Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race

[wheelsONfire]

The last bike i built and probably a keeper.

Vial EVO Race build spec

Ax Lightness Vial Evo Race Large 840 g (direct fit bearings + headset bearings)
3T Rigida Ltd uncut 306 g
Ax Lightness Premium 38T incl Vittoria Corsa G+ 25mm and glue 730 g
Ax Lightness Premium 38T (rear wheel) incl Vittoria Corsa G+ 25mm, glue and Shimano DA 9000, 11-28 cassette 1080 g
(Or Easton Aero 55 tubular)
Carbonworks 2.1 bottle cages 17 g
Tune AC 100 skewer 25 g
Tune AC 130 skewer 28 g
Haero Carbon H145RR SL (size 44) 153 g
Easton SL90 stem, 120mm, -10 degree 138 g (Ex stem =Extralite Hyperstem, 110mm, +/-12 degree, 82 g)
F3 mount + Easton stem is 170g
Tune carbon spacer 5mm, 3g
Tune carbon, spacer 3*2mm, 5g
Sram Red bar tape uncut 64 g
Sram blippers 20 g
BBB BHT-92 bar end plugs ​​6 g
Headset dust cap 6 g
Top cap + screw 6 g
Fork expander 12 g
Smud carbon seatpost clamp 6 g
Bike Ahead the seatpost offset (a bit altered) with Ax Lightness jokes 110 g
Pro Aerofuel carbon 162 g
Sram Red crankset 50/36, 648 g (BB386 - removable spider version)
Mavic Zxellium SLR Titanium 144 g

Documented weight 4487 g.
+ Garmin Edge 130 (35g)
4522g

Bike weight 5840 g
(Garmind Speed + garmin cadence incl but i have not had them on the scale

That leaves 1318 g to some of the below

Sadly i lost my documented weight of my updated EE brakes
I have no documented weight of separate Etap components (shifters, FD, RD, chain).
I have no documented weight of Sram chain catcher.
I have no weight of tire glue, electrical tape and the chainstay protector or patches i have used.
I have no weight of Vittoria Corsa G+ tires.
I have no documented weight of Jagwire Elite brake kit.
I have no documented weight of Garmin Speed and cadence units.

The latest EVO Race is beefed up (reinforced).
I guess partly due to UCI regulation (to withstand more action)
I welcome the idea of a more durable frame (i have my reasons)

For deeper insight in what is done, i suggest asking Ax Lightness.

Numbers of interest

Measured stack & reach

Stack: 576mm with/ including headset dustcap (according to spec 578mm)
Reach: 380mm with/ including headset dustcap (according to spec 380mm)

To achieve the handlebar vertical with front wheel contact patch 120mm stem + 70mm reach handlebar measured with Sram Etap shifters.

Trail with 23mm tires
55mm
Wheel Flop
15mm
Mechanical Trail
53mm

Trail with 25mm tires
56mm
Wheel Flop
16mm
Mechanical Trail
53mm

It's a quick steering machine!!

[Leviathan]

very nice.

[dereksmalls]

Awesome! Would love more pics as we haven't seen too many of these come up on here lately

[dereksmalls]

What colour are the graphics on the top tube?

[wheelsONfire]

The decals are black. The finish is gloss. My previous EVO was matte and matte white, so i wanted the opposite this time.
Pics, well, if the weather is better in near future i snap some pics.
Most of the bikes external layer is UD, with some regions with cross weave. I like it, it looks nice when light hits the frame.

[wheelsONfire]

As the previous EVO, the bike takes off very quick. Feels a bit stiffer when you push harder, but not at all harsh.
Very quick steering!
The EVO makes my UP feel like a normal car while the EVO feels like a Porsche.
Cobblestones are still a thing that makes me worried with light bikes.
Perhaps it's the feedback and the nimbleness, not sure.
It's not a problem, but i have to say my heavy weight UP feel more suited to these tasks.
I'm used to riding UP through all sorts of crap (fat tires)

This is a connoisseurs bike and too good for me to be honest.
I can't imagine anyone not liking to ride one of these..

