Raising the seatpost to a height that it would stay in place put that saddle at a height that most riders would begin to consider a larger frame. Riders right at or under six feet tall had trouble getting the seat to stay at the required height (a common rider height for a 56-centimeter frame). Since the taper is so gradual, the seat must be raised to a certain height in order for the seatpost to be tightened properly in the frame. The seatpost gradually tapers inward to the seat clamp along its length.
The biggest drawback to the Fuji SST 2.0 was the Fuji Aero Pro seatpost. Along with the wheels, the cushy San Marco Ponza saddle added much welcomed comfort for longer rides. A couple of larger riders commented that they would have liked to see some stiffer deep section wheels to complement the aggressive sprinting nature of the bike, but the majority of riders preferred the comfort of the Ksyrium Elite wheels. With the massively oversized frame we were expecting a harsh ride, and while the frame is uncompromising in its stiffness, the intelligent addition of the compliant Ksyrium Elite wheels did a lot to take the edge off potholes and breaks in the pavement. This lack of feeling caused us to come into many corners too fast. On the flip side, with the frame being so stiff, it offered very little feedback on road surfaces, and in doing so masked the inert sense of speed one develops riding a bike. On one hand, the stiff frame and aggressive handling made for fast descents and allowed the rider to dive into corners and accelerate with ease. Descending on the SST 2.0 was a mixed bag.
Long, sustained climbs were best handled in the saddle, pushing a slightly larger gear than normal and taking full advantage of the stiff frame. Every tester liked the handling properties of the SST 2.0, but felt the bike was unable to display its true cornering abilities due to the harder compound Vittoria Rubino tires. The SST 2.0 is stable at speed, yet handles fast, sharp corners with ease. The low front end and 120-millimeter stem allowed the Fuji to be driven hard through corners and provided a comfortable race-ready position. Due to the stiff frame, there was no wasted energy in sprints or on climbs. The Fuji definitely lives up to the super stiff moniker. The Fuji SST 2.0 weighed 16.6 pounds without pedals.Īfter just a few pedal strokes, it becomes clear that the Fuji SST 2.0 is made for big, powerful riders who spend most of their time mashing the big ring. Chainstay length measured out at 40.5 centimeters, with a wheelbase of 99.1 centimeters. Our 56-centimeter Fuji had a 73-degree head and a 73.5-degree seat tube angle, connected by a 56-centimeter top tube. A well-padded red and white San Marco Ponza completes the package.
To keep the Fuji rolling smoothly, Fuji equipped the SST 2.0 with Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels and Vittoria Rubino Pro II, 700 x 23c foldable tires. The white stem and handlebar combination combined with black tape and white brake hoods gives the front end a pro-bike look. Fuji provides their own Carbon Pro Aero, 300-millimeter seatpost, while steering is handled via a white FSA Wing Pro compact handlebar combined with a white FSA OS-115 stem that features a carbon faceplate. The Rival is SRAM’s mid-range group, but is indistinguishable in feel or performance from their higher-end Force group. The Fuji SST 2.0 comes with a complete SRAM Rival group. With the aero tubes and aggressive graphics, the SST 2.0 simply looks fast. To further reinforce the racing nature of the SST 2.0, Fuji has gone with a bold red, white and carbon graphics scheme. The top tube is round, but still oversized compared to conventional frames, and merges seamlessly with the wishbone seat stays.
The aero profile seat tube keeps its shape all the way to the top tube where a similar shaped Fuji aero seatpost is used. The seat tube has an aggressive aero profile, with a cutaway section for the rear wheel. The oversized, aero-shaped downtube, head tube junction and bottom bracket shell are all designed to deliver power from the pedals to the rear wheel as efficiently as possible. The Fuji SST 2.0 is designed to be a pure racing machine and, in turn, is as stiff as possible. The aero, straight blade fork is designed to keep the front end stiff and the bike pointed in the intended direction. The frame is mated to Fuji’s own FC-440 carbon monocoque fork with 1-1/8-inch carbon steerer. It features an integrated headset and replaceable derailleur hanger. The Fuji SST 2.0 is constructed using monocoque high-modulus C-7 carbon with aero-shaped tubes.