Storck Aerfast Pro review

Marcus Storck’s eponymous company takes all those stereotypical German engineering qualities to NASA-like levels, and the Aerfast’s title is self-explanatory.

Form and function

All of the 990g frame’s lines are unfussy and purposeful. The faired-in fork crown, bridgeless teardrop seatstays angled towards the wheel, alloy dropout inserts and ample spacing for wider tyres are all good-looking and practical features.

The seatpost clamp bolt is buried invisibly within the underside of the top tube and seat tube junction, although there is a small gap at the leading edge of the post that will let water in. Everything else is buttoned up tight, with most of the universal cable routing ports unused thanks to the fitting of Di2 on this bike.

Our test bike was a mid-range Aerfast Pro

Storck’s own carbon bar matches a swept-back, flattened top with deep ergonomic drops and an own-brand stem, and the saddle sits atop a Storck carbon Monolink seatpost, a setup that lends itself to clean lines, which is what the Aerfast is all about.

Our bike came with the optional wheel upgrade from DT Swiss R32s to RC38C Spline carbon clinchers, which sheds weight and adds performance. There are three Aerfast frameset options, Platinum, Pro and Comp – we went with the midrange Pro frameset, which is available with Ultegra or Dura-Ace in electronic or mechanical guise, and the customer’s wheel, stem length and bar width preference.

The Monolink makes sense on an aero bike but ours proved noisy at times

The Aerfast has a surprising amount of front-end flex, which took a little time to get used to. There are no spacers beneath the alloy stem to allow flex; rather it’s the result of the vibration-absorbing RBC180 carbon bar, and as the miles ticked by it definitely heightened the feeling of ride smoothness.

Responsive partner

It didn’t take long to realise that the Aerfast is unlike most other aero bikes. It feels incredibly lively and active from the first pedal stroke – if you like feeling connected to the road – the cycling equivalent of superfast broadband with all the information flying back and forth.

Related: Storck Scenero Disc review

Along with the bar, the rear end multitasks, providing great power transfer while preventing incessant surface imperfections from reaching your posterior. It corners with assurance, it’s superbly easy to place wherever you want and changes line without drama. Uphill, the Aerfast is a match for the best climbers, its low mass and racy wheelset ensuring rapid height gain too.

It’s urgent, light and agile, with the sort of comfort some endurance bikes can only dream of

We are fans of the Monolink saddle clamping system, its compact design making a lot of sense, but this particular Selle Italia SLS saddle’s shell created a loud click every time we stood up. There was no physical effect, but the sound travelled through the whole bike, which was disconcerting when pulling up on the bar. It’s not something we’ve experienced before, so we’ll put it down as a one-off.

Our bike came with 23mm rubber, but should you wish to go larger, there’s probably room for 28mm. Rear-facing horizontal alloy dropout inserts with an adjustable internal screw mean you can position the rear wheel in the most suitable position for your tyres.

The Aerfast is a brilliant ride: it’s urgent, light and agile, with the sort of comfort some endurance bikes can only dream of. If you’re looking for something a little different that’ll produce epic speed and look after you all day long, this might be for you.

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