Winspace unveiled the next generation of its mountain bike at Eurobike 2024.
The new SLC3 brings several improvements over the outgoing SLC2.0, according to Winspace. It reduces weight, increases stiffness and comfort while maintaining an attractive price.
The Chinese brand says the new mountain bike should be available within a few weeks, but at Eurobike it only had the SLC3 frameset on display, not the complete bike.
Low weight and low price
Winspace says the new SLC3 frame weighs a claimed 700g unpainted in the medium size, which is 80g lighter than its predecessor.
Speaking to BikeRadar at Eurobike, Winspace’s Fred Zou explained how the brand reduced the weight in part by switching to “better material”.
While SLC2.0 uses Toray T800 and T700 carbon fibers, SLC3 uses Toray T1100 and T1000 high modulus carbon fibers.
Zhou says the exact price will be confirmed, but we can expect the SLC3 frameset to cost around $2,000. That’s about $500 more than the SLC2.0, but still a lot cheaper than similar framesets from bigger bike brands.
Greater stiffness
The SLC3 uses a one-piece molding process to increase stiffness.
Compared to the SLC2.0, Winspace says the SLC3 head tube is 31.8 percent stiffer, while the bottom bracket shell is said to be 36 percent stiffer.
Like the SLC2.0, Winspace says its new mountain bike also features an asymmetric design for stiffness and, as Zou puts it, “riding performance.”
The bike also has what Winspace calls an “optimized rear center design” to aid power transfer.
We don’t have the details yet, but Zou says that Winspace has tweaked the geometry to make the SLC3 more comfortable than the SLC2.0.
Frame properties
The SLC3 frameset shares similar features with other Winspace road bikes.
The frameset has dropped seatstays that fold into a horizontal position where they meet the seat tube. This is the same as the seatstays on the Winspace C5 all-round road bike and its T1550 aero bike.
Winspace hides the drive-side fixed-axle dropouts on the SLC3 and its other disc-brake road bikes—a feature similar to BMC’s Stealth Dropout Design.
The SLC3 runs all cables and hoses inside. These seem to go through motorcycle handlebars as well.
All these features mean the SLC3 is like many of the latest and greatest road bikes. However, SLC3 differs in one way. Instead of using a proprietary seatpost – now common on many carbon bikes – the SLC3 uses a standard round 27.2mm post.
Aero road bike of the second generation Winspace T1550
Also on display at Winspace’s Eurobike stand is its second generation T1550 aero road bike. The Winspace Women Cycling Team raced at La Vuelta Feminina and Paris-Roubaix Femme.
Like the SLC3, Winspace says its latest aero road bike is lighter and stiffer than its predecessor. So no surprise.
Winspace says the bike has shed 50g, which is 6 percent lighter than the previous model.
The stiffness of the rear triangle has increased by 36 percent, according to Winspace, while the center section is 7 percent stiffer and the head tube is 33 percent stiffer than before.
We’re used to bike brands making bold claims about their latest machines, so there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on here. The proof is of course the ride, and Winspace is an interesting brand we’d like to see more of.