MYLC CF1 equiped with AXS RivalThe fitment is modern, the new Rival AXS works reliably and precisely as we are used to with AXS. The brakes surprised me quite pleasantly and seem to brake better than the ones included in the previous mechanical series. The XPLR has a slightly smaller range than the Eagle, but even with 44 teeth you can graduate :). After several years of experience with mounting and riding, I dare say that SRAM AXS is currently the most advanced shifting system for gravel. In simplicity, functionality and compatibility.
As is already the rule with the higher CF1 series, Rondo takes wheels from a friendly brand Hunt, which are modern in their parameters and definitely fall into the upper middle class among the braided wheels. They also impress with their sleek looks, 25mm inner rim width and rather noisy cricket. Fitted are Vittoria Terreno Mix 40 tyres with a fairly sharp pattern, which fits the character of the bike pretty accurately.
We turn the front wheel with wide Spank Flare handlebars over a massive custom stem made by Rondo. The cockpit looks very massive, compact and clean. All the wiring runs through the inside here and comes up under the stem and under the handlebars. Beauty for the admirer, evil for the builder. Enough has probably been written about the internal wiring, so there's no need to go into detail about the pros and cons. The handlebar radiuses are quite large, so you have to rely mainly on the levers for the top grip on the brakes, the tops are slightly flattened and the bottom grip is nice. The wrap is basic, fairly soft and comfortable in the hand.
The seatpost is a carbon gravel of classic 27.2mm and holds the San Marco Short Fit seatstays. The saddle is visually quite angular, but after a few rides I didn't feel the need to take it off, which is a good sign. What's also interesting is the compact and clean locking of the seatpost in the frame, which has worked very well so far, the seatpost stays nailed down without sliding and the lock doesn't squeak.Riding the MYLC
This one is a wildcard at the handover. The first thing that happens when you take the MYLC in your hands is that the handlebars turn sideways. We haven't had a 68° fork angle here at gravelbike.cz yet. This initial wildness quickly calms down once the bike gets going and overall it turns into a very stable machine on the road. The bike holds the trail nicely thanks to the longer wheelbase, which is nice on longer straighter sections. No problem letting go of the handlebars and maybe digging around in your pockets. The short stem also makes the MYLC very maneuverable in the twistier passages. The short rear end is also a nice feature on the off-road. This is also evident in faster descents down the road, where the rider feels more confident when knocking the bike into corners.
The overall stiffness of the carbon frame also contributes to the perfect riding characteristics. The power from the pedals is not lost anywhere and the bike handles really well. The cockpit is also stiff, which is very nice on smooth roads or when riding standing up, but when you hit some of the rougher rocky roads you get some pretty harsh feedback. I see this as about the only downside to the Mylco, and other bikes where the manufacturer tries to run the wiring through the stem. The integrated solution is neat, but really too stiff and difficult to adjust in many cases on gravel. However, if you don't like this, the original headset and stem can be replaced and a sprung stem with wiring underneath can be used. I would describe the rear fork as about medium to stiff in its ability to damp. Those who know me know that I prefer a stiffer frame with any additional suspension on a carbon, so the Mylc definitely falls into that category.
Conclusion
I didn't put a lot of miles on the bike, but overall I was quite impressed with the bike. It's definitely not just a bike for bikers coming from, say, the MTB world, but I think it's a true gravel all-rounder for everyone. The modern "Enhanced Gravel Geometry" is really well thought out and integrates several well-known and lesser-tested features and technologies into the gravel world, combining a road sit with trail-tested elements. For those interested, I really recommend to try the bike at the numerous demos that Rondo organizes or at least try the bike in one of the shops and then buy it from us :).
Translated by Deepl translator.
