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review

Van Nicholas Astraeus

8
£5,200.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Pretty light and very comfy road bike with cool looks and tons of durability
Weight: 
7,440g
Contact: 
www.vannicholas.com

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Everything in the bike world is carbon these days. Frames, forks, handlebars, seatposts, wheels, even your mini pump and the top cap on your headset. Carbon is definitely a Good Thing. And if it’s not carbon, it’s so last century. Trouble is, we can overlook the fact that lots of things that aren’t carbon are good too… like titanium frames, for example, which can be very light and strong and last aeons. And Van Nicholas’ Astraeus is an absolute beauty.

The Astraeus' double-butted frame is without doubt one of the best looking we’ve ever seen – and, believe us, we’ve seen a whole lot. The top tube is a bottom-heavy diamond that slims down in profile towards the seat tube junction. The biaxial down tube is a fairly similar shape, morphing from tall and thin up at the head tube end to short and wide by the time it reaches across the bottom bracket shell.

Straight chainstays and seatstays lead to intricately sculpted dropouts at the back while up front you get a skinny, traditional-style head tube with an external headset – of the type most ti manufacturers have returned to now. The workmanship is excellent, the welds are unobtrusive, and the brushed finish and lack of gaudy graphics give the Astraeus a chic, stylish appearance.

The frame on its own will set you back €1,999, or you can spec it yourself from the wide range of parts that Van Nicholas offer. Ours came fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain and brakes along with a Chris King headset, Fizik Arione saddle, and Van Nicholas’ own fork, seat post, bars and stem.

First off, though, why would you even consider titanium when carbon bikes offer such impressive stiffness-to-weight ratios? Well, we’ve got nothing at all against carbon – far from it – and we think that the ‘amazing ride quality’ that Ti manufacturers like to suggest is inherent in the material is overstated. For us, the main reason to think about choosing titanium is for its strength and durability. It has a high fatigue life and its crash damage tolerance is high too. Plus, it won’t corrode and any little scratches are easy to buff out. In other world, titanium is good at handling real world riding – which, we guess, is why Van Nicholas are able to offer a lifetime guarantee on the frame.

Enough of the background, how does the Astraeus perform out on the road? Hitting the scales at 16.3lb (7.44kg, 56cm model, without pedals), it’s light, though not quite super-light, and that’s reflected in its crisp, sharp acceleration. There’s a tad more sideways sway in the bottom bracket than you get with the stiffest bikes out there, but that’s only detectable when you’re riding out of the saddle and really looking for it – this is an efficient speed machine.

The Van Nicholas’ deep section rims offer an aerodynamic advantage on the flat and they’re pretty darn light for wheels of this kind. They come fitted with Schwalbe’s featherweight Ultremo R tyres too, helping the Astraeus to hot foot it up the climbs. Whether you're seated or standing on the pedals, it springs forward to give you the feeling that you’re being helped upwards, rather than dragging the bike up there kicking and screaming.

Van Nicholas’ full carbon VNT fork is a new one on us and it puts in a very workmanlike performance up front. Sling the bike through the bends as fast as you like and it’ll keep things steady with only the smallest amount of sideways flex and just enough fore and aft movement to dampen out vibration from the road. It’s a sound option.

The Dura-Ace components work as well as always. Quick, reliable gear shifts up and down the block, comfortable levers, easy adjustment – we’re big fans. Braking on the carbon rims isn’t nearly as predictable as on alloy braking surfaces, particularly in the wet, but it’s okay once you adjust your mindset.

Fizik’s ever-poular Arione saddle adds more comfort, as does Van Nicholas’ titanium seat post, much of which extends out of the frame thanks to the sloping top tube design. But Van Nicholas have also built enough ‘give’ into the frame to keep the ride nice ’n’ smooth, meaning that you feel fresh on board, even towards the end of your longest stints in the saddle. No doubt about it, you will enjoy riding this bike.

Verdict

Pretty light and very comfy road bike with cool looks and tons of durability

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Van Nicholas Astraeus Dura Ace

Size tested: 56cm

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

3Al-2.5V titanium, hydroformed

You can have it built up from a wide selection of components. Ours came with:

Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain

Van Nicholas VNT carbon fork

Van Nicholas VNT deep section wheels

Schwalbe Ultremo tyres

Van Nicholas VNT alloy stem and bars

Van Nicholas titanium seat post

Fizik Arione saddle

Chris King threadless headset

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Van Nicholas say: "For the rider who wants the best. Period. The Van Nicholas Astraeus combines the ultimate in Ti material and fine detailed design to create a top class performer. Equally at home leading the race or for blasting a day long ride, absolute performance is the hallmark of this bike. The Astraeus demands the fastest of riders, are you up to it?

"The Van Nicholas Astraeus is the result of an extensive planning, design, and testing programme. Utilizing a compact design, the Astraeus sets the benchmark for Titanium frames. The Astraeus maintains the magical ride qualities Titanium is famous for, but also delivers a stiffness not seen before in a Ti frame. A climber’s dream, its acceleration and performance in the sprint make it a perfect choice the obsessed."

Essentially, it's a high end titanium road bike that's fast and comfortable.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
9/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

Beautifully put together frame - high-end quality.

The forks are less glamorous but sound.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

The frame is 3Al2.5V seamless double-butted cold worked titanium.

The fork is full carbon.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

It's a compact frame with a sloping top tube. The geometry is pretty standard for a road bike of this kind.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

Normal.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Yes, a smooth ride which becomes more noticeable the longer the ride gets.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Yes, just the smallest amount of bottom bracket flex.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

None

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Neutral

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

Accurate steering, not too much flex in the bars or stem.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

We always get on well with Fizik Arione saddles. We never make use of the extended section at the back, but the nose offers a good balance between support and comfort

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The deep section wheels are pretty solid - very little in the way of sideways flex

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

Dura-Ace cranks - very good

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
9/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
8/10

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
8/10

Surprisingly light for deep section rims

Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

Ultremo tyres aren't the most durable ever but they are very lightweight

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
8/10

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? If I was in the market for a ti bike, yes

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes, if they were after ti

Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion?

Overall mark would be somewhere between and 8 and a 9.

It is a lovely bike. If you're in the market for a high-end titanium bike, you've got to give the Astraeus some serious consideration

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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