Test from Girs Kom

One year later the Solo, Girs launches the Kom, an athletically shaped bike designed to conquer the summits and which stands out for its rigidity and stability, but above all for its relatively affordable price. A fairly light competition bike, as comfortable to tackle slopes as the wind on the plains, but which will be reserved for cyclists in good physical condition to be fully appreciated.

About Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©Vincent Lyky

Created in the late 90s, Girs is a French brand that has always offered high-performance and affordable bikes, without sacrificing a touch of originality.. We remember the famous G-Star and G-Max in the mid-2000s and early 2010s, which demonstrated the innovative capabilities of the Girout brothers, the creators of the brand, to promote the comfort and ergonomic posture of the cyclist. More recently, Girs has joined forces with Factor, since both brands are distributed by the Dagg company, which also belongs to the Girout family. On certain bicycle models, the affiliation between Factor and Girs is obvious, at least in terms of manufacturing, as we have seen with the Solo. An aerodynamic bike but designed to avoid overly complicated maintenance solutions, and placed in the mid-range with a T700/T800 carbon fiber frame.

With the Kom, Girs has chosen to offer a bike with different behavior from the Solo. The latter is rather intended for cruiser at a good pace over long distances thanks to its aerodynamics and comfort. With more muscular tube shapes and the use of T1000 carbon fibers, the Kom instead favors weight savings and rigidity, for those who like to ride while revving up. With a pilot stationtage monocoque and a perfect integration of the brake hoses, the frame with sculpted and modern lines displays 900 g, for a price of €2190 with its fork and headset. Available in five sizes and two colors (white or midnight blue), it is sold from €4550 with Shimano 105 Di2, Fulcrum Racing 900 wheels and Ritchey handlebar and stem. Our model of test, with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, Sonic monocoque handlebars and Sonic Ultra 35/40 wheels, sells for €7515, for a fully equipped weight of 7,5 kg in size 49..

There is another version of the frame in the catalog: the Kom R, with M40X carbon fibers loaded with carbon and graphene nanoparticles, for a weight of 790 g and a price of €2990. Enough to build a high-end Shimano Dura-Ace bike with a weight of around 7,1 kg, for a price of €9775.

In both cases, The prices are reasonable compared to the competition, and should ensure that Girs Kom is a great success with competitors and those looking for performance in general.. Because the Kom is a rigid bike, rather well maintained over the entire length of its wheelbase, and which does not necessarily have the elastic side of certain bikes specifically intended for high mountaintagor that allow to absorb an imperfect pedal stroke. But it shows excellent stability at high speed and it places itself precisely at the moment to adopt a taut trajectory in fast curves. Finally, the very light Sonic Ultra 35/40 wheels here come to temper a little the demanding character of the chassis.

Bodybuilder silhouette

Compared to many current bikes that focus on tube profiles, the Kom adopts an almost more classic line. But on closer inspection, the shape of the tubes seems particularly designed to promote maximum rigidity. The massive head tube is extended by an imposing D-shaped diagonal tube, up to a bottom bracket shell that is also very wide and asymmetrical, with a T47 housing format. The flattened top tube becomes slightly thinner as it approaches the junction with the seat tube, which is round but hollowed out at the rear wheel passage. The chainstays are wide and angular, and flare out to follow the umbrella of the wheel's spokes. Triangular in shape, the seat stays are quite thin, to provide both lateral rigidity and longitudinal comfort. At the front, the fork blades are thick but tapered, to promote airflow around the frame.

On the practical side, we note the presence of a round seat post with a diameter of 27,2 mm, held by a tightening with two small screws placed at the rear of the seat tube. A standard that allows us to consider the worldtagand a very light seat post as you can find on the market, for those who would like to further lighten the machine. Note that the aluminum seat post provided on the bike is very practical to adjust.

Regarding the adjustment of the height of the pilot stationtage, Girs opted for two-part rings, so that adjustments could be made without reinstalling the entire braking system, which passes inside the steering tube.

