Cyfac: Proxidium Aggressive Handling
At one time, Cyfac was highly regarded as a builder of trust, constructing a custom bike in confidence for a professional racer, then painting the frame to look like the rider's sponsor produced it. This practice is no longer common, but the company continues to capitalize on its expertise at crafting aluminum, steel, and carbon bikes by hand—in French wine country, no less. These days, the brand is best known for frames such as the custom-fit, $8,900 carbon Absolu V2. But even its least expensive model, the stock-size, aluminum Proxidium, at $1,900, is worth a look.
The frame lacks buzzworthy features such as a tapered steerer and an integrated bottom bracket, but you won't miss them (and both are available as custom upgrades); the Proxidium gives you a high-performance bike's growl and bite. With its quick acceleration, the overall ride quality is surprisingly springy and comfortable, even on gravel roads—a far cry from the aluminum frames of decades past. This comes as no surprise: Cyfac asserts that a comfortable bike allows you to ride faster and longer.
The geometry helps to bolster the smooth ride. The handling hedges toward the stable side, and you wind up using a bit more than average arm and hip input to initiate turns and adjust a line midcorner. According to our research, the Cyfac's head tube is slightly longer than the average, but you can still get into an aggressive position with a minus-17-degree stem. Another custom option: For varying prices, you can opt for a paint job different from the seven stock templates (each offered in multiple colors), or design your own color. The custom finish on our test bike is a $500 add-on.
The Proxidium lacks a tapered head tube and integrated BB, so lab testing would probably show that it isn't as stiff as some other frames, but it performed better than we anticipated, proving that numbers can't define everything. On the whole, the frame felt responsive, true tracking, and composed. As with the best metal bikes, we felt a bit of give in the bottom bracket when sprinting or attacking a climb—not a power-sucking mush, but rather a lively spring.
BUY IT IF You seek a fast, comfortable bike with more character than the average value-oriented carbon model offers
