4,5 kilos AX Lightness Alpha 1 complete bike
Moderators: MrCurrieinahurry, maxim809, Moderator Team
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...
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...
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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
Tour Magazine, the most important road racing magazine, ranked this bike n°1 in their famous tests.
Bye
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- Posts: 2305
- Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:20 pm
- Location: New Zealand
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?
Also the wheels, how did they get down to that weight when they are listed on the Ax Lightness website at 800gms?
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 )
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).
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 )
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓ Broad Selection ✓ Worldwide Delivery ✓
www.starbike.com