Kristian House (Rapha-Condor-JLT) rode a steel Condor Super Acciaio on the final stage of the Tour of Britain last Sunday (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Campagnolo Record bottle cages: ridiculously light at 16g(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
House's steel Condor Super Acciaio steed was painted up with the team's characteristic pink decals…(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
… Which are carried through on the custom fi'zi:k Arione saddle(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Campagnolo Record 11 had carbon flourishes in the rear derailleur arm(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Rapha-Condor-JLT detailing continued to the dropout arches(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The team sponsors bedeck to the custom (56cm) top tube beside the characteristic Condor motif(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The provenance of the heat treated steel frame is displayed on the seat tube(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The subtle decals pop up all over the frame(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
House mismatches his Italian groupset and Italian made frame with Shimano Dura-Ace pedals. There's probably a law against this (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Standard 53-39T chain rings on House's bike (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Condor Super Acciaio is fixed with a stand out white Deda Elementi 35 stem and handlebar combination (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Stem length is 130mm(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
House's bike is fitted with a Campagnolo Record 11 mechanical groupset(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Carbon rim specific pads transmit the brakes' stopping power to the Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra Two wheels(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Rapha-Condor-JLT had a stock of Continental Force and Attack tubular tyres, with a slick central track(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The steel stops at the fork of the Super Acciaio, which is a Deda Nero Supremacy with a classic curve and neat graphics(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The neatness of the braised cable guides signal this frame has received meticulous attention (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The TIG welding on the rolled frame tubes is exquisitely neat. (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Carbon also turns up on the Record 11 derailleur too(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
This article originally published on BikeRadar
The Condor Super Acciaio is billed as a thoroughbred race frame by the London builder, and Kristian House (Rapha-Condor-JLT) was riding one on the Tour of Britain's final stage in London on Sunday.
The revamped and in this case custom frame – the 33-year-old's bike has a slightly longer top tube – is Columbus heat-treated steel and is cut and TIG welded in Italy.
Condor says the frame geometry is borrowed from the Leggero – the company's elite performance carbon frameset – and is a reversion to the company's roots, which started out building bikes in steel.
The bike's classic looks are augmented with a mechanical Campagnolo Record 11 groupset and matching Campagnolo Hyperon Two wheels. House foregoes the team's sponsor Speedplay pedals in favour of Shimano Dura-Ace and the bike weighs a competitive 7.2kg (15.9lb).
Steel race bikes have been making a return in the UK domestic peloton. While House – Rapha-Condor-JLT's most decorated road rider - received the bike just prior to the start of the Tour of Britain, another of the squad's riders, James McCallum, rode one in the 2013 Tour Series.
And of course, rival team Madison-Genesis have been riding the Genesis Volare 953 all season long.
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Check out the gallery for a closer look at House's bike.
The provenance of the heat treated steel frame is displayed on the seat tube
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Condor Super Acciaio Fork: Deda Nero Supremacy full carbon Headset: Condor Tapered 1.5"-1-1/8" Stem: Deda Elementi 35 130mm Handlebar: Deda Elementi 35 (o-t-o 440mm) Tape: fi'zi:k Superlight Brake calipers: Campagnolo Record D Skeleton Front derailleur: Campagnolo Record 11 Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Record 11 Shifter levers: Campagnolo Ergopower Ultra-Shift Record 11 Cassette: Campagnolo Record 11-25 Chain: Campagnolo Record 11 Cranks: Campagnolo Ultra-Torque Record 11 53-39 Bottom bracket: Campagnolo PF30 Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace PD-7900 Front wheel: Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra Two Rear wheel: Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra Two Front Tyre: Continental Attack Comp tubular 22mm Rear Tyre: Continental Force Comp tubular 24mm Saddle: fi'zi:k Arione (team colours) Seatpost: Condor Supremacy Complete bicycle weight: 7.2kg (15.9lb)
Critical measurements
Rider height: 1.85m/6'1" Rider weight: 73kg/161lb Saddle height from BB (c-t): 780mm Seat-tube length, c-t: 550mm Seat-tube length, c-c: 500mm Nose of saddle to centre of bar: 575mm Head tube length: 165mm Top tube length: 560mm
Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
