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Sarto Raso Brings Full Custom to Italian Carbon Aero Road Bike

Written by Cory Benson
Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, climbing
19 Comments
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Italian-made custom carbon specialists Sarto Bikes get aerodynamic with all-new Raso modern aero road bike. Created to bring aerodynamic speed to any road, for any size rider, the new Sarto Raso is said to be as fast as any race bike with all the comfort of an endurance road bike.

Sarto Raso custom Italian aero road bike

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, complete
all c. Sarto, photos by Giovanni Danieli

Sarto’s new aero Raso now tops their Italian custom carbon road bike lineup, leveraging new manufacturing tech to create seamless aerodynamics with custom-formed, truncated aero cross sections.

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, riding

Explaining how the new Raso takes advantage of new machinery allowing for customization with more complex tube shaping, Sarto bikes founder Enrico Sarto described his excitement about the new project, “A core belief at Sarto is in the power of innovation and investment in new technologies. These new technologies, like our carbon fibre cutter and autoclave, allow us to accelerate our materials research and technical solutions, bolstering our in-house capabilities and continuing our proud tradition of making everything by hand in Italy.”

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, frameset

Tech details

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, front end detail

The new Sarto Raso is built one-at-a-time in Veneto, Italy to perfectly fit each rider from high-strength UD carbon fiber. The aero frame itself is built tube-to-tube with custom-shaped carbon tubing to allow for size and layup customization, with smooth transitions to deliver slippery aerodynamics from all wind angles.

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, seat cluster detail

The disc brake-only Raso frames specifically incorporate vibration-damping layups inside key tubing profiles, plus seatstay shaped to soak up bumps and an integrated clamp for the proprietary aero seatpost. And for more comfort, grip & control over any road surface, the Raso has tire clearance for up to 35mm rubber, bleeding it over into the aero all-road segment.

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, headtube detail

Up front the aero road bike with an hourglass headtube gets fully integrated cable routing through the headset into the frame. It also gets a new one-piece cockpit that adapts off-road gravel tech for improved comfort & ergonomics. The all-day comfort Raso’s bar features 10.75° of flare to widen its drops a full 5cm overall, on top of an already compact bend – 75mm reach & 125mm drop.

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, NDS detail

Sarto Raso – Stock or Full Customization

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, pre-ride

Each bike is available with fully customizable geometry, and full custom build kits. You can even pick your preferred bottom bracket standard from classic BSA threaded to T47 to PressFit PF386 or PF86. And of course, their in-house paint shop will realize any color scheme you can imagine.

Sarto Raso fully custom carbon aero road bike, photo by Giovanni Danieli, riding

Or to keep costs for the made-in-Italy bike more within check, Sarto also offers the Raso in stock sizing and simplified color schemes. Get in touch with Sarto or a local dealer for a price and delivery schedule quote.

SartoBikes.com
Cory Benson
4,386 articles

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com.

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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Mike
Mike
2 years ago

You forgot to mention that the frame is only good for 2 years. After that, it must be destroyed. I learned this when my $7,000 Colnago C-40 catastrophically broke in half in a 5mph turn and, two surgeries later, left me maimed for life. I wrote to Colnago and they said that my frame was more than 2 years old and should have been destroyed. They said “All carbon fiber frames, no matter who makes them, must be destroyed after two years or you ride them at your own risk”. I have it in writing from Colnago of Italy.

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David Atkinson
David Atkinson
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

If this is correct, and you have the letter, and they didn’t tell you this at time of purchase, then you should consult a lawyer about legal action

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Mike
Mike
2 years ago
Reply to  David Atkinson

Colnago refused to do anything about it and their attorney told me to sue them. I contacted 5 attorneys. 3 did not have the courtesy to return my messages, one lied to me – telling me that they did not work product liability cases when they had a web page that said otherwise, and the third would not take the case unless I was disabled or killed (they wanted more money involved). I ride only steel frames now.

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John
John
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

If this was true there be 10000 of broken carbon frames and NO one would by a Colnago There not much online about other people saying this. Should of called a 6th lawyer

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Tracy
Tracy
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

A lawyer lied to you? I can’t believe it!!

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Greg
Greg
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Ok

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Robin
Robin
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I really don’t see how your story is relevant to this article about a Sarto bike. You realize, don’t you, that Sarto is not Colnago, right? Do you plan on repeating your story in every article about a CF bike?

No matter what Colnago allegedly told you, they don’t speak for every CF bike manufacturer. Yes, your story is a real tear-jerker, as I’m sure you want it to be, but it really doesn’t provide any useful knowledge, certainly none with respect to Sarto.

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Mike
Mike
2 years ago
Reply to  Robin

I absolutely disagree. It is still a carbon fiber frame. Carbon fiber is not safe and the industry is not telling the pubic. That is useful information. Since my accident, I have compiled a collection of dozens and dozens of catastrophic carbon fiber failures all the way up to the present date, proving that it is STILL not safe. Even examples in the pro cycling races. I also have a friend who is now disabled and on anti-seizure medication for the rest of his life due to a carbon fiber fork exploding on a flat ride at 15mph.
Another quote from Colnago: “Carbon fiber is not indestructible, and WHEN (not if) it breaks, it will do so with very little notice”. Yes, telling people about a safety issue with a product that could cost them their lives is definitely useful information (and I also have examples where the riders have lost their lives).

