Long-time AG readers know that Quintana Roo will always hold a special place in our hearts. One of our earliest posts featured the CD0.1, one of our first primary test bikes. Take a look at our home page banner image and you’ll also see it there. While we’ve since moved on from the CD0.1, QR will always be a favorite with the AG team. So we were especially eager to spend time on the road with the PRsix.
As we mentioned in our First Look, the PRsix is light—significantly lighter than our Shiv test bike (a claimed 200g difference on the frameset) and 50g lighter than our Speed Concept. Quintana Roo was able to save weight by optimizing their aerodynamics through CFD analysis, notably in the rear seat stays, and removing the carbon that wasn’t contributing to being slipperier in the tunnel. The most material was removed from the join between the seat tube and the seat stays, and was actually aerodynamically motivated. Absent on the Illicito, QR’s first modern superbike, the non-drive-side seat stay makes an appearance once more in favor of enhanced stiffness, but from that same bike is the fat, parallel to the ground chainstay. According to their engineer, the stay’s top edge being parallel to the ground allows it to have no drag penalty, but shields more of the rear wheel to clean up airflow behind the rider.
We’d also touched on the fact that one of the biggest complaints triathletes have about today’s superbikes is the fact that—no matter which you select—cabling and rebuilding the bike during travel can be an absolute nightmare. This is one of the qualities we’ve come to love about QR. They produce bikes with athletes in mind, especially those who travel. And that’s exactly what you get with the PRsix. There’s nothing complicated about cable management here. There’s an entry port aft of the headset, and the integrated stem uses a clamp if you need one. That’s it. There’s no internal-this or optimized-that; just simple, effective, sensible routing. What’s more, just two hex wrench sizes will get the bike up and running. Needless to say, you’re not going to need an engineering degree to get your bike ready for race day. And when you’re already facing the usual stresses of race travel, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Sticking with the sensible theme, QR’s integrated stem system features a grand total of just six individual parts—the stem, a two-piece vertical clamp system, and three spacers for adjusting stack and reach on the stem. This new stem (and the accompanying fork) allows for adjustment of stack and reach from a zero-rise 80mm stem all the way to a 150mm rise, 120mm reach stem, and every point in between (Note: stack is adjustable in 5mm increments, and reach in 10mm increments). One assembly fits everyone, so there’s no more guessing. What makes this system even more noteworthy is that it allows you to use ANY base bar/clip-on bar combination or ANY integrated cockpit by any manufacture. Talk about flexibility. Our PRsix i2 came equipped with a Profile Design Aeria Carbon and T4+ Carbon extensions, and we stuck with that throughout our testing period.
More along the lines of flexibility is the fact that the PRSix gives you the option of using any brake you like—including center-mount aero brakes like those from TriRig (check out our review of the Omega X) or Magura. Just install using the center port instead, making sure to plug up the remaining ports on the fork, and you’re all set. Again, we stuck with the standard Shimano direct-mount brakes (front and rear) that shipped with our PRsix for testing purposes.
Now as for storage on the bike, we’d originally mentioned in our First Look that the bottle bosses on the downtube of the PR6 seemed high. According to QR, depending on your position, having a bottle on the downtube will only cost you “5-6 grams of drag versus a BTA bottle. But unlike some other frames, the positioning is high enough to be easily accessible while still in the aero bars. For us, this worked out just fine. We also ride with a BTA bottle (call it personal preference), and will also carry additional hydration on a rear wing. Speaking of which, the PRsix’s seat tube has been designed for adding a rear wing. So if you’re riding long course, you’ll be glad to find plenty of easily accessible options for carrying that extra hydration.
The PRsix’s top tube also has bottle bosses for a bento box. We chose to add a Profile Design ATTK.
While we’re talking about storage, now is a good time to mention the QBox, which is exclusive to the PRsix. This very much reminded us of Trek’s Draft Box that currently resides on our Speed Concept test bike. And much like the Draft Box, the QBox allows you to carry what you need without suffering from any aerodynamic penalty. What does set it apart is the integrated light, which you’ll find at the tail end of the box. While additional visibility is always a welcome addition in our eyes, we didn’t find the light to be bright enough on its own. We still felt the need to use additional lights for those early morning and nighttime rides.
As we began fitting the bike (our multisport editor, Tracy, was the primary tester here), we did end up making a saddle swap. As we’ve mentioned before, saddles can be an especially personal choice. And while we thought QR’s choice of the ISM Adamo Time Trial was a good one, it wasn’t quite right for her. Instead, we switched to the Cobb Max. This saddle has been a favorite here at AG for a few years now. In fact, the Cobb Max has found a permanent home on Tracy’s primary bike.
For more on the bike’s specs, you can check out the full brochure here.
Our Final Thoughts
As we mentioned earlier, the AG Team always has a special fondness for QR, and the PRsix did not disappoint. It was quick, light, and responsive on the road. Many times the handling gave us that stable, road bike feeling, which isn’t a bad thing. Overall, the PRsix was easy to fall in love with. With its simple, no-frills design and responsive handling, we’d have no issue recommending this bike to anyone on the market for a new race steed.
One last thing is the price. As we touched on in our First Look, you’re looking at $8,650 for the PRsix i2 (equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2, a set of Reynolds Strikes, and the Qbox), which is what we’d tested. Compared with other bikes on the market with similar components, that is right in the ballpark (if not a bit under) what we would expect to pay. So for those athletes looking for a race-ready bike that’s designed for super-easy travel, the PRsix could be well worth the investment.