We have been a Volagi dealer for over a year now. As a road bike rental company, our model has been to demo bikes such as the Volagi Liscio, renting them to customers before they spend their hard-earned money on a new bike. Here, we take a look at one of our brand new Volagi Liscio demos. A few weeks back, we took delivery of a brand new Volagi Liscio 2 with the new Ultegra 11 speed group and the TRP Hy/Rd Hydraulic disc brakes. We’ve always loved pulling the new Volagi bikes out of the box, and the new Liscio 2, with internal cable routing throughout, has a nice, clean look.   We ordered this newest bike with the new Shimano Ultegra 11 speed drivetrain and the new TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic disc brakes. The end result is a stunningly beautiful and functional bike. The white on black colorway with red trim inside the fork and rear stays is really complemented by the finish of the Ultegra gruppo.     The Ultegra 11 crankset has the same, new 4-arm design as Dura Ace, and it allows standard or compact gearing without having to purchase new crankarms. This simplifies things greatly and allows for easy conversion should you decide to change up your front-end gearing.     The TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic brakes are cable-actuated and have the hydraulic reservoir built into the calipers, allowing for the use of standard brake levers. The braking feel is similar to that of rim brakes, but provide much better stopping power. This will be especially noticeable to riders who lack hand grip or have smaller hands. This cable-actuated hydraulic brake system also has some side benefits over full hydraulic systems. This system doesn’t require special hydraulic brake levers. Given the ugliness of the new hydraulic road levers, this is a big benefit! Additionally, you don’t have to worry about hydraulic lines running the length of the bike, and it also negates the chance of losing your brakes after a crash when your levers get take a big hit. Also, should this happen, it’ll be much cheaper to replace a standard cable-actuated lever than a hydraulic lever.   The brakes feature pads that move independently and provide strong, noise-free braking. For some of our repeat customers who have ridden the mechanical disc-equipped Volagis, this is a game changer. Most have commented on the fact that the brakes feel “normal” but have greater stopping power. So how does all this go together? The Ultegra 11 speed group is amazingly swift shifting, with a very light feel at the lever, compared to previous versions of Ultegra. This is immediately apparent in the repair stand and on the road. The movement from one gear to the next is fast and crisp. Front shifting is simply amazing! The trickle down from the Dura Ace 9000 mechanical group is apparent. Coupled with the new Hy/Rd brake system, these bikes are a dream to ride – great shifting, coupled with great braking. Add in the plush ride of the Volagi frameset and you have a bike that you’ll want to be riding all day long. If you’d like to do a Volagi Liscio demo, give us a call (949-374-6079). You can read more about our demo process and how it works here (https://synapticcycles.com/calfee-and-volagi-demo-bikes/).