The Mezzo D10 has been voted best performer in the current issue of Bicycle Buyer magazine’s Folding Bike Test. The testers spoke of the Mezzo’s faster ride, slicker gearing and better folding mechanism over rivals. You can read the full review here or buy the Feb/Mar issue of the magazine priced£3.95 from newsagents.
Mezzo d10 – £827
Mezzo is a UK company. The design was developed over several years by Jon Whyte, the legendary designer responsible for some of the most innovative mountain bike designs of the last decade. Perhaps, for that reason, the Mezzo is made in the Far East in a factory that produces high tech mountain bikes.
Mezzo introduced their original folding bike back in 2005 and it has been hugely successful. The D10 is a new model positioned above the existing D9 and i4 and is very light and stiff, thanks to the aluminium monococque frame – made from two clamshell halves immaculately welded together.
The Mezzo is sporty, coming in an anodised black, a lightweight scratch-resistant finish, which suits the image of the bike very well indeed. Mezzo are aiming at a customer looking for a more techy speed machine. The ten speed derailleur transmission is the same as you would find on many racing bikes and the low weight, high lateral stiffness frame means the Mezzo has a real feeling of sprightliness and urgency about it. The gears are a joy to use in comparison to the often-cumbersome feeling hub gears on other bikes.
The ease of folding and the size of the folded package, based on 16-inch wheels is not dissimilar to the Brompton. If anything the process is slightly slicker since the clasps which the folding mechanisms work around are immediate, whereas you have to unscrew the Brompton catches. The Mezzo also comes in lighter than the Brompton by approximately 1.5lbs with the luggage rack already fitted.
Verdict:
The Mezzo clearly sees the Brompton as the key competition but it positions itself cleverly. Whereas the Brompton is selling on his history, heritage, design pedigree and robustness, the Mezzo is appealing to the customer who is looking for something more sporty and up to date. The Mezzo is light and feels quick and does have the edge over the Brompton for speed helped by the slick and rapid shifting, lower weight and slightly stiffer feel. Value: 9/10 Performance 9/10.