The top-end Revelator leads the way for KTM’s 2013 road line-up, just revealed in Austria, with carbon and alloy Stradas also catching the eye.
The last three years has seen some pretty exciting stuff from KTM, in both the mountain bike and road bike market. We spent two days in the beautiful town of Weissenbach with the KTM team to find out what they're up to.
Revelator
Holding the flag high for KTM’s 2013 road bike range is the Revelator. High grade carbon is used to make these top-end frames featuring all the necessary elements to make a world-class bike. Noteworthy is the attention to strength and structure at the press-fit bottom bracket area of the frame. The particular use of carbon grade and lay-up techniques are planned in KTM’s Mattighofen headquarters in Austria, and then executed in one of three Far East factories. The end result is an ultra-responsive yet considerably comfortable race bike.
The Revelator will be made in three models, the Prime, using Premium grade carbon, and the Prestige and the Master, which both use Performance (medium) grade carbon. Here’s the spec on the Revelator range:
The Revelator Prime, with KTM's signature orange highlights
Revelator Prime – Shimano 11-speed Shimano Dura-Ace, tapered carbon fork, DT Swiss RC 46 C Carbon clincher rims (€5,999)
Revelator Prestige – Shimano 10-speed Ultegra Di2, tapered carbon fork, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset (€3,999)
Revelator Master – Shimano 10-speed Ultegra, tapered carbon fork, DT Swiss R 23 Spline (€2,999)
Internal cable routing and beautifully crafted frame design combined with eye-catching graphics ensure that these bikes will turn heads.
Strada Carbon
KTM’s high-end road bike range is reinforced by their Strada Carbon range. For 2013, the Strada Carbon line-up will have six bikes, ranging from the Strada 3500 at €1899 supported by a Shimano 105 groupset, to the Strada 6000 at €4,199 with full Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed group.
Key features on the bikes in this range include internal cable routing, tapered head tube and full carbon fork. KTM’s signature orange highlights the key lines and features of the bikes.
The Strada 5000
Strada Alloy
New for 2013, KTM added two bikes to the Strada Alloy range, the Strada 1000 and 2000. The frame has undergone some design and feature changes. The 1000 and 2000 offer an integrated fork that nicely matches the frame, creating a look usually only achieved using carbon frames and forks.
“We’ve not only focused on the high end bikes but also paid attention to the entry level bikes, the 2000 frame is triple-butted and [the entry-level] 1000 is plain gauge," said Thomas Pressl, head of KTM’s Research and Development. "This is to meet what the customer requires as we’ve learned through research and development.”
Here’s how the alloy Stradas are specified:
Strada 2000 – Alloy triple-butted frame (cable integrated), carbon fork, Shimano 105 groupset (€1,399)
Strada 1000 – Alloy frame, carbon fork, Shimano Tiagra groupset with 105 rear derailleur (€1,099)
The Strada 2000
The new Strada Alloy 1000 and 2000 frames received a redesigning of the rear triangle. KTM named curved sections in the seat stays Flex Plate Technology.
“Curved flat sections in the seat stays give vertical bump comfort while retaining sideways stiffness and performance,” said Stefan Limbrunner, head of sales.
KTM began distribution into the UK in February 2012, and US distribution is a possibility.
Look for First Ride reviews of key bikes on BikeRadar and in Cycling Plus magazine, and expect to see the Revelator featured in Procycling issue 170.