There's a pattern in road cycling that the team at FiftyOne wasn't happy with: the industry designs bikes for professional racers and then sells them to the rest of us, rather than putting the needs of the majority of riders first. So we, the everyday rider, end up with geometry that is too aggressive, the tyre clearance too narrow, and a position that is too unforgiving for anyone that isn't a full-time athlete. What's more, if you want to change anything, it'll likely cost you extra. The FiftyOne Sika is the brand's first non-custom road bike, and it's their answer to the aforementioned conundrum.
On paper it's an almost confusing prospect. Endurance bike clearances, but no provisions for things like mudguards or bags, combined with climbing bike weights and geometry that sits somewhere between race and endurance. So how does that play out on the road? I rode it through a pretty grim few winter months on my local Peak District roads to find out.
