Bottecchia is a name with a lot of history in the cycling community, though it is more familiar to road bikers than mountain bikers. Ottavio Bottecchia was the first Italian to win the Tour de France and wear the leader’s jersey during every stage of the race, thus earning a place in the history books of European cycling. With such a long history of racing and bicycle manufacturing, it’s no wonder that Bottecchia branched out and tried its luck at producing mountain bikes. With sleek lines, a high-end build kit and a unique frame geometry, the Zoncolan represents its Italian roots confidently.
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A bike of its own: The Bottecchia Zoncolan is a unique design and build that will grab the eyes of certain riders. This bike is sure to give riders a unique experience on the trail.
A bike of its own: The Bottecchia Zoncolan is a unique design and build that will grab the eyes of certain riders. This bike is sure to give riders a unique experience on the trail.WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
There is no doubt that the Zoncolan is made for the rider who is looking for something unique. Every aspect of the Zoncolan affirms that Bottecchia builds bikes the way that it sees fit, despite whatever direction the rest of the industry is going. Given that this is a carbon hardtail, those hardcore cross-country riders who normally ride Campagnolo instead of Shimano, or prefer tubular tires for everyday use instead of clinchers, will feel a gravitational pull towards the Zoncolan.
All Italian flair aside, this race machine is suited to high-end cross-country riders. Our test bike is near the top of the list of build kits, trumped only by an XTR Di2 version. The 1×11 XTR bike that we tested has a retail price of $5100. Bottecchia does spec the Zoncolan with Shimano Deore, XT and SRAM X1 to give potential buyers some options when it comes to price, and it is also available in a 27.5-inch-wheeled version.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The Zoncolan features a monocoque carbon frame with a tapered head tube, a 12×142-millimeter thru-axle and a BB30 bottom bracket. The shape of the tubes gives the Zoncolan a sleek presentation and adds to the European feel of the bike. Internal cable routing, an integrated post-mount rear brake and a tapered head tube add to the clean lines of the frame. The downtube has a stout shape, while the seatstays are smaller, giving the bike some much-appreciated vertical compliance.
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Italian design: While this design of the Zoncolan was void of a few modern tweaks, an integrated post-mount rear brake was a nice touch. This design reduces brake feedback and gives the bike a cleaner look.
Italian design: While this design of the Zoncolan was void of a few modern tweaks, an integrated post-mount rear brake was a nice touch. This design reduces brake feedback and gives the bike a cleaner look.The frame geometry of the Zoncolan looks very European in the sense that the bike has long tubes and steep angles. Bottecchia built the Zoncolan with a 71-degree head angle, 17.3-inch chainstays and a 24-inch top tube for the medium-sized model that we tested. While the top tube length is average, the head angle is very steep for a modern hardtail, and this made some of our more technical descents feel a little squirrelly.
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Tone down the noise: The flattened seatstays were an aspect of the frame design that we appreciated the most. This little tweak did wonders in smoothing out the ride and muting the rough stuff on the trail.
Tone down the noise: The flattened seatstays were an aspect of the frame design that we appreciated the most. This little tweak did wonders in smoothing out the ride and muting the rough stuff on the trail.WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
Our test rig was just below the top of the line, but we weren’t complaining about riding the XTR 1×11. The full-XTR build kit worked well during our testing, providing perfectly smooth shift- ing. The Shimano XTR M9000 Race brakes didn’t give us any issues either. The RockShox Reba RL was comfortable, and the remote lockout that accompanied it made switching the settings easy on the trail and gave the Zoncolan a racy feel. Though it’s a small detail, the 27.2-millimeter seatpost really stood out, providing a smoother ride.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Out of the gate we were surprised at how smooth the Zoncolan was. The natural chatter of the trail was muted, and the Italian reputation of building smooth-riding bikes was upheld. We ran the fork with a little lower pressure than normal and spent quite a bit of time dialing in the rebound in lieu of the steep head angle.
Moving out: The reach of the bike felt comfortable, and we felt right at home with the wider bars. Our sit bones quickly found the San Marco Concor saddle and told us right away that they wouldn’t agree, but this was a change we would make down the road.
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Find the right line: With a very minimal set of tires and an aggressive frame geometry, good line choice will change how this bike rides. The Zoncolan is bred for cross-country riding and thrives on smooth, flowing sections.
Find the right line: With a very minimal set of tires and an aggressive frame geometry, good line choice will change how this bike rides. The Zoncolan is bred for cross-country riding and thrives on smooth, flowing sections.Cornering: This isn’t the best-cornering hardtail we have ever ridden, given the head angle and minimal Thunder Burt tires. We found ourselves taking tight turns with more caution than usual, pulling the longer chainstays through the bends. The wide bars did give us good leverage and provide a little more confidence.
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No hill too steep: We quickly found ourselves in a comfort- able position through a variety of climbs. The frame was stiff and responsive when we stepped on the gas to see just how quickly the wheels would respond.
No hill too steep: We quickly found ourselves in a comfort- able position through a variety of climbs. The frame was stiff and responsive when we stepped on the gas to see just how quickly the wheels would respond.Climbing: Although we might have preferred a slacker head angle on some descents, we loved the steep geometry on long climbs. We found ourselves in fairly aggressive positions, happily grinding out the toughest of ascents. And when we say “grind,” we really mean grind, since our test bike came equipped with a lone 38-tooth front chainring. Our local cross-country climbs were a little more painful than usual with the “man-maker” front ring. The super-minimal Thunder Burt tires were light and had low rolling resistance, but spun out easily on loose or steep sections. We recommend running these tires with lower pressure than you normally would to make sure you get good traction on the climbs.
Descending: On smooth, fast singletrack, the Zoncolan excelled and was fun to ride. When descents got steep over rocky terrain, we found ourselves compensating for the aggressive front end. The longer chainstays made it difficult to get back behind the saddle and rear wheel on steeper sections that required more finesse.
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A mind of its own: Most companies are building racy hardtails with modern, slack geometry. Bottecchia has stuck with their own ideals and built a bike on the standards and lines that they think are best suited for cross-country racing.
A mind of its own: Most companies are building racy hardtails with modern, slack geometry. Bottecchia has stuck with their own ideals and built a bike on the standards and lines that they think are best suited for cross-country racing.![Bottecchia4]()
Lighten it up: The Zoncolan has a light- weight build that works in the rider’s favor on the trail. The RockShox Reba is smooth and keeps the front end light and nimble, giving the rider a better ability to maneuver the bike.
Lighten it up: The Zoncolan has a light- weight build that works in the rider’s favor on the trail. The RockShox Reba is smooth and keeps the front end light and nimble, giving the rider a better ability to maneuver the bike.TRICKS, TIPS OR UPGRADES?
While we didn’t have any issues with the drivetrain, we definitely recommend getting a smaller front chainring than the 38-tooth that came stock, unless you’re a total animal. The Thunder Burt tires were fast, but a slightly more aggressive tread or wider tire might help offset the steep geometry on the descents. The Fulcrum rims are tubeless-compatible, so naturally we would recommend upgrading to a tire that is as well. We also swapped out the rubber slide-on grips for a nicer silicone pair that were a little thicker and more comfortable for longer days.
BUYING ADVICE
If you just can’t resist some Italian flair, then this bike probably has your name written all over it. Given the snappy ride quality, the Zoncolan 29 is a solid option for riders who are looking for a smooth-riding hardtail that is built to make it to the top of the mountain first.
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