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After we finished our review of AeroCat’s mid-line ACR 500, company founder Dave Poole was nice enough to bring along a top of the line R750 for us to review.

I have to start by saying that the R750 is a very attractive bike. The color scheme is not something that you will see every day and the tubing shapes are very traditional looking while providing the requisite stiffness for a high end race bike.

Our test bike was equipped with SRAM’s top end Red group. This is our second bike that we’ve had with Red and it never fails to impress. Shifting is second to none and the group is very light and aesthetically pleasing. As with the ACR500, the R750 can be spec’ed with SRAM’s Rival, Force or Red groups, Dura-Ace, Ultegra, or Campaganolo’s Chorus or Record groups. The cockpit featured Ritchey’s very reliable WCS line. A variety of wheels are available as well, but another nice feature of our test bike was a set of prototype carbon fiber wheels that AeroCat is developing -  more about those later.

The Ride:

The R750 did what all bikes should do – it disappeared from underneath of me, giving a smooth and fast ride regardless of terrain or inclination of the road. Power transfer to the wheels seemed immediate with no detectable mushiness in the bottom bracket or stays despite the very low 14.5 pound total weight.

Much like it’s ACR500 sibling, the R750 was nimble, going quickly and easily where it was pointed and staying on its line very well. Despite the light weight, the bike felt very stable underneath of me on a fast bumpy descent.

New Wheels:

As I noted above, the bike featured a prototype set of carbon fiber AeroCat-branded wheels. The wheels feature a 3k carbon fiber weave, an aluminum braking surface (which greatly simplifies the engineering behind CF wheels), a 38mm rim depth and 20 radially laced spokes in the front and 24 spokes in the rear (cross laced on the drive side and radially laced on the non drive side).

The wheels weigh 1680 grams without a quick release – you can certainly buy wheels that weigh less, but I feel that the advantage in CF wheels lies as much in the ride as in the weight. I’m sure that the wheels contributed to the smooth ride and I felt that the mildly deep sidewalls were cutting through the wind very efficiently. Pricing for the wheels has not been announced.

Final Thoughts:

Much like the ACR 500, the R750 offers a very consistent and very enjoyable riding experience, but the R750 leans more towards the performance end of the spectrum. I definitely wish that I would be able to spend more time enjoying this bike in the coming warmer temperatures.

At the MSRP of $4999, the R750 offers a very competitive alternative to bigger name bikes (which may come out of the same factory as the R750). AeroCat continues to add to their list of dealers, although they will still sell bikes directly if a dealer is not close by.

While not a “point and shoot” criterium bike, the R750 should appeal to the racer or club rider looking for a great all around bike at a great price. While there are bits and pieces that could be upgraded, there is very little that you would have to change.

Specifications:

Frame: AeroCat R750, 54cm (approx. 950g)

Fork: AeroCat (approx. 320g)

Gruppo: SRAM Red

Handlebars: Ritchey WCS Aluminum

Stem: Ritchey WCS Aluminum

Seatpost: Ritchey WCS Carbon

Headset: Cane Creek IS-8

Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow

Wheels: AeroCat carbon fiber prototype

Tires: Michelin Pro3

Overall weight: 14.7 pounds

Price: As Tested: $4999.  Can be specified with SRAM Rival, Ritchey Pro and Reynolds Solitude wheels for $3599.

Pros: Excellent value for the weekend racer looking for an all around bike

Cons: I didn’t get to ride it for a longer amount of time.

Rating: 5 bikes

About AeroCat, LLC

AeroCat, LLC is based in Portland, Indiana, USA and is a manufacturer of high performance bicycle products. The company specializes in high-end carbon fiber road, triathlon, and mountain-bike bicycles. For more information visit the company’s website at www.aerocatbike.com

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