Alessandro Colnago, nephew of legendary frame builder and bike designer Ernesto Colnago, has lifted the curtains on his latest bike venture called ACOL, a premium brand that specializes in lightweight road bikes and other models that include gravel and track, targeting enthusiasts seeking high performance bikes via cutting-edge composite technology.
ACOL’s story began in 2023 at Bike Europe when WiaWis, a world leader in the production and sales of archery products and leading expert in graphene, design and development, was looking to expand its bike division.
Colnago describes their meeting as somewhat serendipitous, “I was also looking for a partnership; one that upheld the values of my family business. I wanted to find a company that was family-owned, able to develop quality technology with an international vision, and one that also owned its own production sites and produced its components internally. When I met WiaWis, I felt they were the perfect match.”
Upon leaving Colnago after a change in ownership, Alex was ready to develop ACOL in collaboration with WiaWis by combining their expertise in carbon fiber materials with his background in design.
The ACOL brand adopts WiaWis’ signature graphene-reinforced composites to be able to make frames that are lightweight, durable and comfortable. This makes them ideal for competitive cyclists who want to increase speed without compromising structural integrity. The carbon fiber and graphene are also strong enough to resist impact making them both suitable for road and off-road biking. It also dampens vibrations, which is important for endurance cyclists who encounter rough terrain.
Additionally, ACOL’s frames go through stringent quality and safety testing before they make it into the hands of their customers. Their production and testing facilities are both in Korea and Myanmar, where each frame has to pass stringent testing.
“WiaWis and ACOL are more focused on competitions, where an e-bike would defeat the purpose. Our new products are all high-end and cover road, gravel and track. We aren’t offering e-bikes, they just aren’t in my DNA,” explains Colnago.
“I come from a background in bikes specially made for racing. This doesn’t align with e-bikes; they serve a different purpose in the cycling industry. WiaWis and ACOLl are more focused on competitions, where an e-bike would defeat the purpose,” adds Colnago.
ACOL offers a wide range of bike frames designed to meet the diverse needs of cyclists. Its SL model is a superlight frame, weighing approximately 700 grams, specifically engineered to minimize resistance, while the Divinus is a modern aerodynamic frame that’s ideal for competitive cycling, prioritizing speed and performance.
Two additional models are soon to be released, the Impero, an all-rounder that combines lightness and aerodynamics with geometry suited for long rides and the Tuscia, a gravel bike built to conquer rugged terrains, which will begin production in December 2024.
ACOL
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