Simplon Pavo IV in the Long-Term Review

Simplon is entering the fourth round with its long-running favorite, the Pavo. At first glance, the Simplon Pavo IV appears as the lightweight/aero hybrid it aims to be.
It presents itself in a completely tidy, dynamic look. No cable clutter in the front area, everything is internally routed through a special headset. The frame appears streamlined, unlike its more armored aero sibling model called Pride from the Austrian manufacturer by Lake Constance. It makes the hearts of weight weenies beat faster with a weight of only 800 g.
Finely built, with correspondingly light components and wheels, according to the manufacturer, a realistic minimum weight of 6.7 kg can be achieved with the Pavo IV.

The Vorarlbergers didn't go quite so wild with the test bike. The model equipped with Sram Force eTap, priced at around 8,000 euros, settled at 7.8 kg in size XS - this including a bottle holder.
XS? Yes indeed. As a test subject, Vanesa gets the beautiful opportunity to put the Pavo through its paces in a long-term review. Thus, numerous meters of altitude in the Bucklige Welt and elsewhere await the pair for a season.
To kick things off, here are all the facts about the bike and Vanesa's first impressions.

Some further characteristics of the Pavo IV that stand out even before the first ride include the specially shaped seat post with a cutout for more flex and comfort, as well as the relatively comfortable frame geometry. Comfortable riding ultimately means fast and efficient riding. The frame leads with a steep seat tube angle of 75° and rather short chain stays, transferring the power from the pedal to the rear wheel and giving the handling a lot of agility.

The DT Swiss ER1600-30 Alu wheels contribute to comfortable riding behavior and make - despite their cost-effective entry price - an overall quality impression. Schwalbe's Pro-One in 28C further enhance the noble Pavo look with their Tan Walls. For those who find this wheelset not comfortable enough, tires up to 34 mm can be used.

I happily take the Pavo on its first test ride to Semmering and start right from kilometer 1 with an 8% incline to get a first impression of the actual mountain suitability of this vehicle.
The altitude meters just fall away. With the gearing of the Sram Force eTAP AXS Disc, I am well served: The combination of a 48/35 crankset in the front and a 12-speed cassette with 10-36 teeth offers me enough gears for every situation and smooth gear changes without too big jumps. I get along well with the relatively long crank arm of 172.5 mm for me, and from a 10% incline I feel that the extra leverage moves me forward faster and more efficiently than with <170 mm. But I am also well equipped for flat valley roads and descents, so I never completely run out of gears even on brisk Semmering descents. The Pavo IV seems made for long days in the saddle.

In the coming weeks and months, I will continue to test the Simplon Pavo IV thoroughly to see if my initial positive impressions are confirmed and if the bike lives up to all its promises.

Conceived at Lake Constance, built in Europe: Our long-term review of the fourth generation of the high-tech racing bike from the Vorarlberg manufacturer Simplon (named after the 2,005 m high Simplon Pass in Switzerland) with the simple name Pavo is now entering its second round.

So how did this folie à deux between the climbing wonder weapon Pavo and our editor continue? The features and peculiarities that have crystallized during the Bikeboard long-term test after three months and 1,200 kilometers ridden can be found here in the Bikeboard interim report.

The test bike, equipped with a robust aluminum wheelset and a solid gear group, weighs approximately 7.8 kilograms in size XS. But don't worry, with a few clever upgrades, the weight can easily be trimmed down to a feather-light 6.5 kilograms. The frame alone weighs only a slim 800 g in size M - an ideal basis for any ambitious race bike build.

On the Simplon homepage, you can configure your individual Pavo IV to your heart's content using the modular system. Naturally, I immediately delved into the tinkering and assembled a super lightweight version as a test. With frame size XXS and the lightest components from the Simplon shelf, I come to an impressive, UCI-illegal 6.66 kg - however, at a price that is equally impressive at 13,619.00 Euros. For true weight fetishists, the dream of a "weight-weenie" machine under 6.6 kg might become a bit expensive.

Lightweight construction has a tradition at Simplon: The predecessor model with rim brakes, Pavo 3 from 2013, weighs up to 5.91 kg (the even lighter Pavo 3 Ultra approached the legendary 5-kg mark with a frame weight of 740 g!), but in terms of aerodynamics, it does not have the optimized design of the Pavo IV. I also dare to say that at under 6 kg, it would ride more flexibly than stiffly and would be critical to ride for riders over 80 kg - more of a jittery mimosa than a responsive racing machine.

