Few bike makers can boast of being around for 125 years, so Italian Olympia Cycles says they have several new bikes to celebrate in 2018. The first is a rebirth of their Boost model, a carbon aero road bike reworked to roll on 28mm tires for faster performance in all conditions and with ever more integration.
Olympia Boost wide tire, integrated carbon aero road bike
Founded in 1893, the Padua-based company has been developing advanced bikes longer than almost anyone else in the industry. Their latest Boost project takes their staple road bike and reimagines it as a more integrated, more comfortable, and more aerodynamic bike for everything from gran fondos to stage racing.
Olympia worked closely with fellow Italian company Vittoria to develop the latest aero bike around the best tires on the market. Their testing confirmed what has become a significant trend lately, that 28mm tires outperformed the previous standard of 25mm (or even 23s) in almost every characteristic. The wider tires had lower rolling resistance, improved grip, and the ability to better adapt to varied road surfaces at lower pressures lending a less fatiguing ride. And with some simple accommodations in the wide carbon tube shaping and wheel cutouts, Olympia could match the same aerodynamic performance.