J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II review: a dream titanium race bike with confidence-inspiring handling

The J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc is a mightily impressive titanium road bike.

The UK-based brand sells the frame in two preset geometries, but can also create a custom layout if neither of those suits you – as well as building it to specification.

In this ‘race’ geometry and build, the R J.ACK Disc combines the sharp handling of a race bike with the smooth ride quality the best titanium road bikes are renowned for.

It’s certainly expensive, but it’s fair to say the R J.ACK Disc will stray into ‘dream bike’ territory for many – importantly, there’s lots of substance to go with the premium aesthetic.

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II frameset

The J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc frame – like many others made of titanium – shows off its stripes with an unpainted finish.

There are few bike-related things more lustrous than a titanium frame – and you can have it here with a polished or unpolished finish.

If it really isn’t your thing, J.Laverack also offers complete frameset paint, priced from £980.

Alongside this, you can choose between logo badges and engravings, custom bead-blast graphics, plus options such as a BSA or T47 threaded bottom bracket, and mudguard and rack mounts.

The frame features double-butted 6Al 4V titanium for the head tube, bottom bracket and dropouts – where stiffness and strength are required – and 3Al 2.5V titanium for the tubes.

The top tube is especially notable for its shape: round at each end, it forms a flattened-diamond shape in the middle.

The chainstays are also highly curved, with round thru-axle dropouts and neat engraved logos on their rear-facing edge (the finish of all the graphics is notably premium-looking).

Cables are routed internally through the top of the top tube and fork shoulder, but externally of the headset bearings.

The head tube is tapered, fitting 1-½ and 1-⅛in bearings, into which the ÆRA fork fits. This is made of carbon, and has a black painted finish (although it can be painted, costing from £350, if you don’t want the whole frameset painted).

The jury is out on whether contrasting frames and forks are stylish or not – I think it looks great (if chosen wisely).

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II geometry

Two preset geometries are available (‘Race’ and ‘Classic’), with corresponding forks, plus the option for a bespoke geometry for a £500 premium split across fees for a bike fit and the manufacturing.

In the ‘Race’ layout, as tested, tyre clearance is officially limited to 28mm – narrow by modern standards – but my test bike had 700x30c tyres fitted to rims with a 22.9mm internal width. There was 3-4mm space left, with the tyres inflating to just over 30mm wide.

The geometry is designed to offer sharp race-bike handling, but doesn’t go overboard with the steepest angles.

On my size-58cm test bike, the head tube angle is 72.5 degrees (1 degree slacker than a 58cm Specialized Tarmac SL8), while the seat tube angle is 73 degrees (0.5 degrees slacker).

Both hint towards offering a more stable edge to the handling compared to the raciest geometries – but the Race-spec ÆRA’s fork has a compact 43mm offset – 1mm shorter than the Tarmac, which should compensate for this slightly.

The reach is 396mm, 6mm shorter than the Tarmac, but the stack is 16.6mm lower – as it is, a reasonably aggressive fit that will require a degree of flexibility from the rider.

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II specification

The R J.ACK Disc Race II’s spec centres around a Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 groupset.

The crank length, chainring and cassette sizes are selectable free of charge – my bike came with 172.5mm, 52/36T, 11-30t options, respectively – as are the bar width and stem length.

The bikes don't have power meters, but J.Laverack says it can help source one for the build (at extra cost), if needed.

Bought with the base Ultegra Di2 specification (alloy ÆRA wheels, Pro PLT handlebar and stem, and an ÆRA carbon seatpost), this will cost £6,495.

Cheaper 105 and 105 Di2 R7100 versions, and a more expensive Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 build, are also available as starting points, before any upgrades or special requests are added.

According to the brand, my exact specification costs £7,995.

For this price, the bike comes fitted with ÆRA AR 65 carbon wheels (with ÆRA’s 72-tooth ratchet drive hubs, although these are upgradeable) and a Pro Vibe Aero carbon handlebar.

A suite of accessories is also available – my bike had J.Laverack titanium bottle cages included at a whopping £70 apiece, for example, but you could choose to fit the ‘Classic’ fork with dynamo hub and mudguard mounts – and spec a front and rear lights set too.

Continental GP5000 S TR tyres are included as standard, set up tubeless, while there's a Brooks Cambium C13 saddle, along with an ÆRA bottom bracket and Hope headset bearings.

As things are, the J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II is more expensive than both the scandium alloy Standert Kresissäge RS and steel Cinelli Nemo Tig Disc I've also tested with the same drivetrains.

That said, a Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro (with a single-sided 4iiii power meter) in an otherwise similar-spec build costs £8,250 ($9,000 / €9,000) – with no flexibility over touchpoint sizes and details.

An Enigma Evoke specced to a similar level with available parts and Hunt SUB50 Limitless Aero Disc wheels costs in the region of £7,300.

International pricing is subject to exchange rates and the removal of UK VAT (20 per cent), followed by the application of local duty and taxes.

Shipping costs to the EU, USA and Australia rely upon the going rates, but J.Laverack says the following cost ranges should apply:

Frameset

• EU: £100-£150
• USA: £150-£250
• Sing/Aus: £200-£250

Full bike

• EU: £150-£300
• USA: £250-£450
• Sing/Aus: £350-£500

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Race II ride impressions

Titanium has a reputation for delivering what many might call a ‘luxurious’ ride quality – although, of course, much depends on exactly how a frame is designed and manufactured.

The R J.ACK Disc Race II successfully blends sharp, racy handling and a large degree of stiffness with the ride-smoothing properties of the frame material.

It feels just as responsive as the Standert Kreissäge RS (a scandium aluminium-framed race bike), and doesn’t suffer for the few hundred grams it gives away on the scales.

Putting the hammer down over a sharp rise is met with a satisfyingly stiff response from the frame, and the sense of acceleration is immediate.

I found it very capable on longer ascents, where a steady rhythm is required, although I’d swap the saddle for something better shaped for my needs – a choice available to you.

The handling feels slightly tamed versus the Standert and Cinelli Nemo Tig Disc – probably due to its slightly slacker head and seat angles – but I found it the most confidence-inspiring bike of the three on which to push into corners and take on descents at speed.

Over rough and pimply tarmac, road buzz is dealt with incredibly well – it’s the most composed of the test trio over this kind of surface, and gets close to the kind of ride quality found in modern carbon endurance bikes.

Credit goes to the excellent tyres, which offer a great level of grip and confidence thanks to their 30mm size.

They can’t take the main sting out of mistaken pothole strikes, but in my experience the same can be said for any bike that doesn’t feature 32mm tyres (or wider) and a suspension device, such as the Specialized Roubaix SL8.

On the flat, it delivers an impressive sense of speed, but of course the 65mm-deep wheels will be influencing aerodynamic efficiency here given the tubing is largely traditional in shape.

The wheels are modern in design, and deal with crosswinds well for their depth. However, shallower rims would very likely help sharpen up the handling a bit more and make things easier when conditions are foul – an option that's open to you.