[Lucendi]

Beautiful bike!

[wheelsONfire]

After wicked change (test) of saddles, i think this is my final setup, using Pro Aerofuel carbon, Easton EC90SL 120mm/ -10 stem and Haero H145RR SL
Only thing i actually would like, is a more elegant stem (-10) and a set of "just in front" handlebar handles (10-15 cm) to rest my hands (and safer/ better steering) when i ride on the nose leaning on the bar.

The saddle (Pro Aerofuel) makes a huge difference, it is well padded on the nose (true flat from nose to rear), so i can mash on the nose aswell as slide back to stretch my back and/ or climb. In full comfort all the time, which certainly is a welcome experience.
Topping on the cake is the right match between saddle and bibs.
Castelli Progetto X2 chamois and SQ Lab One12 chamois works with the saddle which is a bit strange since they're totally opposite to each other.
With this saddle, thumbs up goes to Castelli Free Aero, on my other saddles SQ labs One12 has been the key.

The natural contender would be Shimano S-phyre bib shorts with split tech chamois. After all Pro and Shimano are married.

Part from the above, i like this geometry (Vial EVO Race L-56) so much, i would copy it over for a full blown custom bike.
However, with longer chainstays for a disc brake frame. Otherwise shifting is excellent inspite of suggestions 403mm chainstays is shorter than recommended!

As seen from the PDF/JPG, the trail is on truly aggressive side at only 55mm which also translate to minimal wheel-flop!
This is one fast steering bike, with incredible livelyness and response.
It would be such a blast to have the geometry copied to a premium steel bike

[reedplayer]

very nice bike!

.....
Easton SL90 stem, 120mm, -10 degree 138 g (Ex stem =Extralite Hyperstem, 110mm, +/-12 degree, 82 g)
......

may i ask: Why the change from Extralite to Easton?

regards,

[wheelsONfire]

very nice bike!

.....
Easton SL90 stem, 120mm, -10 degree 138 g (Ex stem =Extralite Hyperstem, 110mm, +/-12 degree, 82 g)
......

may i ask: Why the change from Extralite to Easton?

regards,

Absolutely!
Extralite is not stiff. S/W might be good, but that works on paper. If you'd ride a light bar like THM or Haero, you would notice a huge difference when switching from Extralite to Easton. The Easton stem is much stiffer. If you would judge THM and Haero bars using Extralite stem, and then have another ride with something like Eastons stem, you would have another opinion. Simply put, to me, Extralite is a stem that has low weight, but the outcome when i ride is not positive.

[reedplayer]

thanks for info!
i just ordered an extralite stem to replace a 3t team. i am a light, small guy, quite the opposite of a sprinter, i hope it will work for me.
regards

[wheelsONfire]

thanks for info!
i just ordered an extralite stem to replace a 3t team. i am a light, small guy, quite the opposite of a sprinter, i hope it will work for me.
regards

Many like the Extralite stem and it looks really nice. If it's stiffness is good is probably personal.
I hope you like yours

[mike]

I didn't buy ax for the very reason of weight increase. You have a wide range of choices for sub 900 frame at much cheaper priceppoint

[wheelsONfire]

I didn't buy ax for the very reason of weight increase. You have a wide range of choices for sub 900 frame at much cheaper priceppoint

Yep, made in Taiwan, Vietnam or China.
Those frames manufacturing costs are really really low. A new Cervelo R5 frameset shouldn't cost more than 2000-2500 euro. Maybe Time or Sarto is closest.

[wheelsONfire]

I didn't buy ax for the very reason of weight increase. You have a wide range of choices for sub 900 frame at much cheaper priceppoint

Yep, made in Taiwan, Vietnam or China.
Those frames manufacturing costs are really really low. A new Cervelo R5 frameset shouldn't cost more than 2000-2500 euro. Maybe Time or Sarto is closest.
I have had a few Ax bikes. I have my reason for liking them. Ax let go of aiming to do the lightest frames. There's a reason for this decision. Big plus for me is also the geometry.