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Robin
Robin
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I’m looking for a laughing emoji but can’t find it. Your alleged experience is far from the norm, and your statement that carbon fiber isn’t safe is laughably false. Your poorly informed opinion is certainly not fact. As it stands, you’re just some anonymous “Mike” making claims with zero facts presented.

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An203
An203
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I don’t know the details on your accident and I feel for the pain endured on an equipment failure.
the c40 is a 15-20 years old frame meaning that you talk about a very old incident. Since then manufacturing have drastically improved. I do have carbon forks that are 20 years old (Cannondale slice made by Time) and an ultra sound inspection showed zero defects or delamination. You have plenty of well made carbon frame that are way pass the 100k milles without an issue. Now like any structure, an impact (that may be unnoticed at the time) may deteriorate it and cause its failure… then regular inspections.

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rrutis
rrutis
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

We get it, you don’t like carbon and as tragic as any failure where a bike breaks and someone is hurt, dozens and dozens is just not that many when talking about millions of bikes and frames. You must remember that EVERYTHING BREAKS EVENTUALLY, no material is perfect. Also, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and that is why the lawyers all balked at taking on your case.

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tpa8580
tpa8580
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Although I feel for you terrible experience, the Colnago C40 was a bike introduced in 1994. Bicycle manufacturers today have a vastly better understanding of the properties of carbon fibre composites than in 1994.

There is also a reason why most manufacturers moved away from carbon lug construction, in favour of tube to tube or monocoque construction.

To your point that you have collected dozens and dozens of cases where carbon fibre catastrophically failed, I would state that in 2018 (source: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/industry-reports/bicycle-carbon-frames-market) 1.2 million carbon bikes were were build.

Just for the sake of argument 5000 of those bike frames had a catastrophic failure, that would still only be a .004% failure rate.
Now, we will never know how many of those bikes had a catastrophic failure it could be more or less.

If a manufacturer see’s a high rate of failure, not sure what constitute high failure rate, or if they find a defect during QC, they are likely to announce a recall, as not doing so would damage their reputation and in the US, invite class-action lawsuits, with costly out of court settlements.

If manufacturers would honestly think that Carbon Fibre is a bad idea, they would have stuck with Titanium, Aluminium etc. And many did until they felt that the manufacturing process was better understood.

Also, you say “Carbon fiber is not safe”, if that is how you feel, better not get on any modern airplane, from any of the major manufacturers, cause they all use carbon fibre reinforced composites in critical areas of the aircrafts construction.

Look I am not trying to take away from your crappy experience, in my opinion, they should have replaced the frame. And I fully understand why you are hesitant to get on another CF bike. I think many of us would after that experience.

But I have been riding my CF Look 795 Blade RS Disc for years now, even on some light gravel trails and it has held up perfectly well.

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Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

I hope you don’t fly in airplanes because all modern airplanes have carbon fiber parts in them. A poorly engineered carbon fiber part can break, no doubt about that. The FAA does extensive testing and has approved CF parts, so the material is not the problem. The problem is assembly and/or engineering of your frame. That there are many Colnago frames that are older than 2 years being ridden with no problem tells us yours is probably an isolated case. I’ve seen plenty of CF parts with heavy use that have lasted many years and are still being used. Please stop sharing unsubstantiated lies.

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Astro_Kraken
Astro_Kraken
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Colnago has a 3 year warranty option on their website. This post should be deleted by mods as this is irrelevant and libelous to an unrelated company and an entire manufacturing material.

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Alessandro
Alessandro
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

This is not true and unfair. Your personal bad experience with a single manufacturer does not necessarily disqualifies the whole industry.

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Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Hmmm. I know there are plenty of carbon fiber frames with lifetime warranties. So who do you believe? I happen to have one bike that is 10 years old and another that is 4 years old, neither has catastrophically broken on me. I did have a fork recall on one, they sleeved the steerer, and now all is good. I hate to ask, but did you buy from an authorized dealer? There are many knockoffs out there and those are frames I would avoid at all costs because they are made only to look like the frame they are copying, they are not properly engineered to make them safe.

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Mike
Mike
2 years ago

The head tube snapped off the frame in the middle of the lugs (the strongest part of the frame). See the photo.

DSC01306 (Small).JPG
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Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

That picture makes me think the frame had a heavy front end crash before the failure occurred.

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Dirk
Dirk
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Bad luck. I had a Giant TCR that had a full on hit into a car, got hit in a second accident with a car and crashed it twice. The frame I sold 2y ago had zero damage after inspection. My handlebar broke, my shifters were gone, alu wheels completely destroyed.
So anecdotal evidence

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