Deep Dive: Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc

There’s a reason we keep coming back to Quintana Roo—it began as a tri-only company, for years, they made tri-only bikes (until recently), and they’re a U.S. brand with a fantastic tri community vibe. While their bikes may not evoke as much blind enginerd lust as a high-end Cervelo rig, Quintana Roo makes bikes that are made for triathlon from the ground up. They don’t make TT bikes that are adapted for tri; they don’t make a ton of road bikes and mountain bikes and kids’ bikes and then a tri bike to round out their line. Quintana Roo is first and foremost for triathletes—everything else they do (like their new road bike) is just a side hustle, not the other way around. We’ve already posted an unboxing video of the new PRsix2 Disc (for reasons we’ll get to below) and a basic review if you’ve only got a few minutes to kill. But if you’re seriously considering purchasing a new Quintana Roo, be sure to check out our extended review below, as we’ve put hundreds of miles onto a PRsix2 Disc to see what works and what doesn’t.

Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc Extended Review: The Build Rundown

While we’ve detailed the exact spec on this bike at the bottom of the review, below we’ve reviewed the important parts of the build that any triathlete looking to purchase this bike should think about, in order from most important to least:

• The PRsix2 now comes with fully integrated top tube storage for food, a rear storage for spare stuff, and 30 ounces of hydration. While they’re not the only brand to do this kind of thing with hydration—Ventum does it, Canyon does it, Cervelo does it on some of their bikes, Specialized does it on most of their bikes, Giant does too—there’s something very different about how QR has integrated its hydration system. By partnering with Profile to help develop something that is simultaneously custom (in that it has been modified to integrate aerodynamically with the bike itself) and stock (in that you can get replacement parts for it from Profile), this means you get the best of both worlds. Profile has been in the hydration game way longer than any of the bike brands listed above (QR included), so I have to applaud QR for “knowing what they don’t know” and letting the experts do their thing. It’s hard to overstate how important and unique this is in the bike industry.
• The groupset on this $8,500 Ultegra Di2 is good, no important surprises either good or bad. The ISM saddle is an excellent choice—something many triathletes upgrade to pretty quickly, but also something that now comes stock on a lot of bikes. The semi-compact crankset is also a sign of the times, and while I had issues spinning it out, not everyone likes to push a big gear, even on a tri bike. The good news there is that it’s not fully compact. The only odd choice in the $8,500 build are the super budget UltraSport tires from Continental—these are something you’d typically find on a $2,000 bike when you’re really trying to knock down a pricepoint. For almost $10k, it’s a little frustrating to have to get new tires pretty quickly, especially if you’ve upgraded to race wheels in the build. 
• The T47 bottom bracket is a new appearance on QR’s line and an upgrade from the PRsix’s PF30. While a T47 isn’t brand brand new to the cycling world, you don’t see it too often on tri bikes for some reason. The big deal about T47 is that it’s stiffer and it’s supposed to be less prone to creaking than the xx30 standard. This is a good thing if you want to keep your bike for a long time, and unlike a few years ago, there are plenty of replacement BBs available for sale in that standard.
• The paint options are nothing short of amazing and for the most part complimentary. QR does this by hand-assembling and hand painting their frames in their factory in Tennessee. Without even an upcharge, purchasers get to choose from 11 different—and actually exciting—base colors and a slew of decal options tied to the base selection. They also do custom paint and little details like painting the rear storage box for an additional charge.

Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc Extended Review: The Ordering Process

Though some may argue that this review should simply be about the bike, now more than ever, how you actually get a bike is also super important. QR now sells direct to consumers via their very easy-to-use website where you can pick components, wheel upgrades, color, and a few other little changes. You add to your cart, pay, and the bike will arrive in due time. Nothing super special here, but it’s a process that’s almost dangerously easy. The real magic happens when the bike arrives in a big coffin-shaped box. Inside is a fully assembled bike (except for the seatpost, seatpost fastener, pedals, and front wheel) that literally takes even the worst mechanic about 30 minutes to build. You don’t even have to flip up and tighten the handlebars (though you should inspect those bolts to be safe). Inside the box is the name of the mechanic who assembled and tested your bike, so in theory this has been pre-ridden around the shop and could probably be raced upon the minute you assemble it. This is a nice touch.

