The A-D Bikes Blog: Tribute to a Superleicht

I rode my Austro-Daimler Superleicht Carbon Di2 for the last time on 30 June 2014. Fit Werx 2 built it up in early 2013 with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 derailleurs and shifters, Shimano Dura-Ace cranks and brakes, 3T Rotundo Team bars and a Fizik saddle. I used a variety of wheels during that time including Zipp 303 tubulars, Zipp 202 tubulars and FOS 38T tubulars. I raced and trained 20,000 miles on it. Notable victories on this bike include 2013 Tour of the Battenkill Masters 45 plus and the 2014 Lake Sunappe Road Race Pro 123 in addition to many satisfying finishes (Silver medal 2013 USA Cycling National Championships, 11th place 2013 Tour of the Dragons, 10th place 2013 Tour of the Hilltowns). Epic rides include Mount Diablo double, Sandy Hook Ride on Washington and RideXme to name a few. The bike received heavy use on the rough roads of New England and the numerous dirt road sections in updated New York and Vermont. It held up very well through it all.

From the very beginning of this adventure, I decided that I would not ask anyone to ride or race a bike that I would not ride or race myself. I feel that I have made good on that decision and can firmly say that the frame, fork and seat post meets very high standards of quality and durability. I did not have any speed wobbles on this bike, I never had a problem with the front fork, the head set, the drop outs or the bottom bracket and it always felt comfortable and stable. I believe that it is as well made as any other bike on the market, if not better.

The graphics and the finish are another story: I matched the color of my steel Austro-Daimler using a Pantone board and sent that along to my supplier, along with a single schematic showing where to place the lettering. Although I was very pleased with the color, I learned that I have to send over a detailed schematic for each frame size as positioning of logos change with each frame size. Thus when the frame sets arrived I was hung up on very minor details about placement and positioning as well as some minor mistakes. These concerns faded quickly as it was the color that made the greatest impact and I was really the only one who noticed.

The A-D Bikes adventure continues with the introduction of the Superleicht Carbon Limited. I am very pleased with this frame set both with its features as well as its graphics and I look forward to posting a review about it soon.