Bike test: Winspace T1600 (series intro) – try before you buy
Winspace bikes are in Australia. The distribution agent for the Chinese brand has a large rental fleet so potential customers can test the range and fine-tune the component specification and sizing details before placing an order. Adding value to the ride-before-you-buy concept is that Winspace Australia deducts any rental costs from the price of the […]
Winspace bikes are in Australia. The distribution agent for the Chinese brand has a large rental fleet so potential customers can test the range and fine-tune the component specification and sizing details before placing an order.
Adding value to the ride-before-you-buy concept is that Winspace Australia deducts any rental costs from the price of the bike if you ultimately buy what you hired.
Part 1 of a series. By Rob Arnold
– See the range of bikes on Winspace Australia’s site: winspace.com.au –
DETAILS
Click here for full test bike spec – inc. custom options and notes. |
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With a claimed frame weight of just 900g (medium) the T1600 is light but there’s a lot more to the sales pitch. Of course, the unique ‘D-Type Intake’ – ie. flared carbon ‘wings’ protruding from the seat tube – provides an interesting aesthetic, and it catches the eye. The unique design by Winspace looks cool and is said to contribute aerodynamic advantages.
The official explanation is that the intake “blends a sculpted fairing and aerodynamic tailfin”, creating an “airflow path through the seat tube region”. If nothing else, it gives the bike some character but after a few weeks riding a T1600 built with Shimano Ultegra’s latest Di2 groupset, I wouldn’t claim that the design dramatically impacts the ride quality. Still, it provides a point of difference and adds a line or two to the narrative about this aero bike.
The idea, Winspace explains, is that this style of fairing provides a “downforce at high speeds, delivering a planted, confident feel when it matters most”.
By my reckoning, I’d say the biggest asset of the tailfin is that it helps draw attention to the T1600. (I will flippantly add that the extra carbon-fibre does provide a useful handhold for when you’re packing it into a car, a benefit of sorts but one that is hardly going to be part of the marketing campaign.)
Considering that Winspace – a brand established in 2008 – is expanding its global distribution network (launching, for example, in Australia only a few months ago) any design element that also becomes a talking point will, at the very least, help make it stand out in what is already a crowded road bike market. But there is a lot more to this bike, and the way it’s being sold in Australia, that potential customers will surely appreciate.
What I can say is that the more time I spent on the T1600, the more I liked it.
Of course, you’d hope that a bike with a price tag of more than AUD$10k would provide the rider with a degree of happiness and, ideally, some performance gains, while also looking as schmick as the T1600… But, for me, what made the test ride experience even better than many reviews done in the past was the first-class service from Winspace Australia, from beginning to end, with so many details considered.
My time on the bike was gratis. Still, for those who are going to pay for the bike – either as a rental or to own – the good news is that it is also a value-for-money package, one that can be fine-tuned before you hand over your money.
There are no issues with stock and customised orders can be turned around quickly, even if you select a special paint scheme or components in obtuse sizes. The shelves at Winspace Australia’s HQ in Ultimo, close to the CBD in Sydney, are packed with SRAM and Shimano components, as well as an array of sundry items, from wheelsets to bidon cages and all else in between.
After a considerable hiatus to what had once been a regular succession of review bikes, it was time to ride again on a bike that was not my own. Making this test session seem even better was that Winspace is a brand I’d not even heard of until I saw the name on the list of teams for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Winspace-Orange Seal is an emerging French team with a roster of 11 riders in 2025. It received a wildcard invitation to Le Tour this year with Canada’s Nadia Gontova the best-placed on GC, finishing 23rd.
Note: this is the introduction to a series on the Winspace T1600 bike.
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Let’s Ride..!
The Winspace T1600 is something different, something new, something sparkly and shiny, something that – in the ‘Bright Black’ scheme of my test bike – changes colour when viewed from different angles, or depending on what angle the light shines. It impresses aesthetically and, I’m happy to say, it also does the job on the road.
The Winspace T1600 brought with it a little bit of happiness. A little bit of a sparkle to the mid-year blues – a fresh dose of energy in August, just after the Tours de France (men’s and women’s) had come to an end. And it was oh-so easy to get rolling.