That said, the direct-to-consumer model isn’t perfect, and I would strongly advise anyone who bought a bike online—no matter what the build condition—to take the bike to a bike shop and have it fit properly by an experienced tri fitter. It won’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars at most, and it’ll literally make a bigger difference than almost any other feature we’ll talk about in this review. Better yet, pay for a “pre-fit” to make sure you get the right size (more on that below). 

The good news about direct-to-consumer is you won’t have to pay for the bike shop’s overhead and built-in build price if you buy the bike from a shop, but don’t think that means you won’t need the shop at all. Even with QR’s handy little fit calculator for bike size, you’ll still need to get your saddle height, fore/aft position, aerobar height and pad width dialed in properly. On the other hand, if you’ve already had this done, it’s an easy translation to the pre-assembled PRsix2. Which also leads us to the section below.

Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc Extended Review: The Fit

As Quintana Roo has historically been a tri-only brand (with a few exceptions), they do an excellent job of putting together the geometry for each of their lines, and the PRsix2 Disc is no exception. But before we dive into the nitty gritty of the numbers that matter, there’s one thing to note, even if you read nothing else: These bikes run very very large per size, much like a Dimond. As someone who rides either a 56cm or 58cm road bike—depending on the brand/use—I almost always ride a 56cm tri bike with a 54cm-ish top tube length. So all signs point to me riding a 56cm PRsix2. But instead, a PRsix2 size 54cm is actually on the longer/higher end of my scale, and if I really wanted to get low and tight, I would possibly need a 52cm—which is actually kind of crazy. 

Looking closely at the stack and reach on each size helps shed some light on why. The size 56 PRsix2 Disc has a 43.5cm reach and a 56cm stack; for reference a Cervelo P-Series with the same stack and reach is a size 58cm. That’s a big difference in stack/reach values versus the size “name.” Of course, it’s super easy to account for this oddity when matching up an existing frame that fits you—just be sure you focus ONLY on the stack/reach values (in fact, I’d focus on the reach for most people first) and basically ignore the top tube length value and size naming on the PRsix2 Disc. The numbers also indicate that the PRsix2’s stack is somewhere in the middle when compared to some others in its reach size—but that’s not as big of a deal unless you’re really looking to scrape the pavement with your nose.

Other dimensions of note confirm that this is truly a tri bike first and foremost. I love the fact that the PRsix2 Disc is built with a super steep setup in mind—even if the top tube measurement gets a little odd in the process. You can run the seat in two major starting positions—77 and an ultra-steep 83 degrees—and that’s before you start playing around with the seat rails. For reference there, the Cervelo P-Series has 75 and 79 degrees on the seatpost, and bikes like the Specialized S-Works Shiv Disc and Felt IA are in the 77-78-degree range. If being steep is important to you, not much else comes close—except for maybe a Ventum. While not as crucial, with the PRsix2 you’re looking at a bike with a slightly lower than average BB per stack/reach size compared to other brands and a wheelbase that’s more on the tighter side.

Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc Extended Review: The Ride

The good news through all of these features and details and build and geometries is that QR has put together a very well-balanced bike. Aside from the opportunity to get very very steep, there’s not much that screams extreme on this bike, and that’s a good thing. While some triathletes may get more excited about a bike like the PX-Series with a wildly lower stack that lets you get your nose on your front wheel, stuff like that doesn’t always make for a good all around bike. In fact, if you’re bombing down a big descent at 40mph, you’re probably not in a deep tuck on the aerobars at all—you’d probably prefer stability and predictability so you can get through turns without even thinking about your brakes. This is where QR does a great job of being, well, medium. The PRsix2 is a bike with enough sizes to fit pretty much everyone, and as such handles and rides in a way that pretty much everyone will feel comfortable.

