Mekk Poggio 2.6 review

The Mekk Poggio 2.6 has been redesign for 2016, with the British company going right back to the drawing board. Aimed squarely at the Gran Fondo/sportive scene, this bike sits in the middle of Mekk's endurance bike range.

Frame

Using High Modulus T800 carbon the Mekk Poggio 2.6 has very organic, sweeping lines. The frames bowed toptube and thin seatstays indicate comfort as being paramount. Unlike other more ‘sportive’ oriented frames the Poggio has a relatively short head tube that encourages a lower front end and a more aggressive position.

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This points to the fact that the Mekk Poggio 2.6 is more than just a sportive bike, as do frankly massive chainstays and diamond shaped down tube which show that Mekk has also focused on power transfer when creating this bike.

Specification

The shifting on the Mekk Poggio 2.6 is provided by Shimano 105, which is as impossible to fault as ever. Despite being Shimano's third tier groupset, 105 still offers absolutely outstanding shifting, and is more than good enough for all but demanding racers.

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Slightly disappointingly though, the Mekk Poggio 2.6 comes with a lower Shimano brakeset that dilutes the Shimano 105 groupset. However, Mekk has redeemed itself by including a medium cage rear derailleur, so you could easily fit an 11-32 cassette to match the compact chainset - perfect for forays into the mountains.

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Shimano provides the entry level RS010 wheels, which are fitted with 23mm tyres that were a little too narrow for my liking. Saturae bars, stem and seatpost are matched to a firm but decent San Marco saddle.

Ride

With a position somewhere between a long and low race bike and an upright sportive design, the Mekk Poggio 2.6 felt great riding on our typical rough lanes. Road noise and bumps were softened before reaching the rider (despite the 23mm tyres) and it held solidly to its line on broken road surfaces.

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There were no surprises with the handling and it enjoyed sudden direction changes. The heavy wheel choice let it down when it came to sprinting off the lights and meant that climbing was not as enjoyable as it should have been.

Value

Most people would argue that the quality of the frame is the most important part of a bike, and the Mekk Poggio 2.6 has an excellent frame. It is just a pity that to get the best out of it you would need to upgrade at least the wheels fairly quickly after purchase.