Bikes we love: Madison Genesis's Zero SL Disc

Pro bikes are almost always very cool. They have slammed stems, implausable stem angles, high saddles, everything that makes a bike look great but also make them almost impossible for us mere mortals to ride. One bike we particularly like (and yes, we're biased) is this season's Genesis Zero SL Disc as ridden by the Madison Genesis pro team. In a world increasgly full of black bikes, this turquoise beauty stands out for its striking lines as much as its fantastic colourway. Purists might not like the sloping top tubes that come with modern, compact geometry, but we think this bike looks fast standing still. 

If you want to get your hands on one of these, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that you can't buy one in a team replica colourway, that's team-only. The good news is that the frameset-only version is just 1,699.99 and comes in black with punchy red details. Check it out here. Other than the paint job, both of these framesets are identical, using 30/40t carbon fibre for the best combination of light weight and stiffness. 

Groupset is full Shimano, too, and in this case it's the hydraulic disc brake/Di2 combo of Dura-Ace r9170. As disc brake groupsets go it just doesn't get any better and with the new shifter ergonomics that came with the r9100 series Dura-Ace, the shifter hoods are now just as sleek as their rim brake counterparts meaning the looks now match the fantastic performance. 

Wheels are Shimano's Dura-Ace C60 tubular disc brake (that's WH-r9170-C60-TU for any nerds out there). Coming at just 1,500g per set for 60mm deep/24mm wide rims, they're a big part of the reason you can build up a disc brake bike to around 7kg. They're fast, too. Not only do Madison Genesis use these, but you'll also see Tom Dumoulin's Team Sunweb and Thibault Pinot's Groupama-FDJ racing on these as well. For windier or hillier days, there's always the C40s that shed weight but still over a significant aero advantage. Oh, and those come in tubeless-ready clincher, too, for anyone who wants something more every-day friendly than a tubular.

Covering those wheels are the new Maxxis High Road tubular. Those tubs themselves aren't available to buy yet, but their clincher siblings are available and offer high performance in all weather conditions, which is part of the reason the team ride them not just for racing, but for training too. 

Finishing kit comes from Pro, and includes a 27.2mm Vibe carbon seatpost, Vibe stem and the new Vibe Superlight bars that are only 175g per set in the 40cm version - that's 25g less than the previous Vibe UD LTD bars which is the best part of a 15% weight reduction. Riders also have the choice between the round or Aero Superlight bars and the aero versions are an even more impressive 200g for a 40cm, down from 245g in their previous incarnation.Saddles are picked based on rider preference, but everyone uses either a Pro Turnix, Falcon, Stealth or Griffon - and some are pretty well worn after a few seasons of use - piclk something the works and stick to it, seems to be the feeling when it comes to saddle choice.