Officina Battaglin has entered the e-road bike segment with the launch of its new Fenix, giving enthusiasts some much-needed boost when age or ailments play a factor.
“The Fenix project began when my father Giovanni was diagnosed with heart dysfunctions,” shares Alex Battaglin, CEO and co-founder of Officina Battaglin. “The only way he could be back in the saddle was on an e-bike. But while there were plenty of e-bikes to choose from, he couldn’t find one he truly liked, mostly because of their stiff carbon frames and unappealing designs.”
It was then that the father and son team began exploring the idea of creating a completely customizable e-road bike that combined the comfort of a made-to-measure frame with the smooth ride of steel, while relying on FSA’s stealthy hub-based electric motor to maintain the style and elegance Officina Battaglin’s frames have become renown for. Yet, as Battaglin the younger and his engineering team would soon discover, fitting this system into a steel frame came with its own set of challenges.
“Our priority in terms of design was to preserve the aesthetics of premium modern road bikes. The frame needed a down tube large enough to house the battery internally, and a bottom bracket shell that could contain both the battery and the cables. We closely collaborated with Columbus to draw a downtube with an unprecedented diameter. For the bottom bracket shell, we used 3D printing. After months of relentless testing, our first-ever custom steel e-road bike was born,” explains Alex Battaglin.
A Seamless Fusion of Italian Craftsmanship and Modern E-Road Bike Technology
At first glance, the Fenix looks like any other Officina Battaglin fillet-brazed model thanks to a battery that’s tastefully housed within the specially-drawn downtube, while the FSA motor is almost completely hidden behind the cassette. Moreover, the Fenix features Officina Battaglin’s CNC-machined, proprietary stem that integrates the buttons that access the system’s three power modes.
But to Battaglin and son, the Fenix e-road bike is more than an extraordinary blend of Italian craftsmanship and modern e-bike technology, to wit:
“It’s a beacon for every cyclist who has faced setbacks and continues to dream. As well, it’s a tribute to resilience, rebirth, and rising from the ashes. Hence the name after the mythological creature symbolizing all these elements,” boasts Alex Battaglin.
As a testament to Officina Battaglin’s commitment to exclusivity, only thirty Fenix e-road bikes will be custom-built in 2023, which will be offered as complete bikes fitted with either a Shimano or SRAM electronic groupset.
Each custom build includes:
The price for a complete build starts at 9.900 € (with SRAM Rival Etap 2×12), with sales limited to within the EU. To learn more about the Fenix, please visit Officna Bataglin’s website here.
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