Aston Martin and titanium specialist J. Laverack have collaborated for the all new .1R road bike, said to be "the world’s most bespoke, advanced and meticulously engineered road bicycle". The collaboration brings claimed world-first design elements, including integrated brake calipers and a visually boltless design, all in a made-to-measure package weighing from 7.5kg for a full bike.
Aston Martin has a history of collaborating with bike brands to create special edition bikes. Back in 2017, we saw Storck team up with Aston Martin for a limited run of Fascenario.3 bikes priced at a whopping £15,777 each.
As the .1R road bike offers a completely customised build for each owner, with Aston Martin emphasising their approach of "designing and manufacturing from scratch nearly every element of the bike to the exact measurements of the rider", it is reasonable to anticipate that it will also come with a substantial price tag.
While J.Laverack specialises in titanium framesets, the hand-built frame of the .1R is constructed with a blend of 3D-printed titanium lugs and carbon fibre tubes, showcasing manufacturing techniques more commonly seen in Formula One cars.
Aston Martin says, "This ensures a frame that not only delivers an exceptional blend of response and comfort, but also sets new standards of elegance and beauty on two wheels."
It adds: "This construction enables precise customisation of tube lengths and frame angles with "micro-millimeter accuracy."
The frame also features a 'boltless' design, with no visible bolts for a bottle cage.
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Additionally, riders can fine-tune their handlebar width. The handlebar stem is 3D-printed from titanium based on each owner's measurements, allowing the rider to customise both the reach and width to individual preferences.
The stem then integrates 'boltlessly' with the frame, so there are no visible bolts, screws or attachments at the headset. The brake hoses are also fully concealed with internal routing.
The customisation doesn't stop there. While crank lengths are generally only available in increments of 2.5mm, the brand says, "the owner of a .1R will be able to specify his or her crank length down to fractions of a millimetre".
The crank arms are carbon fibre, but feature a 3D-printed titanium tip which allows for the crank length to be fully customised.
To ensure the .1R really is made to measure, each soon-to-be owner will receive an invitation to Aston Martin's Gaydon headquarters in the UK for a full fitting.
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The .1R's brakes feature a clever design, claimed to be "the world's first integrated brake callipers".
"Each calliper, constructed from aluminum, incorporates four integrated titanium pistons, resulting in a cable and hose-free appearance across the entire bike", says the press info.
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The .1R supports electronic shifting only, with a choice of three 12-speed groupsets. These are the premium offerings from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM: Dura-Ace Di2, Super Record Wireless and Red eTap AXS. The bespoke chainrings are machined from aluminium and the sizes can be specified.
The .1R features its own distinctive wheels, the AERA components Æ|55 wheels, which are 55m deep carbon tubeless rims with an internal width of 22mm.
Custom Continental GP5000S TR tyres, in a stealth black version, with a 30mm width, complete the wheel setup.
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The special-edition components and accessories don't stop there. The saddle is a special commission Brooks C13 saddle and no visible bolts at the seat clamp.
The saddle, as well as the handlebars, are available in a choice of Alcantara or leather.
To finish the look, you have the option to choose identical colour schemes and trim options offered in Aston Martin's vehicles, providing the opportunity to pair car and bike.
Oh, and that's not all. Like buying a luxury car, the .1R road bike includes a range of extra accessories. These include an aluminium or carbon fibre case for travel or display, a matching track pump with Alcantara or leather-covered handles, and a handcrafted wooden case for storing bespoke tools.
To catch a glimpse of the .1R in person, it will be on display at Rouleur Live from Thursday 2 November. While pricing details have not been revealed at this point, it would be safe to assume that this made-to-measure, premium build comes with a handsome price tag.
To find out more about the J.Laverack Aston Martin .1R and to register your interest (assuming you have considerably more disposable income than us), check out the website.
What do you think of the .1R? Let us know in the comments section below...
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40 comments
You are still low balling it by a lot. Precision CNC machine time is charged out in the region of £100 an hour at least and there is over 500 hours of CNC time in it. So before materials, labour, marketing, Aston Martin Tax, profit etc there is 50 grand of machine time alone in the thing.
If its less than £150,000 I would be surprised.
Not an area with which I'm hugely familiar but the CNC parts seem actually to be fairly minimal, bars, stem, lugs and bits and pieces like the customisable crank tip, are they really going to take 500 hours in total to print? Aston's AMB 01 hyperbike 997 cc motorcycle, in a limited edition of 100, cost £93,000 so it's hard to see this bicycle going for £150,000. I'd say £50,000 is more likely, though I doubt we'll ever find out...
Their website says there is 500 hours of CNC time in it. That's what I am going with.
Fair enough.
Spoke with the guys at the weekend. Lovely bunch who were happy to take me on a walk-through of the entire bike. It's an impressive piece of engineering.
Price quoted to me was £47,000 + VAT. I should that wasn't me asking about buying one - I asked them how much it was, and he gave me the honest answer. I then asked whether they would take cycle to work vouchers...
Thanks for the info, very interesting. It wasn't a competition of course and there's no point in the person who was closest to the price crowing about it, it was all guesswork from everybody. But it was me.
Humble brag
Absolutely, not at all just having a bit of a joke with everyone else, definitely bragging. Say what you like about the unpleasantness of the alt-right, nobody can ever accuse them of having a sense of humour.
By the way, to coin a phrase, can you stop following me around this website?
Guilty conscience eh?
That was the definition of a humble brag.
My favourite line in Good Morning Vietnam is the one where Robin Williams has just been bollocked by his superior officer and he asks permission to speak; when granted he says, "You're in more dire need of a blowjob than any white man in history." Always makes me laugh, that one.
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