When I collected the bike from Matthew Whitmore at Winspace Australia he checked with me to see if his suggested spec suited my requirements. Nothing posed a problem, and he happily accommodated my (few) custom requests – eg. the Australian standards brake set-up (right lever for front brake) was flipped to suit my preferences (right for rear, as I’ve always ridden). He showed me around the rapidly expanding office / showroom which houses a considerable collection of bikes, many of which are part of a rental fleet. And, after a quick cuppa and overview of how business has been, I rolled out the door with the T1600.
All I had to do was attach my preferred pedals (Look Kéo Blade) and then it was time to get familiar with the Winspace. In the five weeks I had the bike I would ride it often in all kinds of weather, on varied terrain and all kinds of road surfaces – from smooth bitumen, to bike paths… and occasionally on gravel roads, if that’s where my mood took me.
There was a hint of uncertainty at the beginning, but that was only the adjustment period when new sensations (and slightly different sizing to my personal bike) are noticed the most. Once I’d settled and fine-tuned my position, bearing in mind the shorter cranks (as per current trends – ie. 165mm vs 172.5mm on my bike) it was clear that the Winspace would provide hours of effortless cycling pleasure.
Initially the T1600 seemed a little fragile, and I don’t know why. Maybe it was simply the fact that some of the dimensions were new to me; it is different to the bike I’ve been riding – a Cinelli Pressure ADR – a bike I’ve grown to love, one that gets me low at the front, and stretches me out a little bit more than what I’d been riding previously. And it’s a position I feel comfortable and efficient in.
During my first ride I realised very early, essentially at the first intersection, that – while doing a track-stand waiting for traffic to clear – there was some toe overlap with the front wheel. (With my Cinelli, I missed even 32mm tyres by a few millimetres.) It’s only minor but it’s helpful to notice these things early. It gave me a cue of what you need to look out for while balancing on the bike, shoes clipped into pedals. It also highlighted that the bike is shorter than what I’ve grown used to on the Cinelli.
Measurements: Winspace vs Cinelli
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I’m no stranger to adaptation, certainly when it comes to road bikes. I’ve ridden many over the past 30 years and, upon reflection, it seems odd (or interesting, or curious… or, perhaps, fortuitous) how a new bike soon becomes “my new favourite”. Once the adjustments – to position and/or mindset – are made, you quickly appreciate how improvements in design and materials contribute to better handling, comfort and acceleration.
It seems logical. As Eddie Vedder sings, “It’s evolution, baby!”
Road bikes continue to get better. Sometimes the improvements are minor (small tweaks from one generation to the next, one brand to another), other times it seems more dramatic (like the shift when carbon-fibre became mainstream, or disc brakes arrived).
My Cinelli remains a favourite. It’s only a year old. The Winspace is marginally ‘newer’ and the dynamic is different… but not necessarily better. I love my bike. But while the T1600 was still available for me to ride, I was pleased to leave the Cinelli behind.
The Winspace T1600 might not be my absolute all-time favourite bike but if I owned it, I’d be very, very happy!
Size chart for Winspace T1600
(Click the image for details of the Winspace T1600, available in Australia since mid-2025.)
Winspace Australia’s rental fleet: try before you buy
Matthew Whitmore of Winspace Australia has years of experience in the cycling trade and he’s teamed up with the Chinese brand after having spent considerable time at the factory in Xiamen in China to get an understanding of the products and the considerable manufacturing capabilities. He is excited by the prospect of what he has seen and is committed to bringing a new style of distribution to our shores.
Winspace has been refining its line-up of bikes and Whitmore has teamed up with the Chinese to bring not only fresh energy to the Australian market but also a different kind of retail experience. With a sizeable collection of bikes built for the rental arm of his business, Whitmore’s arrangement offers more for customers than a showroom alone.
On display in Ultimo is the full range from Winspace products (as well as items from other brands, including ‘The Carbon Project’, ‘PDL.Bike’, and ‘CTN Imports’).
Customers can ‘test’ the product as part of the bike rental arrangement. If you like what you ride, it’s then possible to refine – or customise – the spec so that it matches your preferences (for components, as well as sizing) before committing to a purchase.
My time on the review bike came to an end on the eve of the triathlon world championships in October 2025 because it had been booked for the week of racing in Wollongong by a client visiting from the US. When I returned the T1600 I happened to meet the customer at Winspace’s showroom and she highlighted how much easier it was for her to simply rent a reliable race bike than travel with her own.
