The boutique German brand AVONA is defying gravity with the launch of its latest Velum SUB6 road bike, which tips the scales at a feathery 5.92kg (thus the moniker SUB6) when fitted with a Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset, along with an ensemble of bespoke components such as a set of carbon-spoked Faserwerk Bergreif SL wheels, which weigh in at an equally svelte 987 grams for the pair.
“We developed the AVONA Velum SUB6 as a bike that supports you when you push yourself to your limits. Whether you’re battling headwinds, tackling long climbs, or riding over bumpy cobblestones, the Velum is always the right choice. We achieved this through a holistic approach: instead of focusing on one performance aspect, we focused on a package of aerodynamics, weight, comfort, rolling resistance, and drivetrain efficiency. Depending on the riding situation, one or the other aspect is more important. By taking all aspects into account, the Velum supports you whenever it matters,” says Avona co-founder, Jonas Müller.
“As soon as the road starts to climb, aerodynamics become less important, and we need to use most of our energy to move our mass upward. Every gram less helps. Thanks to our expertise in lay-up, optimized cross sections, and production-friendly, smooth transitions, we can achieve a frame weight of 798 g (size M, painted, with derailleur hanger and seat clamp),” adds Müller.
Other bits and bobs that punctuate the Velum SUB6 include Avona’s one-piece cockpit, a QO Race SL carbon crankset and Selle Repente’s minimalist Quasar CR2.0 saddle, as well as a specially waxed chain to reduce friction.
“Our engineering pride makes us reluctant to admit it, but the selection of components is just as important for performance as the development work on the frame. That’s why we take it all the more seriously. Tests on the road, in the lab, and in the wind tunnel all factor into it. We remain true to ourselves and fit all our bikes with the best tires we could find: the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR. Fitted tubeless ex works, these save an average of 15.4 W at 29 km/h compared to the tires typically fitted to Ultegra bikes. To put that into perspective: to achieve the same effect, we would have had to find an aerodynamic improvement of 57.5 W at 45 km/h. Since the front tire is aerodynamically relevant and the rear tire produces more rolling resistance, we use tires that are 30 mm wide in the front and 32 mm wide in the rear. All our chains are waxed by Ceramicspeed before they go onto the bike. This allows you to ride faster, keeps the drive clean, and makes it last longer,” says AVONA.
The Velum SUB6 is available in a number of guises that span groupsets from Shimano and SRAM, with the frameset alone fetching a staggering €9,999.
AVONA
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