Storck has unveiled an eye-catching limited edition Aernario, the Signature Disc, at The Cycle Show in Birmingham, UK. The German bike brand has also released two new women's specific road bikes, another first for the company.
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Storck Aernario Signature Disc
Available in a stealthy matt black, the Aernario Signature Disc has been designed by Storck-founder Markus Storck, who chose all of the components.
It features a raw carbon frame, Dura-Ace Di2, AX Lightness wheels, carbon Power Arm cranks, weighs in at a reported 6.3kg and is priced in the region of £10,500.
There are only 51 bikes available worldwide, and each one has been signed and numbered by Markus Storck himself.
Storck women's specific road bikes
Storck has also unveiled two new women's specific bikes: the race-ready aero Aerfast Pro, and the all-round Aernario Pro, produced for all-day riding and endurance.
The Aerfast has an aerodynamic frame design and features lightweight wheels, 80mm stem, 40cm bars and the women's specific Prologo Kappa Dea 2. Storck sees the Aernario Pro being ridden by women who want all-day comfort and performance, and is built to be lightweight with a stiff bottom bracket.
Neither bike has a women's specific frame design, and Storck anticipate changing parts to suit each rider, such as saddle, bar width and bar tape. In fact, both bikes have been built to highlight the options available to women within the Storck range, and the company's approach to them.
The Storck Aernario women's equipped bike
"We wanted to provide female athletes with any one of our models that's specific for them," says Storck's UK managing director Ian Hughes. "So there's still the regular frameset. But the touch points for women, the most important parts – saddle, bar tape, bar width, stem length, etcetera – we can listen to their needs, adjust the bike, and provide them with a perfect performance bike for them. Rather than saying, 'Okay this is a women's specific bike. It's going to fit you'. All of our dealer network provide a bike fitting service, so we can customise the frameset to fit them exactly how they want."
Storck are the latest in a long line of brands bringing out women's specific bikes, in response to the growing women's cycling market.
"We've been listening to women athletes for the past 12 months or so before bringing it to the market, understanding the type of thing they need," Ian continues. "Our customers are probably second or third-time customers. They probably tried a women-specific geometry, but that isn't necessarily what they want. They don't want flowery colours, they want a regular unisex bike with the right touch points and maybe some customised colour pop, that suits them, so that's what we want to provide them. My personal feeling is that there are female athletes out there who are screaming, 'Listen to what I want!'"
The entry level frame and build consists of 'Visioner' carbon frame and Shimano 105 build kit and retails at £1,999. Builds can be customised completely, ranging up to £15,000.
The Aerfast Pro and Aernario Pro are all available for viewing at The Cycle Show, which runs from the 25 to 27 September, at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.