The pilot's posttagThe ergonomically designed Sonic Hyper is distinguished by an aerodynamic upper part and high rigidity, perfectly consistent with that of the frame. Its weight is 390 g.

A carefree group

With a group Shimano Ultegra Di2, Girs has made the choice here for our bike of test byan equipment reconnaked for its precision and reliability. The drivetrain and braking performance are on par with the top-of-the-line Dura-Ace groupset, with about 300g more. Shifting is super-precise and quiet, with customization options available via the Shimano E-Tube Project app, such as adjusting shift speed, choosing between synchro and semi-synchro modes, and even choosing to change the actions of each button. It’s an ideal choice for racers and those who ride a lot, with replacement parts in case of wear or fall being less expensive than on the Dura-Ace.

The wheels Sonic Ultra 35/40 complete the worldtagand wise of this bike of test, since they are revealed very light, dynamic and fluid to use. The rim height, which fluctuates between 35 and 40 mm, offers little resistance to side winds, to maintain good control of the bike, whatever the conditions. But above all, these wheels are not exceptionally stiff laterally, which allows them to moderate the rigidity of the bike a little and make it a little more accessible than with higher rims, 50 mm for example.

A safe bet

The Girs Kom shows from the outset a reassuring rigidity in many situations. The bike does not show any inconsistency in behavior between its front and rear parts. When you mistreat it by pedaling energetically while standing, it reacts promptly, without latency, but without any elastic effect either. You should not count too much on any deformation of the bottom bracket or the head tube to erase a difficulty without playing with the derailleur. The Kom is appreciated with dynamic pedaling, by adopting a relatively high cadence.

This rigidity is accompanied bywelcome stability at high speeds, whether on fast descents, where the bike never tacks even under the effect of the wind, or in the succession of turns where it is very pleasant to ride by providing precision and rigor in maintaining trajectories. With its tubeless wheels and 28 mm section tires, it does not mistreat the cyclist excessively on poor surfaces, and maintains a route and a motor skills that have always been emblematic of Girs bikes.

The Sonic wheels fitted here optimise the bike's dynamics, whilst softening its exclusive character a little.. Their light weight, their significant fluidity and their average rim height facilitate relaunches and changes of pace, without offering too much resistance to the wind. They are certainly a little less lively than wheels with 50 mm high rims, as I was able to notice when comparing the two montagare on long flat sections with a favorable wind, but they are also more manageable and more comfortable, which is not insignificant over long outings.

As for the pilot positiontagand Sonic, which I had already had the opportunity to tester on the Solo, in addition to its comfortable ergonomics, It shines with its overall rigidity, perfectly in harmony with the behavior of the frame. Because a handlebar that is too flexible mounted with a rigid frame (or vice versa) provides curious sensations with the highlighting of the weaknesses of one of the elements, and a lack of precision of the direction in certain situations. This is not the case here, even if I was a little bothered during the very first outings with the bike by the width of 38 cm of the handlebar: a narrowness justified to optimize an aerodynamic position, but which therefore offers less leverage when you stand up straight. It therefore took me some time to adapt to this dimension and smooth out my swinging gesture while standing up straight.

In addition to the seriousness of the overall proposal of the bike assembled as is, it must finally be emphasized the practical side of the technical solutions chosen to make life easier for potential buyers. While stable and stiff as you'd expect from a bike designed for competition, the Girs Kom is designed without complications, with smooth hose integration that doesn't require too much maintenance when adjusting position, an easy-to-adjust round seatpost, a stiff derailleur hanger that delivers extremely precise shifting, and the now common bottom bracket and thru-axle standards.

In short, the Girs Kom stands out here as a safe bet, all the more interesting as its sale price is reasonable. It is intended for well-trained couriers or cyclosportives, those who will know how to adapt to its muscular character while appreciating its versatility on different terrains. A great success.

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