Bike Review – Kuota Kharma Race Carbon Road Bike
Not everyone has the money to buy the wonderful Tour de France machines on the market. More and more people are looking for value for money in a high performance carbon road bike. This is where bikes like the Kuota Kharma Race come into play. Many of the features of higher end models with a much more modest price. Four years ago a frame like this would have been on a $6000 bike. Now the complete bike is less than half that.
The Kharma Race is available as a complete bike or frame to build it however you like. Complete bikes are available with Shimano 105 or Ultegra, or SRAM Rival. I tried the Rival equipped bike. While a group review will be for another article, it works like a charm. Shifts are quick and precise with a good lever feel.
The heart of any bike is the frame and what a heart the Kharma Race has. The swooping curve of the top tube draws attention to the aerodynamic seating group. All tubes flow into each other. Unusual for a bike at this price point, the frame tubes are aerodynamically optimized to help you cut through the wind. This includes a rear wheel cutout in the seat tube and an aerodynamically shaped seat post. Since wind resistance accounts for more than 90 percent of the resistance when riding on level ground, everything helps. The fit is a bit more relaxed than its higher-end siblings, with a slightly shorter top tube for a given size. All tubes are shaped to provide a good balance between aerodynamics, stiffness and weight. And being an Italian design, there’s a certain flare to it that you don’t see in many of the big brands. You will stand out on the local group ride on a Kuota Kharma as they are not your standard bike.
But that’s just the build. Ride quality is the real star of the show. When I said above that this would have been a top-of-the-line frame a few years ago, I wasn’t exaggerating. I used to ride the Orbea Orca and that’s what this bike reminds me of. Stiff but not hard. Light and responsive. The handling is quick but not jumpy. Just very well balanced with a good road feel. When you jump out of the saddle to run or climb a hill, power is transmitted to the rear wheel. This doesn’t work like a company’s boot carbon fiber bike. If you slip on a set of racing wheels, you’ll be able to compete in any race or race you’ve got the legs for.
The build kit that comes with the bike is solid with Deda handlebars and stem, Selle San Marco Ponza saddle, and Shimano R-500 wheels. You may need to change the cockpit parts as the fit of these will not be for everyone, but is common on any bike. The only area I would suggest upgrading if you want to race or just get top speed is the wheels. Shimano wheels are fine as a training wheel, but they are not light or aerodynamic enough for a race wheel. If you haven’t mounted carbon fiber deep rim wheels, then you won’t encounter a problem.
The Kharma Race fits my criteria for being a working-class bike. It is light but resistant. Good value with performance well above its price.