Fast, Fiery, Full carbon on a feline frame. Woah. That’s enough F’s. It’s not exactly the F10 from Pinarello that we’re talking about here. The Mekk Poggio 2.8 – a bike, and a ride, of aesthetic sensibility.

A carbon racer born in Bristol, England the brainchild of Mark Edwards and Ken Knight – the duo with thirty-five years of bikes and racing experience – the Poggio 2.8 is making waves on the bike scene.

So why?

For me the clincher is the frame. Nothing feels, nothings rides, quite like this frame. A delicate set of rear stays juxtaposes the over-sized nature of the chain stays and ‘engine room’ on the Poggio. The frame is made of high modulus carbon toray (T800) and the designers – Mark and Ken – have clearly combined all their racing knowledge for this sweetest of outputs. Cornering reflects the arduous nature of criteriums, pace on the flats is all TT-driven, and the acceleration of the bike shows that it is clearly the product of some pure-bred racers.

Whilst not an out-and-out climber, the Poggio does ride well in the hills, though is better suited to short sharp bursts of power, speed, hill-climbing, and acceleration. And though the Poggio might not be the lightest frame on the market, at its affordable price tag, the Poggio does weigh in well. For descending, it prefers the long, sweeping bends of cols and European roads to punchy swerves and tight corners as we have aplenty here on the British Isles.

As the builders themselves draw attention to, the Poggio is crying out to all bike aficionados looking for a frame above all else. Upgrades and updates are all there waiting – whether the groupset for an ‘easy upgrade path’, or even the stems and cockpit. The Saturae finish hides some high-end kit, with DT Swiss wheels equipping the bike with both rigidity and aero-pace on the road.

For the price tag, look nowhere else. The Mekk Poggio 2.8 is in a class of its own. Awarded the ‘Best Bike of the Year’ in 2016 – the team at Mekk are sure to send more waves bounding on to the  scene in future too. Stay tuned – and get riding.

Find out more about the Mekk Poggio 2.8 and at mekkbicycles.com.