Here's a review our friends from Bicycling.com wrote up on our Forza ISM...
"Ride a Grand Tour-caliber road bike without the massive price tag."
Everyone would love to ride a Tour de France-caliber bike, but budget-wise that’s not an option for most cyclists. So, we seek bikes with equal performance that we can purchase for a little less. Sette’s Forza is this kind of bike—affordable for many, yet still packing plenty of on-the-road punch.
On paper, the Forza has a lot going for it: a full Dura Ace component group, 3T cockpit and Mavic’s Cosmic Carbone aero wheels. A bike from a larger brand with a similar spec could cost nearly twice as much. The carbon frame also features performance-enhancing technology like a tapered head tube with 1.5-inch lower bearing to stiffen the front end, bowed seatstays for extra compliance, and an integrated seat tube.
The timing of this test couldn’t have come at a better time. I rode the Forza leading up to our annual Editors' Choice trip, where I spent a week on five of the best race bikes on the planet. When I returned home and got back on the Sette, my ride impressions were still fresh in my mind.
The Forza is quick to accelerate out of turns or power up for a sprint like a proper racer. I was surprised that the Sette was rather similar to other expensive carbon bikes. No, it’s not as efficient and unified-feeling as the class leaders, but it’s awfully close. Its ability to smooth a road is almost there, but off by just a tick with more resonance coming through the bars and saddle.
Handling is also right up there with the best. The bike carves a mean corner without demanding too much attention from the pilot. And it tracks well while you’re churning out revolutions on the flats and over the rollers. The Mavic wheels feel decent when pointed uphill, but do their best work at speed. With a 53mm profile, the wheels will demand more attention to handling in strong, gusty crosswinds, but they sure give the bike a fast racy look, feel and sound.
As good as the ride is, riders will have to make some compromises. Most significantly, the Forza comes in only four sizes. The similarly priced Trek Madone 6.2 ($4,200) is available in 10 different sizes and many competitors come in at least six. The Forza leaves tall and shorter cyclists out in the cold and jumps three centemeters between sizes, instead of the more common two centimeters.
Riders I met were surprised to learn how little the Forza costs, and everyone took a liking to the bike’s look. Though it’s not an Italian brand and won’t be seen at any WorldTour races this year, the name (Sette translates to “seven” in Italian) helps it blend in. Still, this isn’t a bike for image driven riders. Instead, anyone who prioritizes value and getting the biggest bang for the buck would happily speed over thousands of miles on the Forza.
Buy it if: You love to ride fast and want a lot of bike for the money
Forget it if: You wear name brand, designer jeans
Weight: 15.66 lbs.
Sizes: 51, 54, 57 (tested), 60cm
Frame: 3K carbon
Fork: 3K carbon with tapered steerer
Component highlights: Shimano Dura Ace 7900 shift/brake levers, derailleurs, crank, brakes; Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL wheels; VITTORIA Open Corsa EVO CX tires; 3T ARX Team stem, Ergonova Tea carbon handlebar; Fizik Arione CX saddle
Info: settebikes.com/Forza.html
Cost: $4000
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