Opera Super Leonardo review

As it stands, the SL is light, responsive, fun to ride and comfortable on a six-hour epic. Admittedly it looks a bit industrial, but that could equally be part of its charm. £2,499 frameset only
-
+
Light
-
+
Responsive
-
+
Comfortable on longer rides
-
-
Wheels
You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
For all the references to Italian artistic finery, Opera's Super Leonardo is a brute with a killer instinct - more mafioso than virtuoso.
Visually, the main triangle has more in common with the RSJs that hold your house up than the comparatively dainty offerings of the average boutique frame-builder. But of course the Super Leonardo is made of unidirectional high-modulus carbon-fibre so it's paper-light and when you stomp on the pedals it goes like stink.
Our frameset came built up with Campagnolo Chorus 11-speed, which, after a slightly clunky first few outings, became silky smooth.
Contact points came courtesy of Most, an in-house brand that Opera shares with its sister company, Pinarello. In-house they may be, but the carbon bar/stem and saddle/post combos were finished well and offered good performance. The stiffness of the cockpit added to the overall urgency that the bike delivered, and it was well proportioned.
But while the bars and stem aided the Super Leonardo's sporting pretensions, the wheels and tyres made it more of a sportive pretender. 24c Continental GPs on Fulcrum Racing 5s are adequate for fast riding but don't do justice to a frameset that was born to race.
Of course, everything comes at a price. The Fulcrum 1s and Conti GP 4000Ss that would more befit a two-and-a-half-grand frame would add a few hundred quid to the all-in cost. But it would also save over a pound of rotating weight so you might be able to pay for that out of extra prize money...
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
-
Over 8 million people have watched this TikTok video of a ‘Tour de France’ horse incident
The farm animal wasn't the last to make a cameo at a bike race
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘A gateway of just how far their dreams and a bike can take them’ - Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track is now open
Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track opened to the public on Friday, September 22, after two years of construction.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
UK cycle tech falls by a third, with bikes sales also struggling, says industry report
The cycle industry continues to face challenges, with tech in freefall and even ebikes lagging behind the rest of Europe
By James Shrubsall Published