After the triathlon worlds, she was taking a few extra days to travel to various locations in Australia. Without the hassle of having to consider packing a bike box for each domestic flight, she could enjoy her holiday time and not worry about lugging her personal bike from one town to another once her competition was over.
The bike rental arrangement also serves local customers well, quite simply because refinements can be made during what you too could consider a ‘test ride’ session. You might not get the luxury of a two-month stint on the bike like I was fortunate enough to enjoy but, I’ve come to learn, it’s during the early phase on something new that you notice the biggest differences. A weekend of riding should be enough to help you determine what changes to the spec you might make before committing to making a rental bike your own.
Settling in quickly on a new bike
My early ‘fragile’ appraisal quickly vanished. Perhaps it was the reality of the bike being lighter than mine, and a little shorter, but the adjustment period passed quickly. Once the memories of my personal bike’s handling traits faded, it was time to relish all that I believe makes the T1600 a versatile, practical and fast bike.
Soon after that initial intersection, the one where I noted the minor toe overlap with the 28mm Goodyear Eagle F1 front tyre, everything fell into place.
Any doubts I had originally might have been because of the differences in frame dimensions, or simply the different kind of torque that comes when pedalling shorter cranks. The handlebars – a key touch point, one with a considerably different bend (and taper, certainly on the top section) to the integrated bar/stem on my bike (40cm Farsport F1S) – felt notably different even if they measured the same as mine.
Within a few minutes the T1600 started to feel familiar. Even the switch from a SRAM Force AXS groupset from a couple of years ago to the latest Shimano Ultegra took only moments to adjust to. The lever shape is vastly different. My bike still has the second-generation hoods from SRAM (ie. similar to the lower-end SRAM Rival groupset) and the switch to Ultegra R8100 does, in my appraisal, provide better ergonomics.
As I’ve done for a couple of years now, I tilted the levers inwards (slightly) and, aside from plugging in my measurements, that was the only adjustment made to the bike between delivery and riding.
Weight and cost varies with wheels
The T1600 (as tested) is about a kilogram lighter than my personal bike. Weight savings begin with the frame. A medium Winspace frame is ±900 grams, the Cinelli (in an equivalent size) is ±1,250g. Fully built, complete with a colour-matched carbon-fibre computer mount, two bidon cages, and my pedals, the test bike tipped the scales a little over seven kilos.
Wheelsets are an integral part of the Winspace offerings and, as with other elements of the package, you can mix and match from the range when ordering the bike.
The price of the T1600 with Shimano Ultegra Di2 starts at AUD$10,490* when spec’ed with UNAAS Hard2 (with 50mm rim depth, sold as a wheelset for AUD$1,299).
The cost of the bike increases when you opt for lighter wheels:
• AUD$10,990 with UNAAS Pro2 wheels (50mm rims, AUD$1,599)
• AUD$11,990 with Hyper3 wheels (available in three rim option – 33mm, 45mm, or 67mm, AUD$2,599).
For this review, Whitmore up-spec’ed the bike with AUD$2,999 Hyper Light wheels with rim depths of 46mm (front) and 55mm (rear).
The Hyper Light wheels are light. And… there was no noticeable flex. They were stable in crosswinds, with no nasty surprises even when there were strong gusts.
This is a bike that’s marketed as an aero creation. Or a bike that’s built to go fast. And slice through the wind, if you want to use catalogue/marketing parlance. It goes quick. It is nimble. And I found it to be particularly versatile. I rode it in all kinds of conditions and terrain and it impressed over every kilometre.
More of this review still to come…
I recorded a long series of videos during the course of my time riding on the Winspace T1600. In the next little while, I’ll get to editing and sharing these on the Ride Media YouTube channel and highlight some of what makes this package so appealing. Of course, it’s a great bike to ride. That’s what I’ve tried to make clear in the opening stanza of this series. But it’s also one that comes with the bonus of being able to test as a rental and fine-tune before you buy.
This bike quickly became a favourite because I got to ride it while not being rushed to return it to Winspace Australia. I was able to sample what it was like in wet weather, on long climbs, steep descents, over gravel and bitumen, in a range of temperatures, and with changing moods. Every time I rode it, I enjoyed it.
The Winspace T1600 is a classy bike and there’s plenty to like about it. Have a look at the Winspace Australia website. Consider what options you’d select. And at least give it a burl! Try it out for a weekend and see what you think. I hope that your thoughts echo mine.
– By Rob Arnold
