4,5 kilos AX Lightness Alpha 1 complete bike

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xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Hello, I've a very big passion for racing bicycles since I was child and today I want to present you a creation made for my wife. She's a pro triathlete and after a very long career and many sponsored bicycles including Pinarello, Klein and many others we wanted to create the most performant bicycle ever without money limit. The choice went to AX-Lightness because we searched a serious company that makes tested and certified products with many independet opinions that could certify its quality and reliability.
The result is a 4,5kg complete bicycle, pedals and 2 bottles cages included, made by the very best components present in AX catalogue (some only in the German one because in very limited edition).
Here you find the full list of components:
-Frame: Alpha 1, 670grams (size 52, original standard Klein geometry)
-Fork: Ax 6000, 225 grams
-Saddle: AX 1000, 55 grams
-Seatpost: AX 2200 27,2 L2, 90 grams
-Stem: Zeus 100mm, 74 grams
-Handlebar: AX 4100 42cm, 155 grams
-Brakes: AX 3000 tuned with AX full carbon brake pads so 119 grams for the complete set
-Wheels: Ultra 24, 780 grams
-Cranck-set: Morpheus Compact 172,5, 330 grams (407 with bearings and bearings cups)
-Chainrings: Fibre-Lyte Lightweight 2, 50x39 (weight not reported in their website)
-Tyres: Veloflex Record tubulars, 190gr (190x2)
-Group-set: Campagnolo Super Record 2013 with 12-25 cassette
-Other parts: Extralite Hypercap headset cap 2,9 grams + Ultrastar 2 expander 6,9 grams, Extralite Streeter skewers 29 grams, Extralite Extrabolt chainrings bolts 9 grams (set of 5 bolts), New Ultimates carbon bottle cages 19 grams (19x2), New Ultimate carbon fork spacers, Gore Ride-On Ultra Light cables, Silva Forello bar tape

My wife usually compete in ITU drafting races but sometimes she makes the 70.3 distance so we also prepared an aero kit. It's composed by Ral Tech Premium carbon rear wheel covers (+320 grams so the wheel-set front + rear became an incredible 1100 grams!) and the lightest front aero wheel with Lew Pro VT-1 rim sub 250 grams (it ads only 60grams to the wheel-set). In addiction there’s the lightest clip on bar Ratio Jet Clip-On that weighs only 240 grams.

The absurd is that unfortunatly we can't say how it perform because her team (military team) decided for a new bicycle sponsorship so we never rode it keeping it new to be sold.
Anyway it was a big pleasure to create it and having it in my hands. Passion...
Attachments
AX Lightness ridotta.jpg

RM27
Posts: 85
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:03 pm
Location: USA

by RM27

That is impressive! Too bad about selling it, would like to have heard how it rides.

by Weenie


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xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Yes it's really a pity. We've tested many top level bicycles in our career (I was also a pro triathlete in the past and before a road racing cyclist) but this one is another planet. The difference between a top Pinarello, Cannondale, Trek,... and this one is like the difference between a street legal Ferrari and a formula 1 Ferrari.
Tour Magazine, the most important road racing magazine, ranked this bike n°1 in their famous tests.
Bye

dereksmalls
Posts: 2305
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: New Zealand

by dereksmalls

Would love to see more detailed pictures of this please. The build lit is awesome! Shame you have to sell it. I'd keep it for when she isn't on a team for later, I wouldn't be able to part with something that has so muc passion put into it.

Also the wheels, how did they get down to that weight when they are listed on the Ax Lightness website at 800gms?

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Here you find some picture.
My wife is a pro triathlete and now is almost 39yo, when her military team will put her in a office she will for sure stop competing.
At least, after more than 30 years of competition, she will stop racing for results so she won't need an ultra-performant bike like this one. I made the same some year ago and now I'm preparing a wooden road racing bike :) Passion... (it's sub 6,8 kilos 8) )
As regards the wheels I can tell you that all carbon components have weight tolerances due to the epoxid resin. These wheels have a 5% weight tolerance (means that the weight could be between 760 and 840 grams. Because of the sponsoriship Axel Schnura (AX owner) took care personally about the production of each component so the real weight for almost all the component is lower than the standard one. Each component has an original sticker certificate with Axel signature, production date and real weight. You can see it in a picture glued on the lowest part of the stem (its real weight is 67 grams against the standard 74).
Attachments
Ax Lightness chainrings reduced.jpg
AX Lightness brake reduced.jpg
Ax Lightness bottle cages reduced.jpg
Ax Lightness rear gears reduced.jpg
Ax Lightness triathlon reduced.jpg
Ax Lightness stem reduced.jpg

User avatar
LouisN
Posts: 3510
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:44 am
Location: Canada

by LouisN

:beerchug: for this build !!

What housings and cables are you using ?

Louis :)

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Thanks!
I took in consideration all the best cables systems included the lightest Power Cordz. I also considered the combination with the special AX brakes. At the end I decided for Gore Ride-On Ultra Light cables to have absolute reliability, hightest braking power and modulation and good weight.
As I told before I didn't want to make the lightest bike at any cost but the fastest one without reduce reliability and safety.

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Someone is asking me by private message we my wife wanted a superlight bike for ITU short distances races. I prefer to answer here.
As you know in those races drafting is allowed so aero bikes/parts are not so important. Besides that, we live in Italy near the Alps so it's easy to find races with hilly roads where a light bike can make the difference. A light bike is also very good at the beginning of the bike section where you need the fastest accelleration.
Another thing to consider is also that it often happen that riding along the seaside there's strong lateral wind so a frame with small round tubes is perfect and safer.

lannes
Posts: 418
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:51 pm

by lannes

How much do you think you have spent on that great bike ?

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

The price is 16.500 € but being a sponsorship we spent much less.

bally81
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:52 pm
Location: Switzerland / Hungary

by bally81

Good stuff !
Thanks for sharing it with us
Caad 10
Bianchi EV3
Canyon Speedmax AL

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Waiting a couple of Campagnolo carbon hubs to build special wooden rims wheels I put on my brand new wooden bicycle the AX Lightness Ultra wheels from my wife's bike.
Here you've a 6,7 kilos wooden bike that could compete with Tour de France bikes :)
Attachments
Axalko wooden bicycle 140kb.jpg

xsport
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:29 pm

by xsport

Belive me or not both bikes (Ax and wooden bike) are still new never used. As regards the Ax I'm still wainting someone interested in buying it and as regards the wooden bike, after waiting for too much to build a couple of wooden wheels, at the end I decided to buy a couple of Campagnolo Hyperon with Veloflex classic tubulars to use it. I'm so excited to ride it in the next days ;)

bm0p700f
in the industry
Posts: 5777
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 7:25 pm
Location: Glermsford, Suffolk U.K
Contact:

by bm0p700f

I would love a set lf wooden rimmed wheels. I am enquiring about this frame so unusual i have to get one.

by Weenie


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Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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bm0p700f
in the industry
Posts: 5777
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 7:25 pm
Location: Glermsford, Suffolk U.K
Contact:

by bm0p700f

4.5kg for a bike is simply crazy.

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