The Chapter2 Toa race bike takes inspiration from the brand’s endurance models but does it give it the winning edge?

The Toa is an all-road race bike with a Kamm-Tail tubing and clearance for 32mm tyres that were designed in New Zealand. It has been developed by Chapter2, which is convinced that lightweight bikes are no longer only quicker but also more fuel-efficient.

Aesthetics and design 

 

The goal is to create a bike that has a boutique feel to it, with individuality to appeal to riders looking for something different from the norm. Limited edition frames and colourways are available.

 

The bike is made of Toray carbon fibre and has a wide Kamm-Tailed downtube for an aerodynamic backbone. The seat tube and seat post feature a D-shaped profile for additional compliance while seated. Standard dropped stays have been added for comfort and are severely lowered on our model.

 

With internal cable routing, the frame is compatible with both mechanical and electrical groupsets (Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo). There’s also a T47 bottom bracket, and for best braking performance, the flat-mount brake standard can be fitted with 160mm brake rotors.

The Toa comes in sizes ranging from XS to XL, and our medium frame boasts a 548mm top tube and 73mm bottom bracket drop. The M through XL sizes have a 43mm offset fork, while the XXS and S sizes have 53mm offset forks.

 

SPECIFICATIONS

 

The Toa frameset from Chapter2 comes with a Shimano 11-speed Dura-Ace mechanical groupset and Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels. The Mana one-piece carbon handlebar completes our Toa, which we found to have a really pleasant design.

 

Performance

 

The bike thrives on long, fast days, tackling a variety of road conditions. It sets new personal bests on sectors I’d ridden many times before in wet and/or dirty conditions. The bike’s compliance and bigger rubber work wonderfully, giving you plenty of confidence to drive through turns. The bike has a great balance while tipping into an apex at high speed, thanks to its geometry and weight distribution. You can keep driving across long lengths of tarmac while avoiding vibration-induced tiredness.

 

VERDICT

 

The Toa was inspired by the Tere, the brand’s endurance road cycle. Bikes like the Toa will thrive as road racing becomes more progressive in terrain. The geometry calculations are spot on, and the bike explodes off the line like a drag racer.