Aston Martin and J.Laverack introduce highly customizable .1R road bike
Created in collaboration between the two brands, it features titanium 3D printed parts and carbon fiber tubes
Aston Martin is introducing the J.Laverack Aston Martin .1R as the world’s most bespoke, most advanced and most meticulously engineered road bike. This jewel of engineering can be customized through an online tool [this is the one I created] to deliver a beautiful, timeless design.
The .1R’s frame was conceived in the same studios as Aston Martin’s cars, and the bicycle’s shapes were created on state-of-the-art computer programs by modelers skilled at interpreting designs into perfect 3-dimensional forms.
Aston Martin and J.Laverack, a perfect union
The frame of the .1R is hand-built and it’s a flawless fusion of titanium lugs and carbon fiber tubes, using manufacturing techniques more commonly seen in Formula One cars. The aerospace-grade 6AI/4V titanium lugs have an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and are 3D printed in painstaking 30-micron layers for ultimate precision.
The .1R is finished in the same herringbone-patterned carbon fiber as the Aston Martin Valkyrie, giving its sculpted tubes mesmerizing symmetricity. The .1R’s jewel-like (also customizable) graphics are 40 microns thick (half the thickness of a human hair) and are crafted from stainless steel by the same specialist who makes the Aston Martin Valkyrie badge.
.1R in pursuit of biking excellence
It takes over one thousand hours to create each .1R bicycle, including a staggering 515 hours of CNC machine time to create this high-precision engineering masterpiece. The bike also features the world’s first integrated brake calipers. Each caliper is precision machined from a single block of high-strength aluminum and features four titanium pistons for exceptional modulation and control.
“The J. Laverack Aston Martin .1R is essentially a titanium hypercar on two wheels, elevating bespoke bike design to unprecedented heights and re-writing the rule book of their development and customization,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer. “The simple, clever genius is how we’ve fused the engineering advancements throughout the bike with a purity of performance design, delivering a viscerally exhilarating riding experience.”
Made-to-measure
Below the surface of the classically elegant titanium stem lie a host of innovations. Each stem is 3D printed to the micro-measurements of the rider and adorned with an exceptionally intricate stainless steel Aston Martin wings logo. It integrates ‘boltlessly’ with the frame, completely concealing the brake hoses, and fuses seamlessly with the carbon fiber handlebars, using the same technique applied to the front splitter of a
The .1R bristles with innovative design features, combining beautiful aesthetic form with perfect-fit performance. This is the world’s first ‘boltless’ bicycle, with no visible bolts, screws or attachments at the headset, seat clamp, calipers or bottle cage.
“Beneath the .1R’s timelessly elegant frame lies a multitude of design and engineering firsts to create a bicycle that is made utterly without compromise. It is the Aston Martin Valkyrie of bicycles,” said Oliver Laverack, Co-founder, J.Laverack Bicycles.
World’s most bespoke bike
Performance and comfort are inextricably linked to how well a bicycle fits its rider. So, every element of the .1R is made to bespoke measurements, following a half-day bike fit at Aston Martin HQ. This will determine to micro-millimeter accuracy the optimum tube lengths, frame angles, handlebar width and crank dimensions for each individual rider.
Following the bike fit, a consultation with a J.Laverack co-founder will explore the huge scope to personalize the .1R, with a vast array of Aston Martin paint schemes and leather options. This even allows Aston Martin customers to color-match the bike to their car.
The perfect fit approach of the .1R defies traditional bicycle design, which is compromised by the need to accommodate different rider shapes, sizes, and physical attributes. The unavoidable consequence is an abundance of fixings to allow for adjustments, even on top-of-the-range models.
The .1R avoids these constraints by designing and manufacturing from scratch nearly every element of the bike to the exact measurements of the rider. This allows for a seamless construction, with staggering beauty in its execution, engineering and craftsmanship.
Luxury, hand-stitched leather and Alcantara options are available for the handlebars and the Brooks C13 saddle, which features a single pavé finish 6AI/4V titanium rivet. Innovative carbon cranks with 3D printed titanium tips allow for the crank length to be specified in minuscule increments for a perfect fit. The crank tips can be color-matched to the titanium lugs and brakes.
A top-flight, no-compromise electronic transmission ensures smooth, faultless, near-silent gear changes. Users can choose between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, SRAM Red eTap AXS, and Campagnolo Super Record Wireless.