Other bike brands may be slightly more aero (this we don’t know because there isn’t a lot of good tunnel data on the QR), but that aero comes at a cost sometimes. The PRsix 2 is a bike that a rider will feel comfortable with—in terms of handling and ride quality—pretty much right away. And even though we all like to pretend that speed is king, in our sport, we still need to run at least a little bit once we come off the bike. If our backs are messed up from an overly steep fit (or the wrong-sized bike) or we’ve been floating off the saddle because the bike is too rough, we won’t run well. There’s something to be said for riding a good bike that you don’t really feel but that you just ride in a “fastrelaxed” way and gets you to T2 ready to really run well.

The PRsix2 is a bike that climbs just fine—nothing too snappy, but not noodly like a non-double diamond frame—and it descends in more of a relaxed way, surprising given the shorter wheelbase. You won’t slice and dice corners here, but the flip side (something that’s way more important to triathletes) is you’ll also be able to comfortably stay in aero at higher speeds and with crosswinds. Again, this is more important for everything that comes after the bike than pulling in a few seconds on a twisty descent.

Vibration-wise, the PRsix2 is on the smoother end of the spectrum, not a rickety rocketship like the new Cervelo P5—QR’s bike is an easy contender for even the longest rides and races. 

Quintana Roo PRsix2 Disc Extended Review: Conclusions

Though we’ve gone very deep into almost every aspect of this bike, the conclusions are actually very simple: First, make sure (very sure) you get the right size. If you’re not comfortable with stack and reach numbers, before you spend over $5k on a new bike, it’s time to learn. But once you get the proper size—easy with QR’s sizing range and some knowledge—everything about this bike is easy. From the assembly process to getting used to the handling, to adjustments and even procuring replacement parts for the hydration system, there are not many pinch points here—something overwhelmed and overloaded triathletes can hopefully appreciate. While there might be cheaper bikes out there and more aerodynamically flashy bikes out there, when it comes to getting through the second leg quickly and comfortably, the PRSix2 is a tough option to beat.

Ultegra Di2 Kit ($8,500 base as below):

Fork: QR Integrated Aero Disc Carbon
Headset: Cane Creek IS41
Stem: QR 2.5 Aero Stem
Handlebar: Profile Design Aeria Ultimate Wing Carbon with 35C Extension
Seatpost: QR Aero Carbon
Saddle: ISM PN 2.1
Shifters: Ultegra Di2 with D-Fly
Front Derailleur: Ultegra Di2
Rear Derailleur: Ultegra Di2 GS
Brakes : Dura-Ace Hydraulic Disc
Disc Rotors: Dura-Ace 160mm
Crankset: FSA SLK Light 52-36
Cassette: Ultegra 11-30
Chain: Ultegra
Bottom Bracket: T47
Tires: Continental Ultrasport 3 Race 25c
Wheelset: Shimano RS370 Disc (upgrade options available below)
Top Tube Storage: QR Top Tube Storage System
Riser Kit: 55mm Profile Design Riser Kit Included

Dura-Ace Di2 Kit ($10,600 base as below)

Fork: QR Integrated Aero Disc Carbon
Headset: Cane Creek IS41
Stem: QR 2.5 Aero Stem
Handlebars: Profile Design Aeria Ultimate Wing Carbon with 35C Extensions
Seatpost: QR Aero Carbon
Saddle: ISM PN 3.0
Shifters: Dura-Ace Di2 with D-Fly
Front Derailleur: Dura-Ace Di2
Rear Derailleur: Dura-Ace Di2
Brakes: Dura-Ace Hydraulic Disc
Disc Rotors: Dura-Ace 160mm
Crankset: Dura-Ace 52-36
Cassette: Dura-Ace 11-30
Chain: Dura-Ace
Bottom Bracket: T47
Tires: Continental GP5000 25c
Wheelset: Shimano RS370 Disc (upgrade options available below)
Top Tube Storage: QR Top Tube Storage System
Riser Kit: 55mm Profile Design Riser Kit Included

Wheel Upgrades:

HED Vanquish RC6 Disc Performance + $1,000
Enve SES 7.8 Disc w/Enve hub +1,600
Zipp 404 NSW Disc +$2,100