Van Nicholas launch 2013 road bikes – Eurobike 2012
Titanium Zephyr, Astraeus and Ventus details
Published:
In the face of stiff competition from the carbon fibre brigade, Van Nicholas have stuck steadfastly to their titanium ethos for 2013.
Zephyr
One of Van Nic’s longest serving designs, the smooth riding Zephyr, has received a significant makeover for next year.
The bike is now press-fit compatible and has a reworked head tube, plus dual compatibility between mechanical and electronic drivetrains. We’re pretty excited about it, and are looking to test as soon as we can.
The Zephyr is priced from 2,902 Euros for a Shimano 105 equipped bike. The frame is also Di2 compatible with an exclusive lightweight build (5,390 Euros) thanks to dual-use drillings throughout.
Astraeus
Van Nic’s top-flight bike, the Astraeus, looks every inch the road race bike, with a cleverly worked titanium frame mated to an ultra-stiff fork.
The frame is built using hydroformed titanium tubing, with a tapered head tube that’s then cleverly machined to further pare back the weight. The industrial front end makes the bike distinct from the competition.
The Astraeus frameset is available from 2,499 Euros, with complete bikes ranging from 4,240 Euros for an Ultegra equipped bike to 7,691 Euros for a Dura-Ace Di2 model. Van Nicholas also offer the Astraeus as a tailor-made (custom) frame for 3,394 Euros.
Ventus
The new Ventus is Van Nic’s most affordable offering for 2013. With a SRAM Apex complete bike available for 1,899 Euros, it looks to be a decent alternative to carbon offerings at around the same price.
The Ventus is an affordable titanium bike but still looks great
Authors
Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade. He’s also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. Over the years, Warren has written about thousands of bikes and tested more than 2,500 – from budget road bikes to five-figure superbikes. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. You’ll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. You will find snaps of Warren’s daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus).
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