Peter Maniaty
Peter Maniaty has recently had the pleasure of riding and reviewing this black beauty from New Zealand brand Chapter2, the Koko.
You have to admire the Kiwis. When they set their minds on something, they tend to do it well – cycling very much included.
There’s no better example than the Koko from Chapter2. Quick, yet obedient. Stiff, yet comfortable. Muscular, yet elegant. Familiar, yet somehow also a little different. An aero bike to be sure. But somehow even more.
Styling
The review Koko arrived in the classic Chapter2 ‘Tuhua’ colour way, glossy black with turquoise highlights. However, as with most Chapter2 road and gravel offerings, the Koko is also available in several other eye-catching liveries. The closer you look, the more little flourishes you’ll find too. On the review build this includes subtle Māori inspired graphics on the down tube, chain stays and even the bar tape. In an era of relative design homogeny, it’s refreshing to see a bike brand that still sweats the smaller things and, overall, I found the aesthetic of the Koko quite intriguing – familiar in some ways, unique in others. Two of the more distinctive visual features are the wheel cut-outs sculpted into both the seat and down tubes. The latter is less overt, with the down tube scooping ever-so-slightly around the front wheel. The top tube tapers elegantly from front to rear and there are plenty of truncated kamm-tail tube profiles, while the integrated fork crown and one-piece Mana cockpit system with internal hose routing ensures a sleek and drag reducing silhouette. Very nice.
Frame & geometry
Looking beyond aesthetics, the Koko boasts reasonably conventional aero geometry and measures within a couple of millimetres of most of its main rivals – reach, stack, wheelbase, fork offset – as well as the Chapter2 Rere, which it replaced in 2022. One of the more notable differences is the bottom bracket drop. At 73mm, the Koko sits 5mm lower than the Rere, a change that reduces the bike’s centre of gravity and, amongst other things, helps to deliver first-class ride stability. The smaller frame sizes feature a pretty generous 53mm fork offset, whereas for the larger frames such as the review model it drops to 43mm.
Structurally, the Koko front triangle is moulded using a one-piece latex mandrel which Chapter2 says controls the carbon wall thickness more precisely during production. High-tensile directional Toray carbon is specified in both the bottom bracket and headtube zones and this, coupled with the move to more truncated kamm-tail profiling, is claimed to increase the stiffness of the bottom bracket (+13.35 per cent) and head tube (+35.64 per cent) compared with the Rere – significant numbers in terms of optimising power transfer. Having recently taken over distribution for the Wishbone brand, Chapter2 Australia now ships all of its locally built bikes with highly-regarded Wishbone T47 ceramic bearing bottom brackets.
One of the Koko’s more interesting features is an invertible dual-position seat post clamp system. Flipping it essentially shifts the anchor point of the carbon seat post, thus decreasing or increasing the amount of deflection. Choosing the lower clamp position, for example, effectively lengthens the seat post by around 5-7cm. This increases the cantilever action as you ride and, according to Chapter2, boosts compliance by up to 8.5 per cent. Whilst adjustment only requires a hex key, in practice I found it a little fiddly with the rear wheel in place and probably not something you’d choose to do mid-ride – but the system really does work and it makes a noticeable difference to comfort levels.
Weight
The Koko is not a heavy bike. However, at a time when frame weights continue to be shaved in the pursuit of ever-more-marginal gains – highlighted by several significant lightweight aero launches in the lead up to this year’s Tour de France – it certainly isn’t the leanest aero offering in 2024. Without pedals, the full review build (Large frame, fitted with 45mm carbon rims) registered a respectable 7.95kg on my home scales, including a pair of bottle cages and out-front computer mount. Given more than half of this weight is the groupset and wheels, a few strategic changes here and there could trim things even further if that’s important to you.
Components
When Chapter2 first arrived in 2017, one of its big selling points was that you could spec your new frameset exactly the way you wanted. You still can of course. However, in Australia Chapter2 frames are increasingly being made available to purchase as complete bikes built to standard specifications (and prices) which can be viewed on the Chapter2 Australia website.
As for the review Koko build? It was fitted with the excellent SRAM Force AXS 12-speed wireless groupset. Should your budget allow, the sublime new SRAM Red AXS is also available, while you’ll find cheaper options at the other end of the scale too. Other build highlights include a 3D-printed Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 honeycomb-style saddle – with a carbon reinforced nylon shell atop Kium hollow rails, it’s both lightweight and super comfortable on the derrière – and Chapter2’s integrated Mana carbon bar/stem system.
The Mana cockpit looks fantastic and certainly ticks all the boxes for stiffness and performance. But there is one important thing to keep in mind. Being a single piece system there’s little opportunity for adjustment to help find your perfect hand position. Despite plenty of spacers, this means it’s essential to get dialled in with the right size from the start to avoid the risk of wrist discomfort and fatigue, especially on longer or more intense rides. Chapter2 offers six Mana models with effective stem lengths ranging from 80mm to 130mm, and bar widths from 380mm to 435mm when you’re down in the drops. Measure twice, purchase once.
One thing the review build didn’t have was a power meter. In fact, as Chapter2 Australia explained to me, none of its standard Koko builds have one, partly to hit the best possible price point and also because they’re finding more and more riders already have a preferred power unit or pedals. But fear not. A power unit can be easily added to your new Koko on request, for an additional cost.
Wheels
When I first received the Koko, it was equipped with Zipp 303 S carbon wheels. However, mid-review Chapter2 launched its very own aero optimised REHI45 carbon wheelset (REHI is the Māori word for ‘racing’) necessitating a quick trip back to the offices of Chapter2 Australia. Offering the same 45mm rim depth, both options were excellent. With a similar colour scheme to the Tuhua frame, the REHI wheelset looks fantastic on the Koko and at 1,469g comes in a touch lighter than the Zipp 303 S (1,540g). The REHI rims have slightly narrower internal width (21mm vs 23mm) and are also hooked, whereas the Zipp 303 S rims are hookless. Either way, you have the choice between the two models for the same price. In both configurations, the rims were fitted with 28mm Goodyear Eagle F1 tubeless tyres. Maximum clearance is 32mm.
The ride
The Koko is a lovely bike to ride, aero or otherwise. Fast, stable and balanced, I found it an extremely well behaved machine with few quirks. Position-wise, the geometry feels compact without ever being super aggressive. The relatively generous 163mm head tube puts you in a low-ish riding position, but certainly not as pronounced as some aero frames that really put your nose to the bitumen. Riding along, the Koko lures you down into the drops and proves itself highly capable at virtually any tempo. That said, the faster you go, the better it feels and at higher speeds it glides along absolutely effortlessly. Steering preference is very personal and, whilst it would be wrong to say the steering is slow on the Koko, I certainly didn’t find it lightning fast – it’s more like a high-performance luxury saloon than an ultra snappy sportscar. When the roads begin to rise, especially for more sustained pitches of >5 per cent, it’s also clear the Koko is no col-crushing lightweight. That said, climbing performance is still solid enough for an aero frame fitted with 45mm rims. If serious ascending forms a regular part of your riding schedule, there are probably better choices out there such as the more vertically-minded Chapter2 Huru. However, for navigating everyday rollers and finding your rhythm on the occasional longer climbs, the Koko still has plenty to offer. Hurtling back down from the hilltops is also a reassuringly confident experience, thanks to the Koko’s wonderful stability and balance.
Summing up
The Chapter 2 Koko is fast, thoughtfully-appointed and a joy to ride. It’s very well behaved and far more versatile than you might imagine, whilst also being just a little bit different thanks to some lovely design touches – check it out.
