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Storck Aernario
This bike was built with the express purpose of winning a favourable magazine review. But has it succeeded?
The spec Model Storck Aernario Groupset Shimano Ultegra Deviations None Wheels Mavic Ksyrium SLR Extras None Price £3,399 frameset; £4,639 as tested Contact www.storck-raddar.co.uk
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uoting another magazine’s review of a product is usually a bit of a taboo, but Tour magazine in Germany is so influential across Europe that manufacturers have actually started to build frames with the specific intent of scoring well in the publication’s tests. Tour evaluates bike frames on a series of rigs in a laboratory, producing reams of figures for stiffness, lightness, flex and so on, and then it scores the bikes based on how they perform in each test. Bikes that do well can expect to see an uplift in sales, so many bike brands seek to top the chart in at least one of the categories: stiffest, lightest, etc. A much tougher challenge is to produce the top overall test score, indicating that you’ve succeeded in all categories – a true all-rounder. That is what Markus Storck achieved with the Aernario. ‘The best set of results Tour magazine has ever seen,’ was the accolade the Aernario was given earlier this year. In my view, numbers can only tell you so much, so I was
Words stu bowers
intrigued to find out more about both the man and the machine, and it wasn’t long into my first conversation with Storck himself that I realised he has the mindset of a man who would revel in such a challenge – to produce the perfect bike, to beat the tests. He’s a German bicycle engineer with a deep-rooted passion for marrying form and function into his renowned lightweight designs and, as a result, Storck bikes are anything but ordinary. Looking forward, facing back Take the rear dropout as a case in point. Practically every other bike frame on the market has a vertically oriented rear dropout. Storck favours a rear-facing dropout. Not just to be different, but because he believes in his design principles. ‘It’s better this way than a conventional dropout,’ Storck insists. ‘There is a larger contact area with the frame and the power delivery is directed forward straight into the chainstay. It’s perfect for force/load P
‘Markus Storck is an engineer with a deeprooted passion for marrying form and function’
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whose focus is closer to the comfort end of the spectrum than performance, it might be just the ticket. These components, however, are just the sideshow to the main event: the frame. The Aernario’s greatest asset is to be comfortable without compromising pedalling stiffness, and all while keeping weight to a minimum. The Aernario’s frame is less than 900g and yet it feels sturdy beneath you when you increase your efforts and start to throw the bike around. The fork is also very light at 340g but, as with the frame, it delivers ample lateral support when you need it, yet remains plush enough to keep you in control and pain-free over even the most craterous stretches of British tarmac. Looking at the frame, I found it hard to determine how it manages to offer such a forgiving ride. It’s not as a result of an extended wheelbase or extra fork rake – the geometry of the Aernario is quite racy – and the Mavic Ksyrium SLR wheelset is light and stiff, so I have to conclude that it’s down to a well-crafted carbon layup throughout that gives the bike its combination of comfort and sprightliness.
‘The Aernario is comfortable without compromising pedalling stiffness’
Blowing in the wind Its name might suggest that it’s a wind-cheater, but the Aernario has never been wind-tunnel tested, as Storck is happy to admit. While the frame tubes have been individually sculpted to slice through the air when the wind angle is straight on (zero degrees of yaw), aerodynamics were never the main focus of the design. ‘To gain more aerodynamic benefit we would have had to sacrifice something, and we were going for a more balanced approach,’ Storck says. ‘Yes, you will find more aero bikes, yes there are a few lighter frames and a few that might test stiffer, but the key to the Aernario is the whole package.’ On this occasion, I have to agree with my German magazine counterparts and say that Storck has got it right. The Aernario oozes class and precision. It’s a great all-rounder that won’t pound you as much as you’ll want to pound it out on the road. ] invisible seat clamp Spot the bolt: Storck is all about intelligent, purposeful design, and the Aernario’s invisible seat clamp definitely ticks this box – as well as the box for aesthetic purity.
P transmission. Because the wheel is constantly forced into the dropout there’s no need to overtighten wheel quick-releases, so there’s also less pressure on the bearings. What’s more, it creates the lightest dropout, because with a vertical dropout the hanger must go around the axle, which requires more material, and also the hanger can take the most direct route to the derailleur, allowing it to be lighter and stiffer.’ It’s hard to argue with his thinking, and it was the same with many of the questions I put to Storck about his designs – he would offer a well-reasoned, clearly stated explanation for why things are as they are, and I would find it hard to resist his rationale. That said, I’m not fully convinced by the rear-facing dropout concept because, even after some practice, I found it fiddly to get the wheel in and out. But I don’t want to dwell on this one aspect – it’s a small part of a bike that has much to talk about. Seamless detail At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking the seatpost on the Aernario is integrated, so seamless is the way
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Storck has engineered this frame junction. The bolt location is hidden like the secret button to the Bat Cave. I’ll not tell you where; it’s more fun to try to find it, as I had to. It’s the neatest design I’ve seen to date and creates a superb aesthetic feature in an area of the frame that your eye is often drawn to. Looks aside, Storck offers two (soon to be three) seatpost options for how much compliance the rider wants. Our test bike was fitted with the ‘softer’ 185 Ultra Comfort post, and the result was a pretty smooth ride, with the seatpost flexing visibly at times to take the sting out of impacts. Such is Storck’s desire to control the variables by keeping as much of the build process in-house as possible, the bar/stem combo is also Storck’s own design. It’s a similar story to the seatpost in so much as you are able to select the handlebar most suited to your riding preferences. I found the supplied RBC 220 bar a bit too flexible for my tastes. Like the seatpost, it moved visibly under load, which was a bit disconcerting in a full-on sprint, but for a rider
The detail Manufacturing a selection of its own stems, handlebars and seatposts, as well as a host of other accessories, Storck offers a fully customisable package to tailor the bike to your specific preferences for comfort and fit. A bike fitting is included as part of the purchasing process from Storck’s concept store in Gateshead or any of its carefully selected dealer bases throughout the UK.
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