The riding position is on the long and low side, thanks to its 120mm stem, and a long top tube. This was never going to have endurance road bike geometry though, it’s aimed at riders who want a carbon-framed aero race bike for less money. And there are shorter stems to choose from, in 90mm and 105mm lengths.
Steering was stable enough, though it did feel a little twitchy under heavy braking. Speaking of braking, that was another niggle. The SpeedX Leopard comes specced with TRP V-brakes hidden from the wind behind the fork crown (front) and down near the bottom bracket (rear), for the aero gains. I can’t say if it made the bike any faster during the hour I rode it, but the rear brake managed to feel both stiff to operate and “grabby”, I think due to the braking surface of the wheels. I couldn’t modulate it, and skidded the rear wheel more than once without wanting to.
From this angle you can see the multi-angular down tube and reinforced head tube
From this angle you can see the multi-angular down tube and reinforced head tube
It absorbed bumps and rough road surfaces well considering I was running the tyres at 100psi, and that’s another plus point for the bike’s frame and overall ride quality.
I must admit to being less than enamoured with the frame’s aero stylings — that reinforced head tube and multi-angular down tube aren’t to my taste, and I didn’t like the raw carbon effect much either, but it certainly rides well.