At bike rumor we come across a lot of very spendy bikes. We also come across the “We did it just because we could,” products. Well, the Coren bike by UBC (a German company that makes Formula 1 parts) has managed to combine both of those categories into a $32,000 carbon fixie that uses the gates carbon belt drive system. Oh, and you can get a single speed version if you prefer brakes.
If one were to pay the insane asking price for the bike, you would get a frame made in a clean room, formed in aluminum molds, and made out of T1000 carbon fiber. Construction time hits upwards of 40 man hours, and it has been designed by Christian Zanzotti.
For the cost, and given the company’s background in F1, I would have assumed this to be in the super light category. However, the bike comes in at 17 pounds. That said, the designer states that the “Super slim top and down tubes lend the Coren a unique visual lightness.” So there is always that going for it.
As far as the frame design is concerned, UBC calls it “avant-garde.” Personally, I rather like the look of the bike, but looks aren’t everything. There is no mention of how the bike rides and performs, and by the looks of all that flat carbon shaping, I would imagine its very compliant, but I could be wrong. A lot can be done with the right type of layup and resin when working with Carbon.
Now for the rumor part. After all, it is our namesake. The word is we will get to see one of these precision engineered German made Coren frames up close and personal come Feburary at NAHBS in Denver, CO. So, stay tuned
Images after the page break.
