This weekend my wife and I road a half-century over very hilly terrain. The pace was brisk. My Eros responded with smooth shifting on the uphills, graceful, alert handling on the forty-plus mph downhills, and a smooth ride over gritty concrete in places. On the other hand, my wife's Cannondale R400 with Shimano Tiagra gruppo slipped, jammed and bit a lot, while her aluminum frame, even with new carbon forks, left her rattled. Her next bike? Eros Donna.