Bike lust: Argonaut’s Speedbike 2.0 handmade carbon road bike

Bike lust, it's a powerful emotion and one that is probably the reason that n+1 even exists. 

Based in Portland, Oregon, Argonaut is a small bicycle frame builder specialising in carbon fibre road bikes, but rather than create a range of models, it offers just one: the Speedbike 2.0, a lustworthy bike in our opinion. 

The Speedbike 2.0 frame is entirely handmade. Argonaut is one of the few companies in the US producing carbon fibre road bikes in-house. Unlike some frame manufacturers that use the tube-to-tube process, which involves cutting and mitering carbon tubes, Argonaut uses adjustable moulds that can be adapted for different frame sizes and geometry.  

Each frame is made from seven moulded parts. The construction process, which involves laying up carbon fibre on a rigid bladder, ensures precise control and consistent wall thickness. It also creates very lightweight frames, as light as 750g depending on the specifics of the frame. That's as light as any top-end carbon fibre frame currently available.

You don’t just buy an Argonaut off-the-shelf. It’s an expensive investment and so each customer’s bike starts with a 3D CAD file to design the perfect bicycle for that cyclist, and then the carbon frame is created from raw, unidirectional pre-impregnated carbon fibre cloth. The layup of the carbon is specific to the customer.

The frame can be fully customised, including the geometry and the choice of regular rim or disc brakes. Choose the disc brake option and the frame and Enve fork will accept up to 28mm tyres and the geometry can be tweaked for a preference for gravel and adventure riding, as is trendy this year.

Other options include an integrated seatmast or traditional seatpost, and a Chris King ThreadFit 30i bottom bracket that has recently been announced, and which combines the benefits of both press-fit and threaded bottom brackets into one smart design. It's one of the first frames to use this new standard, obviously; Argonaut Cycles worked with Chris King to develop it.

- Chris King and Argonaut Cycles launch new T47 bottom bracket standard

They aren’t cheap, though, with a frameset costing £4,950, available from Giro Cycles. A custom paint option is also available. More at http://argonautcycles.com/

Watch this video to see the carbon construction process: