Once they’ve decided on the optimal configuration, Bastion customers will receive an engineering report with all the details regarding geometry and colour scheme. And of course there is also a paint-to-sample option available for all the options above. Even the logos on the frame and fork come in three options: gold, silver and black. The individualisation options don’t end here tough: customers can decide which colour they want the titanium connectors to be (elegant black chrome or reserved matt silver) and also choose the colour of their fork. Once the geometry is sorted they can choose the thickness of the material to achieve the right balance between comfort and stiffness in “regular”, “stiff” or “extra stiff” frame configuration. Since the titanium joints are printed individually customers can choose to either use one of the existing templates or supply their own geometry design. The concept is nothing short of awesome: instead of using a frame made entirely from carbon, the Bastion Road Disc relies on 3D-printed titanium-joints to connect the tubing. When the Toyota plant in Melbourne James, Benjamin and Dean worked at closed down, the three men put their visions together and started an exciting journey in search of the perfect racing machine. If aesthetics are anything to go by, the Bastion Road Disc is a standout success, but look out for a full review in the near-future for our verdict.It takes more than just one ingenious mind to come up with such an exciting bike concept. Lay-up is limited to three options: regular, stiff or extra stiff. Thankfully, Bastion hasn’t made the mistake of over-relying on material and automotive expertise at the expense of classical bike-building knowhow.Ī bikefit with Velo Atelier, based in Warwickshire, comes within the price, and Bastion will model the geometry to a customer’s desired intentions against a variety of mass-market frames, focusing closely on the stack and reach ratio. Between us we have over 30 years of automotive engineering experience,’ Schultz says. ‘The three founders, James Woolcock, Dean McGeary and I, met while working for Toyota R&D in Melbourne. The various innovations on the frame are a lot to take in, and it’s no wonder that the team behind the brand boasts ample engineering experience. ‘A composite monocoque frame may have up to 4-5mm wall thickness of composite plies in some joints, whereas we are able to use as little as 0.5mm of titanium reinforced by our internal lattice.’ The wide profile allows for big tyres, and I would have happily thrown on a set of 30mm tyres and ventured onto gravel.Īlthough not visible, the inside of the titanium lugs are an intricate composition of titanium lattice, a bit like honeycomb, to reduce weight. Partial credit has to go to DT Swiss’s new ERC 1100 DiCut wheelset, which is light, rigid and aerodynamic. I had to keep reminding myself that this is a disc brake bike, as it’s exceptionally light at 7.5kg and far more agile than most disc-specific frames. The overall build does a fantastic job in complementing the strengths of the Bastion. I felt confident to pedal hard through it, just as I had on the S-Works Tarmac. There’s a banked descending corner on my usual circuit where normally I have to brake to get around. On Schultz’s scatter diagram, the Bastion sat close to the S-Works Tarmac in terms of agility and handling, and I had to agree with that assessment in practice. And the handling is where the Bastion really shone. In general, I found the power transfer more than adequate, and I wouldn’t have opted for any more stiffness for fear of undermining the ride quality and handling characteristics. When I went for a sprint at the top end of my power output, I noticed a small degree of flex, so riders who like to pump out the watts might want to go for the ‘Extra Stiff’ option. Also, some riders might want to upgrade the stiffness.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |