With all the hype about carbon bikes, it’s easy to forget that advances in metal technology have been occurring during the same time carbon has developed.
One of these metals is magnesium, which is super light, but earlier attempts to work with the metal, such as the Kirk Precision frames of the early 1990s, resulted in frames that were too malleable and prone to damage.
New alloy advances have solved that issue. VAAST, a sister company to aluminum tubing maker Allite, has produced Super Magnesium alloy bikes that weigh 33% less than aluminum and 50% less than titanium by volume, and are significantly stronger than both. All of this strength and light weight comes at no expense to shock absorption and comfort.
In fact, only carbon fiber itself can rival the weight of VAAST’s magnesium frames. Joey Burke of VAAST told us that the new brand, which just launched this September at Eurobike, produces its Super Magnesium tubing in Chinese factories, where the frames are also made. Final prep and full assembly of the bikes takes place in Taiwan.
With a frame weight of just 1200 grams, the A/1 all-road model comes in at a svelte 19 lbs. for the complete bike. These weight savings are not reserved exclusively for the road, however, as VAAST also offers mountain, urban and youth models.
VAAST takes its commitment to providing lightweight, high-performance bikes for everybody seriously, along with environmentally-friendly production practices.
Visit the VAAST booth at the Expo, or visit them online at www.vaastbikes.com.
