The people responsible for how the O2 rides all raced at the ProTour level. This is the bike they wish they had when they were racing. We know first-hand how important solid handling is. We also know that a bike can be too stiff and what that will do to a body when you’re racing for five or six hours a day for days on end.
What we’ve found is that it’s important for a bike to have enough stiffness. Rather than use one steerer dimension for all sizes, we have size-specific tubes and layups so that the feel of our largest frame is the same as the feel of our smallest frame. The O2 is meant to impart an experience, not a look.
Another significant difference between this O2 and the bikes our ex-pros rode is the inclusion of disc brakes. Once you’ve had a chance to ride disc brakes and enter a mountain switchback with the hot speed of a go-kart on a race track and enjoyed the incredible stopping power and precise control that disc brakes offer, going back to rim callipers feels like putting down tube shifters back on the bike. This is the version of the O2 our own staff prefer.
As a factory producing bikes for other companies, we were in at the ground floor developing the first layups for disc brake road bikes. We know what it takes to produce a frame and fork strong enough to take the braking loads of disc brakes without the ride becoming too harsh. And while many manufacturers have had to resort to relaxed geometry to make room for the calliper and rotors, we’ve maintained exactly the same geometry as the rim-brake version of the O2; it gives up nothing in handling.
Even though the O2 doesn’t share the aerodynamic goals of the One, that doesn’t mean we’ve ignored aerodynamics altogether. From the smooth transitions and rounded tube shapes, the lack of sharp edges was a conscious decision to design a bike that performed without compromise without simultaneously giving the bike an aerodynamic flaw that would hurt its rider’s quest for speed.There’s more to a great carbon fibre frame than just designing a great shape and using good materials. The O2 is a study in the dark art of layup. Not only do we choose particular materials for their ability to contribute to the bike’s stiffness and ride quality, we cut them to exacting standards and place them in carefully selected locations, making sure the layers overlap no more than necessary; extra fibre is a waste, both in performance and weight.
Without such careful attention to detail we wouldn’t be able to produce a frame that weighs 740 grams that is stiff enough to contest Paris-Roubaix and strong enough to still be rideable after a crash.
Features:
• Our attention to detail on the O2 is absolute, from precisely controlling the material and resin production process, right down to everyday practical detailing that ensures that assembly and maintenance are as refined as the ride itself:
• UCI Approved for both rim brake and disc brake models.
• We use layup simulation software called Fibersim that enables us to model the exact size, shape, orientation and placement of every ply, and then add them up into a virtual build of a frame before ever cutting any pre-preg. This process allows us to put no more carbon fibre into the frame than is necessary. As a result,
• The O2 frame is made with three different carbon types, each selected for different performance characteristics. Standard Modulus, Medium Modulus and High Modulus Pitch Fibre. While the first two are common to the cycling industry the last – the Pitch Fibre – is far more rare because it demands specific skills to work with, and comes at a relatively very high cost. But we use it simply because it’s the lightest and stiffest carbon available for bike frames that can be manipulated.
• The Svelte Fork in both rim brake and disc brake models found on the O2 features a 1 1/8-inch to 1 3/8-inch tapered steerer that smoothly blends into the fork’s crown and down into the fork blades, creating a smooth run of fibre for superior strength and ride quality. Our sculpted blades are designed with minimal surface area to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics while maintaining best-in-class lateral stiffness. The Svelte fork is also designed to easily clear 28 mm tires; the combination of the Svelte fork and larger tires yields a surprisingly comfortable ride for a race bike.
• The Dura-Ace and SRAM versions of the O2 rim and disc brake models include an option for an integrated bar/stem to further reduce weight and improve comfort as it allowed our engineers to decide exactly where to build in compliance to keep you comfortable on a seven-hour day. Such a design also allowed us to reduce material, cutting weight and improving aerodynamics.
• We hid the seatpost clamp inside the O2’s frame. We love how this improved the look of the frame, but more importantly, it increased the frame’s comfort by increasing the length of the seatpost that can flex, and simultaneously improved aerodynamics by eliminating that turbulence-creating seat clamp.
• The hidden seatpost clamp contributes to the O2’s clean and uncluttered aesthetic and improves aerodynamics.
• We chose the BBright bottom bracket system because it’s light, allows us to improve frame stiffness, reduce weight and is compatible with nearly every aftermarket crank standard, including: BBright, BB386 EVO, standard Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo 24 mm external-type bottom brackets.