Stevens Bicycles new-for-2012 items that’ll actually be hitting showroom floors are all pictured after the break, and there’s some good stuff. But, as usual, I was smitten at first with anything labeled Prototype. Their carbon cyclocross bike with disc brakes has been popping up more and more lately, usually bedazzled with the TRP Parabox, but at Eurobike they tamed it down a bit with Avid mechanicals and had it very, very production-ready looking…I’d say it’ll be a mid-2012 launch at latest.
Click on through for a couple more pics of this so it’s outta my system, then we’re on to the real bikes, including their “Lightest Road Bike Ever!”…
What will be on showroom floors is the Vapor alloy ‘cross bike with mechanical disc brakes and (yes!) 135 rear hub spacing. It’s a 6061 aluminum frame.
20.5lbs for the complete bike.
If you want high end and just can’t wait for disc brakes to make it there, the Super Prestige has your name on it.
I overheard an attendee (not a Stevens employee) say that the brake hanger on the front was ultra rigid and all but eliminated brake vibrations. The integrated seatmast lets them run the rear brake cable internally and straight out the back of the seat tube. Slick. The bike’s frame is fully ported for Di2 or mechanical and, like several of the bikes shown below, uses interchangeable plugs to accommodate either wires or cables. It’s a simple, clean looking way to future proof the frame…except for that whole disc brake thing.
15.21lbs for the complete bike.
2012 STEVENS ROAD BIKES
Want the lightest thing Stevens has ever made? The Stratos’ top of the line frame gets spec’d with chichi parts and a THM fork to the point where it barely registers.
I’m assuming that 4.78 really means kilograms, which translates to 10.538lbs. Click image to enlarge to read the spec list on the right.
Back in reality, the Stratos Race Bike gets Dura-Ace Di2 and “normal” lightweight build kit.
These are the swappable wire/cable ports.
It’s available as the complete bike, a frame only or frame/THM fork set. Complete bike weight is 14.55lbs.
The Xenon is even more grounded. It has a sweet looking carbon frame and an Ultegra Di2 model for just €2,999.
There’s also the Xenon 3×10 that gets a full triple crankset and completely blacked out spec. I had to do a double take to see that it really was a triple…gone are the days of wonky looking touring bikes with three rings, this thing looks fast.
The Di2 model comes in at 16.53lbs and the 3×10 at 16.76lbs. Note that even with the triple chainring, they’re classifying it as a competition bike…and it’s light.
2012 STEVENS 29er MOUNTAIN BIKES
2012 marks the first year Stevens will offer a 29er, and they went ahead and launched both a hardtail and full suspension model. The Sonora SL, above, has a Hi-Mod carbon frame and will come in two spec options.
The Sonora SL comes in at 20.5lbs.
The Sonora ES gets a bit lower end spec, but same frame. Above it, the alloy-framed Fluent ES 29er borrows the basic frame tenets of their 26″ Fluent mountain bike and adds big wheels. There might be a bit more to it than that (there usually is), but they were slammed and the guy showing me around spoke limited English. At least they tried. Another brand simply told me they didn’t speak English. Ridiculous.
The Sonora ES is 22.71lbs and the Fluent ES 29er is 27.78lbs.
