if it the frame had come out of a mould; they're absolutely flawless. That's the workmanship you're paying for here.

The threaded cable stops sit on the sides of the head tube are neatly done and you get a little chain hanger on the inside of the right-hand seatstay to... well, to hang the chain on when you drop the rear wheel out. It's the little things that make all the difference.

Like the steel tubes, the fork comes from Columbus. It's a new Carve made from high modulus carbon fibre throughout and it spins on an integrated headset. You can have the Spirit built to whatever geometry you like; it's full custom so you can get the perfect fit. That allows you to dictate the character of the bike too.

If you want a low, stretched, racy position, you just ask for it. And if you're a sportive rider who wants some extra height at the front for a ride position that's going to be comfortable all day long, Cyfac will build that for you. It's all the same price.

If that sounds too complicated and you'd rather go for an off-the-shelf setup, you can choose one from Cyfac's existing frame geometries. They have standard road and sportive designs that they use for other bikes in the range – you can simply opt for one of those.

Our review bike came in a 58cm standard road geometry with 73/72° frame angles. If I'd had the option, I'd have probably tweaked things a touch and made the top tube just a little shorter. Why not? If you're paying for the privilege, you might as well be fussy and get everything absolutely spot on.

You can choose a couple of other key features too. Our review bike came with an external BSA bottom bracket but you can opt for an oversized BB30 if you prefer.

Likewise, our test bike had a 27.2mm-diameter seatpost but you can go for a 31.6mm instead. All other things being equal, a narrower seatpost is going to flex a little more to provide more comfort over rough roads, and our review bike was certainly a really smooth ride... but it's entirely up to you.

Cyfac are big on finishes. If you pay lots for a high-end frameset, you want it to look special... and every Cyfac we've ever seen has looked stylish.

With the Spirit, you can choose from various different design styles, then you get to pick the main colours, the accents, and the colour of the logo. You can even colour match the frame to a particular component, your team kit... I guess to your hair or eyes if you like.

Cyfac have a neat function on their website that allows you to see exactly what you're going to get. You just select the colours you want to use and check that they work together. You can end up with some cool combinations... and some hideous ones if you're not careful. You can go for a completely custom paint job if you like although that'll cost you extra, the exact figure depending on the complexity of the design.

The painting is done by hand, using stencils, and you can go for either a matt or a brilliant finish... or a mix of the two if you like. The quality of the paintwork on our test bike was excellent throughout, and little Cyfac logos on the headset spacers and front mech band provide a high-class finishing touch.

Looking good is all fine and dandy but what really counts is the ride and the Spirit delivers there too...

Cyfac's UK distributor, VeloBrands, doesn't do the builds, although, for the record, our review bike came with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and wheels, Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyres, Deda aluminium cockpit components and a Fizik Aliante saddle. It's all very good, well-proven kit.

That complete build would cost you £3,699.99 and our 58cm bike weighed in at 8.18kg (18.0lb). Cyfac reckon you're looking at 1,500g for the frame.

That's not mega-light next to a carbon-fibre World Tour machine, of course, but that's hardly a fair comparison. 18lb is still light for a steel bike, particularly one that's not decked out in trick carbon parts, and the Spirit accelerates and climbs well. It's not quite as responsive as some of the ultralight race machines we get around these parts, but it's still impressively agile.

The dominant impression you get from this bike, though, is that it's a very smooth ride. Whether you're out for an hour-long blast or an all-day adventure, it feels comfortable without any of the tooth-rattling vibration you can get from some bikes over bumpy roads. It just rounds up all that shaking and sends it back where it came from; on your way, there's nothing to worry about here. It's certainly a comfy chassis.

Adding to that comfort is the fact that the Spirit is going to fit you perfectly because it'll be built to your personal sizing. A bike that fits – really fits, not nearly fits – goes a long way to keeping you happy in the saddle. You'll get the position you find most comfortable, the handling you're after, the right balance... If you get the chance, you really should have a custom-made bike once in your life – it's one of those things that just has to be done if you have the cash.

I wouldn't say the Spirit is the stiffest bike I've ever ridden but it's no slouch on that score either. I have ridden metal bikes where the manufacturer has tried so hard to compete with the weights you can get with carbon that the rigidity has suffered. Badly. Cyfac haven't done that.

This frame is light in steel terms, but it retains solidity. It's comfortable, but not mushy – not even close – and the two ends stay well connected so you can fling yourself into turns knowing that the bike will track properly through and out the other side without incident.

All in all, this is one classy frameset that's beautifully put together and super-smooth. If you're after a custom steel road bike, you should give it some serious consideration.

Verdict

Custom steel frameset that's beautifully built and super smooth.