Reviews

Storck Aerfast 20th Anniversary Edition

Limited edition of Storck's stunning bike boasts incredible spec

Despite the fact 2015 saw them release the Visioner as a less expensive model, Storck remain a benchmark in cycling for luxury carbon goodness.

They make the sort of bikes that, in days gone by, would have had little boys pressing their faces against bike shop windows just to catch a glimpse of (and, to be honest, bikes that grown men spend far too long gazing at on websites).

Amazingly, though, Storck have managed to surpass even themselves with this special edition bike: the 20th anniversary edition of their Aerfast.

This special Aerfast is a limited edition version of a phenomenal bike, it’s a best of the best, a greatest hits. And it looks amazing

The Aerfast itself was introduced last year as a celebration of Storck’s 20th anniversary as a company, and this special bike is a limited edition version of a phenomenal bike, a best of the best, if you will.

Storck have been making bikes since 1995 when Markus Storck decided to stop work on his current brands and launch an all-new brand bearing his last name.

One thing you may not know is Storck are responsible for a few firsts that are now commonplace in cycling. They made the first all-carbon fork and, in 1998, the first all-carbon cranks, which were the lightest crankset in cycling for more than a decade. That same year they also unveiled a sub-6.5kg bike at Eurobike in the Scenario Pro, and you thought that weight limit busting bikes were a new thing!

If you want something a bit special, it doesn’t get much better than one of these

If you’re looking for bold numbers, you’ll be disappointed. Storck designed the bike using computational fluid dynamics and are perfectly happy their bike is faster than whichever speed-related cliche you want to use, but they don’t release the numbers because they appreciate how the bike rides is the proof. It’s a rather refreshing take in a market bowing under the weight of aero claims.

With an 890g frame, the Aerfast isn’t just light for an aero road bike, it’s a light bike full stop. Frameset weight is 1,240g, meaning you can build one of these into an aero bike that comes in comfortably under the 6.8kg UCI weight limit.

One of the key geometry features with the Aerfast is proportional sizing. A lot of bikes simply just shorten the tubes without thinking about proportions, but the Aerfast uses smaller shaped tubes for smaller frames meaning the properties of the bike don’t change just because the frame is smaller or larger. The whole frame is built around a large BB86 bottom bracket which allows for larger, more aerodynamic tube shapes and – you’ve guessed it – increased stiffness.

Another interesting feature is the Aerfast’s rear brake. Even if you do want to opt for the hidden rear brake, which is mounted on the bottom bracket in order to improve aerodynamics, the bike will still accept 25mm tyres and anything up to the widest of wheels so you won’t have to sacrifice comfort in pursuit of aerodynamics.

To ensure the wheels fit, the rear dropouts are rear facing – like on a track bike – so you can fine-tune the position of the wheel in relation to the cut-out seat tube. But even with aerodynamics in mind Storck have decided against an integrated front brake, instead going with a standard calliper which will certainly make life easier for setup and adjustment.

The one rather special feature you’ve probably already noticed on the bike are the wheels. They’re Lightweight’s Meilenstein Obermayers and they weigh in at – get this – 1,100g despite their 47.5mm rim depth. The bike we shot had the tubular versions, but the Meilensteins also come as clinchers, so if you want to build one of these using the bike builder on Storck’s website you can always stick on a set of the clinchers if that’s your preference (although not on the Anniversary Edition, you’ll have to settle for the ‘platinum’ version instead).

Price: £10,000
Website: Storck

Oh, and the Lightweight’s have an RRP of £4,199. Yep, that’s just a wheelset. Except they’re not ‘just’ a wheelset at all, they’re Lightweights. Either way, it goes some distance to explaining the ten grand price tag on the bike.

The other explanation of the price is Storck are only making 200 of these. On their 10th anniversary they made 100 special bikes, and decided to follow the trend on their 20th by making 200.

It’s a steep price, but if you buy one you’ll have something that almost nobody else is riding. You also get a limited edition set of bars, headset cap, saddle, stem, headset and a certificate signed by Markus Storck. If you want something a bit special, it doesn’t get much better than one of these.