July is always a milestone month in the cycling calendar. The Tour de France may grab the attention of the world but it's Italy where the fun is really happening, just off the shores of Lake Garda to be precise. A time to check out, and most importantly ride, the latest kit for the season ahead. It’s got to be said, this year we were spoilt for choice with too many new products to choose from. Top of the list being the 5.18kg SuperSix Ultimate and all new 7.5kg Flash Carbon hardtail.

Having spent a good few miles on the 2010 SuperSix Hi-Mod, not to mention a very long, hard, day competing in The Race Across the Alps last month I was already intimate with this bike. The Flash Carbon on the other hand was a whole new experience. Designed in collaboration with carbon wizard Peter Denk, the 950g frame would give many a road bike a complex about being overweight if parked up next to it. Interestingly it’s still got no rider weight limit and full lifetime guarantee. And you know what that means? It can be ridden HARD!

Immediately it was evident at how well this bike climbs, it’s as if the tubes are filled with helium as you rapidly float your way skywards. Surprisingly, when the climb became more aggressive, littered with skull sized rocks, I was able to remain seated and keep the power down. The SAVE vibration technology in the seatstays, chainstays and seatpost do an amazing job in allowing you to keep traction where normally the back end would be skipping around all over the place.

Of course, with Marathon World Champ Roel Paulissen on the ride the pace was always kept high. Only a brief stop to enjoy the beautiful scenery before turning our attention to an all out blast back to Garda. There were a couple of moments on the technical descent that I thought “you’re in trouble now son”. Rock gulley’s have a tendency to chew up and spit out a rider in a breath, but the Lefty Carbon and vertical compliance of the Flash allowed me to ride trails that would normally need to be taken with more caution on a hardtail.

Is this the beginning of a hardtail revolution I wonder?