Hot on the heels of their new Helios Aero, Taiwan-based Velocite Bikes have unveiled an updated version of their Magnus road bike. Both will be displayed at next week's Taipei Cycle Show.
Following a year of development and refinement, Velocite Bikes CEO Victor Major is looking forward to revealing the fruits of their labour. “When we set out to revise the original Magnus, we decided that we must deliver real performance improvements, rather than just aesthetic changes," he said. "We also had to ensure that we remained true to the Magnus's core value of being the stiffest road bike in the market.”
While we don't know whether the Magnus really is the stiffest frame available, Velocite say they've lived up to their ambitions, with the new frame being equally stiff as its predecessor but each size coming in 40g lighter (1,072g for a medium). Up front there's a new full-carbon Velocite Bora S fork with tapered steerer, which weighs in at 360g and is said to be 20 percent stiffer than the old fork.
Comfort has also apparently been improved thanks to a new frame layup which uses up to 13 layers of mixed modulus carbon fibre to create a chassis that's more effective at soaking up road buzz. Velocite's high compression molding monocoque process means frames should be free of imperfections.
Further modifications to the old model include aerodynamically profiled, curved seatstays, a patented seatpost clamping mechanism that allows 10Nm of torque to be applied to the bolt without harming the frame, and cabling through the head tube for a tidier look. The new bike retains its predecessor's full-carbon BB30 bottom bracket shell.
The Magnus is available for pre-order now, with delivery slated for two weeks' time, but only in selected markets. The frameset costs £1,500 (including fork, seatpost and clamp, and headset) and is available in the US, Scandinavia and directly from Velocite's website.
Major told us the company are working on ways to better service the European market, and will soon open Velocite Europe in Norway to improve their links with customers. For more information on their range, visit www.velocite-bikes.com.
