New British carbon component maker Æra is trying to reshape how we look at performance forks and wheels for mixed surface adventure riding. Catering to the needs of the growing high-performance road and gravel adventure riding segments, Aera has five different full carbon forks and two families of carbon wheelsets, all delivering light weight to the high volume tire crowd.
Æra high-performance carbon adventure forks & wheels
Last week with on the ti J.Laverack GRiT gravel bike we got a look at new carbon wheels and forks from upstart component maker ÆRA. Designed in the UK and produced in Asia, each of Aera’s carbon components were developed on going fast on any surface with the low rolling resistance & durability of high volume, tubeless tires.
The idea was to develop light & durable components for everything from the multi-day, mixed-surface adventures many of us cyclists dream of, but also equally capable of the regular demands of commuting and our fast weekend warrior rides.
Æra carbon road, all-road & gravel road forks
All five of the new forks share one central idea big tire clearance – even the more traditional £430 Road Disc & £360 Road Caliper forks still will fit up to 32mm tires (or 28s with mudguards). But the standout forks go even wider…
Æra Gravel Adventure carbon all-road/gravel fork – Tech Details
The Aera Gravel Adventure fork is the fattest with space for up to 650b x 52mm or 700c x 50mm rubber. While most riders won’t go quite so wide with their tires, it means plenty of room for mud clearance, plus the option for full coverage fenders with the included mounts. The 1.5″ tapered steerer Gravel Adventure fork has 50mm offset, 395mm axle-crown, 12mm thru-axle & flat mount brakes, and retails for £450. No word on official weight.
Æra All Road Disc & All Road Dynamo Disc forks – Tech Details
The All Road or AR forks don’t go quite as wide, but offer even more versatility. Clearing up to 650b x 40mm or 700c x 38mm tires, the AR forks are intended for more fast moving, all-road adventure bikes. The still are disc specific, with flat mounts, 12mm thru-axles, 1.5″ tapered steerers, and internal brake routing.
But besides the standard £430 AR fork, there is also the £495 AR Dynamo fork that adds a crown mount for a headlight and internal routing for dynamo hub wiring. Both AR forks feature the same 45mm offset and 397mm axle-crown measurement. All forks are painted black in the UK, with the possibility for custom paint jobs or paint matching for an extra charge.
Æra All Road Disc Brake tubeless carbon mixed-surface road wheels
The Æra carbon disc brake wheels are meant to be fast, high-end all-rounders for everything from fast asphalt riding to dirt & gravel roads too. Aera’s wheel concept is to offer core carbon rims in three depths that buyers can then have custom-built with the hubs & lacing best suited for their individual style of riding – with complete wheelset pricing from £1570 -£2160.
The AR Disc Brake rims come in depths of 36, 46 & 56mm and buyers can pair equal depth rims front & rear, or any of the rims with a deeper rim out back.
The disc brake rims are tubeless-ready carbon clinchers with 21.1-22.9mm internal widths, optimized for 28mm road tires, but can be used with 25-50mm tires. Wheels can be built with 24 or 28 Sapim CX-Ray spokes, brass nipples and Hope, King, Tune, or Son dynamo disc brake hubs. Black hubs are standard but Æra can do ano colors as a special order, as all the wheels are hand-built in the UK.
Æra All Road Rim Brake tubeless carbon mixed-surface road wheels
Rim brake versions are also available as the AR Rim Brake wheelsets. Again there are three rim depth options – here 35, 45 or 55mm deep. The rim brake versions have an 18mm wide internal tubeless-ready carbon clincher rim (for 23-32mm tires), and also offer build options with Hope, King, Tune, or Son dynamo hubs.
