I saw BRIDGESTONE ANCHOR's latest carbon endurance road bike, the "RE8," which is scheduled for release in late October 2024, at an exhibition!

The "RE8," which has received high praise on YouTube and social media, is a model that falls into the endurance road bike category, yet at first glance, it looks like an aero road bike.

I asked about its features.

2025.ANCHOR RE8 Series (Anchor/RE8)

RE8 (ULTEGRA MODEL)

【Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price】￥935,000 (tax included)
【Colors (all colors)】FOREST KHAKI, OCEAN NAVY, STONE GRAY
【Sizes (approximate height)】390 (145-158cm), 420 (154-167cm), 450 (163-176cm), 480 (173-185cm)

RE8 (105 Di2 MODEL)

【Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price】￥489,000 (tax included)
【Colors (all colors)】FOREST KHAKI, OCEAN NAVY, STONE GRAY
【Sizes (approximate height)】390 (145-158cm), 420 (154-167cm), 450 (163-176cm), 480 (173-185cm)

RE8 (105 MODEL)

【Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price】￥379,000 (tax included)
【Colors (all colors)】FOREST KHAKI, OCEAN NAVY, STONE GRAY
【Sizes (approximate height)】390 (145-158cm), 420 (154-167cm), 450 (163-176cm), 480 (173-185cm)

Reasons for its comfortable ride despite its aero shape

Endurance road bikes prioritize "comfortable long-distance/long-duration riding" over competitiveness, so their speed performance tends to be sacrificed compared to all-rounder or aero road bikes.

Among them, the RE8 looks like an aero road bike at first glance. It is an endurance road bike designed for "faster and longer rides."

My first thought when it was announced was, "It certainly looks fast, but I doubt its comfort as an endurance road bike."

Although carbon frame performance has improved recently, and we are seeing more aero-road-like all-rounder road bikes (so-called pure road bikes), I had a preconceived notion that it would be difficult for an endurance road bike to achieve this.

However, after the announcement, I saw evaluations such as "quite comfortable" on various media and bicycle shop social media, making it a model of interest for 2025!

●Reasons for its comfortable ride

1. Seatpost extension

First, the top tube slopes, simply allowing for a longer exposed seatpost. This allows the seatpost itself to flex, reducing the burden on the rider's body.

2. Dropped seatstays

In addition, dropped seatstays are adopted. This reduces vibrations from the ground to the body and contributes to increased responsiveness.

3. Seat tube molding

The seat tube features a D-shaped cross-section. This contributes to both aero efficiency through the Kamm tail design and vibration absorption.

These aspects are said to be effective against vibrations from the ground. Especially, the seatpost extension is said to have a significant impact!

The ULTEGRA grade of the RE8 uses a carbon seatpost, but the 105 Di2 grade and 105 grade use aluminum seatposts, so there seems to be a difference in vibration absorption.

However, the seatpost standard is not ANCHOR's unique standard but a popular 27.2mm diameter, so it's a welcome point that riders can customize it to their liking.

If you want to significantly increase vibration absorption, the ERGON CF Allroad Pro Carbon SetBack is an option.

The front fork was said to have a significant impact on vibration absorption to the hands.

In addition, it seems that efforts have been made to avoid sacrificing comfort by varying the quality and thickness of the carbon in key areas.

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About the RE8's frame performance

The frame material is a mix of T800 and T700 (the fork uses T700).

Full internal cable routing, Di2 cable shift compatibility, flat mount disc standard... etc. Modern specifications ◎

Each tube features an aerodynamically superior Kamm tail shape. It pairs well with the dropped seatstays, contributing significantly to reduced aero drag ◎

The tire clearance is designed to accommodate up to 38c.

Asymmetrical chainstays designed with stiffness balance in mind.

• 

• The frame shape around the bottom bracket is a bit unique due to the adoption of the Kamm tail shape and wide tire clearance, which personally excites me (lol)

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Specifications by Grade

●ULTEGRA Di2 (7.4kg)

・Components: ULTEGRA Di2 R8150
・Wheels: DT SWISS ERC1400 45mm
・Tires: BRIDGESTONE EXTENZA R1X (700×28C)
・Handlebar: ANCHOR CARBON AERO HANDLE BAR (φ31.8)
・Stem: ANCHOR AERO STEM
・Seatpost: CARBON SEATPOST (φ27.2)
・Saddle: FIZIK TERRA ARGO X1

The ULTEGRA grade comes with a tightly coordinated parts configuration. The wheels are also top-tier all-round wheels developed by DT for endurance (approximately 300,000 yen for a set).

It's an excellent value model for those who are satisfied with BRIDGESTONE ANCHOR's overall coordination and are not planning any custom modifications.

●105 Di2 (8.5kg)

・Components: 105 Di2 R7150
・Wheels: DT SWISS P1800 23 DISC
・Tires: BRIDGESTONE EXTENZA R2X (700×32C)
・Handlebar: ALUMINIUM HANDLE BAR (φ31.8)
・Stem: ANCHOR AERO STEM
・Seatpost: ANCHOR ALUMINIUM SEATPOST (φ27.2)
・Saddle: SELLE ITALIA X3

Personally, this grade seems the most accessible to purchase. It has well-balanced specifications, is enjoyable in its stock form, and allows for easy customization to your liking later on.

●105 (8.9kg)

・Components: 105 R7100
・Wheels: SHIMANO WH-RS171
・Tires: BRIDGESTONE EXTENZA R2X (700×32C)
・Handlebar: ALUMINIUM HANDLE BAR (φ31.8)
・Stem: ANCHOR AERO STEM
・Seatpost: ANCHOR ALUMINIUM SEATPOST (φ27.2)
・Saddle: SELLE ITALIA X3

This is BRIDGESTONE ANCHOR's recommended grade, said to have the most effort put into its pricing. The frame set is ￥320,000 (tax included), while the 105 complete bike is priced at ￥379,000 (tax included).

This price is comparable to the total cost (excluding assembly fees) of assembling a popular Chinese carbon frame with 105 components.

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Test Ride Impressions

Finally, it was my turn, and I was able to borrow a test bike from the manufacturer.

My impression was that the center of gravity balance was extremely excellent; that's what I felt most strongly.

From sitting to dancing, the excellent center of gravity balance provides stable performance. Compared to other lightweight carbon road bikes, it's heavier, but this outstanding center of gravity balance made it feel light, with no stress from initial pedal strokes to acceleration!

When descending, this stability combined with vibration absorption made for an incredibly comfortable and reassuring ride.

However, when it came to the acceleration and high-speed cruising above 30km/h, like a stiff road bike, other road bikes seemed to have an edge.

It wasn't about "super acceleration like a puncheur" or "high-speed cruising like a criterium race," but rather a road bike that could cover long distances quickly and comfortably, as described earlier. My test ride confirmed this impression!

The RE8 has been a hot topic on social media, and personally, I believe it has indeed gone a step further in the "carbon endurance road bike" category, considering both its price and riding performance!

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Summary of ANCHOR RE8

After receiving various explanations at the exhibition, I felt that an amazing bicycle had been released at a reasonable price...

I felt that it seemed to have good ride comfort + performance on social media, etc.

And finally, the test ride came around.

Oh, it was simply a great bicycle to think about!

The RE8, with its theme of "making endurance road bikes even faster!" I was impressed when I test rode GIANT's 5th generation DEFY, but...

While it may not quite reach the level of the higher-grade DEFY ADVANCED SL series, I felt that the DEFY ADVANCED was certainly in its sights.

Some people might even say the RE8 has surpassed it!

It's a joy as a cyclist to see the endurance road bike scene heating up!

Please consider it!

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