In my opinion, Simplon is not aiming the Pavo IV at a concept bike for the niches of purists, collectors, tinkerers, and professionals among cyclists; that Simplon perfectly masters lightweight construction is beyond question after the Pavo 3. In this sense, the Pavo IV returns to the market as a more mature, rounded racing bike, with the extra safety and braking power of disc brakes, and in line with the spirit of the times, it can be equipped with tires up to 34 mm wide. And because appearance is not everything, but it is important: The Pavo IV is available not only in Carbon Glossy/Silver Glossy but also in a chic Metallic White Glossy/Carbon Glossy. No matter the color - the frame always looks as if it came fresh out of a (monocoque) shell.

An innovation that will certainly be welcomed by many riders is the first-time use of disc brakes instead of rim brakes on a Pavo - the new Pavo IV is exclusively available with disc brakes in this generation. One might think that Simplon had been waiting for the right moment over the past few years, and now that disc brake technology for racing bikes has reached a very advanced level, they have dared a rerelease of their perennial favorite at the right time to revive their classic with top-modern technology. Nowadays, manufacturers have to meet new demands to some extent; with the Pavo IV, Simplon proves that they have the riders' expectations fully in view - and even exceed them!

With a race geometry that lies at the more comfortable end of aggressiveness and a stack-to-reach ratio of 1.47 in size M, the Pavo is moderately sporty but has been developed all the more for use in cycling marathons. Precisely because of its geometry, ultra-distance riders among us are likely to find an ideal all-rounder in the Pavo; it is no coincidence that Simplon athlete Michael Strasser breaks records on his Pavo racing machine.

On descents, the Pavo IV picks up speed surprisingly quickly, and in the group, despite my sub-50-kg body weight, I am comparably fast. My front feels like it cuts through the air like butter; I would attribute this riding sensation to the truly successful front end of the Pavo. I don't have a lab for precise values available during the test, but the feeling definitely doesn't lie here even without wind tunnel measurements! Speaking of wind tunnels: The sibling Pride II from Simplon achieved first place in 2021 and 2024 alongside magnates like the Canyon Aeroad and the Specialized Tarmac with a significant lead and is thus the benchmark aero bike. It can therefore be assumed that similar construction knowledge has also flowed into the development of the Pavo IV.

The relatively short chainstays of 410 mm across all sizes put the Pavo IV in full swing during standing climbs. For small riders, this is particularly noticeable on ascents! I feel like my silent companion is always dancing lively with me during "Pedal Dancing," and the bike sways smoothly back and forth out of the saddle. Otherwise, the steep seat tube also ensures plenty of agility, while the front allows for relatively stable steering - partly due to the geometry with a relatively long wheelbase of 988 mm in size XS, and also due to the dimensions of the components, such as my 42 cm wide handlebars.

Additionally, I roll along comfortably "cushioned" in the most comfortable VIBREX® Flex Technology. Spring elements can be found on the Aero seat post developed by Simplon and the flattened top tube, but especially on the narrowly designed seat stays. These smart tricks, along with 28 mm tires, absorb quite a bit of shock overall, and I zoom through the Vienna Woods as if on a carpet.

I consider the ARC1 handlebar-stem unit from Simplon to be a major strength of this model. The cables and lines are almost invisible, the headset is elegantly solved, and the spacers on the specially sealed Acros headset could be easily removed. The carbon fork does not require a conventional fork cone on the headset; instead, the fork is shaped accordingly at the lower shaft. The integrated cone reduces weight and improves the fork's load-bearing capacity through a more even fiber path, which promotes steering and tracking precision.

I would probably prefer to mount the 105-mm-long stem with a 12° angle in a negative position; with a frame size that is slightly too large overall and my rather short upper body, the positive angle is more accommodating in terms of reach - quite literally. The Bike Ribbon Spugna handlebar tape is not too soft and perfectly complements the flattening of the beautifully shaped upper handlebar area.

Only the hoods are too bulky for women's hands; however, this is due to the installed Sram Force eTap AXS group and is already a known issue for many riders. Similarly, the brake levers are too far away, and despite personal fine adjustments, the braking effect somehow kicks in too late, or I apply a lot of force when braking. It would be practical to be able to adjust the handlebar angle a bit more.

Those riders who want to stick with an ordinary setup and regularly make small adjustments are alternatively referred to the Simplon Zero 3 stem and the Simplon ERG Carbon handlebar in the configurator.

Probably not the bike of choice for bargain hunters, but Simplon's latest interpretation of the proven classic is a solid all-rounder among racing bikes and definitely worth the investment.

If I could choose, I would like a Pavo IV with the modern look, finely built with a pair of stylish rim brake calipers to maximize the weight advantage of the frame set. The simple carbon glossy design appeals to me greatly and would be wonderfully suited for a more playful custom build with components from, for example, Schmolke, THM, or Cane Creek, to push lightweight construction to the limit. Well, one can dream a little…

In the fall, I will give my final conclusion at the end of the test, but one thing is clear: You can separate me from the Pavo, but you probably won't get the Pavo out of me so quickly. This bike has ridden into my heart and my legs.