Chapter2 Tere review

New Zealand based Michael Pryde is the son of Neil Pryde, the founder of the eponymous sports good business. Michael built up the NeilPryde bike business, before setting up Chapter2 in 2015 to develop his own bike designs. After two years’ development, the Chapter2 Tere is the brand’s first road bike frameset.

Frame

Chapter2 uses monocoque construction for the Chapter2 Tere frame. It says that this is the best and most consistent method to produce high end framesets, stronger and lighter than the alternative tube-to-tube construction method.

The Chapter2 Tere frameset has also been designed for aerodynamic efficiency, with Kammtail truncated aerofoil cross-sections to the down tube, head tube, seat tube and seatpost.

The seatstays are oval section and positioned some way down the seat tube – a feature used in aero frames to reduce drag. You also get a third bottle boss on the down tube, so that you can put a single bottle cage lower down the tube, where it’s more aero.

Chapter2 used the University of Aukland’s low speed wind tunnel for the frame’s development and testing.

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The test bike comes in a mixed matt and gloss black carbon finish with green highlights. Chapter2 also produces a series of limited edition paint jobs, which have included a yellow and black number decked out with the stage profile of Stage 17 of the 2017 Tour de France. As well as the rim brake version, the frameset is available for disc brakes, priced at £1723.

Specification

The Chapter2 Tere is sold as a frameset only, but the test bike is equipped with a full Shimano Ultegra R8000 semi-compact 52/36 groupset with an 11-28 cassette and Ultegra rim brakes.

Wheels are Veltec Speed 3.0FCC 3cm deep full carbon, with a claimed weight of 1450g. They sit on DT Swiss 240 hubs, with Veltec quick releases and are laced with Sapim CX Ray J-bend aero spokes. The tyres are Vredestein Fortezza Senso All Weather 25mm.

The carbon Deda Superzero aero carbon bar in wrapped with Supacaz tape, with a Chapter2 own brand stem, which comes as part of the frame package. The saddle is a Prologo Kappa Evo. With a semi-rounded profile and a wide section, it’s comfortable for longer rides. The test bike also comes with a 24g Vel carbon bottle cage.

Riding the Chapter2 Tere

The Chapter2 Tere feels like a thoroughbred machine, with a taut ride and nimble handling.

The head tube is quite long, leading to a higher stack than on some aero machines, so that you’re not positioned as low on the bike. This leads to less pressure on the upper body and a more comfortable ride, but does mean that you present a less aero, larger frontal section to the wind than on some aero bikes.

On the test bike, this effect is compounded by the stack of spacers under the stem. But this does lead to a more comfortable ride position, which I was happy holding on extended winter outings. Deda’s Superzero bars are comfortable, thanks to their swept forward, wide tops. Along with the soft, grippy Supercaz tape on the test bike, they too feel good for the long run.

The Veltec wheels are not so deep that they’re a handful in windy conditions. You get a bit of push from crosswinds, but nothing scary. There’s effective braking with the Ultegra calipers; better than many other carbon wheels in the damp. Meanwhile, the Vredestein tyres grip well in dry or wet conditions, although they don’t feels quite as subtle as some other brands’ tyres.

The latest Ultegra shifting is sweet and light – maybe not quite the match for Dura-Ace but a lot cheaper.

Value

With a frame price in the mid-£1000s, the Chapter2 Tere represents pretty good value for an aero frameset from a rarer marque, particularly since Chapter2 has put significant time and effort into development of its aerodynamics and ride.

The as-built price is £2999, which again is competitive, given the Ultegra groupset, full carbon wheels and quality component spec.