FIRST LOOK: Matt Hanson’s Prototype QR

Not to let BMC be alone in the fun, Quintana Roo has brought a prototype bike to the men's IRONMAN World Championships, to be ridden by Matt Hanson. As you can see in these first few photos, courtesy of ABG/Quintana Roo, the bike is similar in theme to the current V-PR and X-PR series bikes, but there's unique nuggets to pull out.

First and foremost, the fork is significantly deeper than the current generation bikes. This seems to bring the back closer back to the prior generation PRsix series bikes in terms of fork depth.

That said, though, there's definitely some innovation happening further down the fork. There's a unique cowling to surround the front brake caliper and minimize the impact of the disc brakes — brakes that should be of benefit on a course like the one in Nice.

There's also storage galore on this prototype. Nutrition and hydration are both handled on the frame this time around. And, of course, there's another Q-Box to be found at the back.

One of the new geometric considerations sees the non-drive side chainstay moving upward, resulting in the bottom bracket sitting much lower to the ground relative to the rest of the bike.

Hanson, like many athletes, relies on a CeramicSpeed bottom bracket, mated to a Shimano DuraAce powermeter crankset running 56-44 chainrings.

The saddle of choice, which will see use all across its surface, is from ISM.

In totality, this looks like a potential homerun upgrade for Quintana Roo — particularly if it maintains the easy of adjustability that has been a hallmark of its bikes since the launch of the PR series.

Full specifications of Hanson's bike:

Frame: Quintana Roo Prototype
Wheelset: Ron Wheels Aeron V8 set
Tires: Continental Grand Prix 5000 TT TR, 700 x 25mm
Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed,
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace powermeter crankset, 56-44 chainring, 170mm
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-30
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace R 9100
Computer mount: 76 Projects TT Modular Mount
Aerobars: Drag2Zero Prototype Carbon Fiber Extensions and Di2 shifter pods
Basebar & Stem: Vision Metron Snakebite
Rear Hydration: Specialized Reserve Rack & Xlab Carbon Gorilla Cage

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