When it comes to race bikes, aluminum often plays second fiddle to carbon, but there is a dedicated following that loves the feel and look of alloy. An alloy frame has something classic that draws me back into the times when a road race bike was untouchable. Standert’s Kreissäge gives me that same feeling, with a slight tweak on usability and a much wider use beyond the pavement. With its impressive handling and aggressive design, this alloy road bike pulls on your heartstrings for the days when alloy was king, but also shows it still has a place in modern cycling—offering a fast, race-ready machine that’s not just a worthy alternative to carbon but also a customizable choice for those who want it their way.
What is it? Standert Kreissäge
The Standert Kreissäge is a high-performance aluminum road bike designed in Germany, made (fabricated and painted) in Italy. The word “Kreissäge” translates into the “circular saw,” and boy does this frame cut through the BS of what you “need” for a modern road bike and not. It also has a very apt illustration of the Standard mascot wielding a solid saw blade.
Frame Design / Details
The Kreissäge is for riders seeking a race-ready machine with modern features and classic aesthetics. Crafted from Dedacciai Alloy tubing, the frame gives any onlooker a glimpse of the heyday of alloy frames ruling the cycling world. No dropped seat stays, or sloping toptube, just a slightly more stout road frame. The yin/yang: black/white paint job (they have another frame available in the opposite colorway) reminds me of Mario Cipollini’s 2003 Specialized Allez Comp – glossy finish and classic aesthetic. Classic cool without the burden of il Re Leone – Cipo.
Standert’s custom-drawn tubes create an all-business look while enhancing the bike’s rigidity. The curvy seatstays and subtly sculpted top tube add a nice touch of elegance, proving that aluminum can be more than just functional. The Kreissäge uses Dedacciai’s aluminum, which they say is slightly lighter and a touch stiffer than standard aluminum.
Modern Classic
For those who appreciate a pleasing aesthetic, the Kreissäge is a well-proportioned machine with a classically stylish finish—though beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder. The bike is designed to run only electronic groupsets (it’s a bummer, but I get it). However, only running electronic groupsets ensures an ultra-clean look with fully integrated cable routing through the cockpit and into the headset. Paired with a full carbon fork, this frameset is modern, very clean, though not a superlight-weight dance partner. But more on that later.
If you’re looking for the “Race All Day” frameset, that would be the Kreissäge’s scandium twin, the Kreissäge RS. I like to think of the Kreissäge (OG) as the do-it-all and take some hits while in the process kinda frame. It’s robust and can take a beating or a knock with a U-lock. But with that said, don’t look for super lightweight builds, even with a full SRAM RED AXS groupset.
Standert Kreissäge – Frame Specifications
- Material: Dedacciai alloy tubing
- Fork: Standert full carbon integrated tapered fork (1 1/8″ to 1 1/2″) with flat mount disc brake compatibility.
- Bottom Bracket: T47 threaded standard for easy maintenance and compatibility.
- Seatpost Diameter: 27.2mm.
- Tire Clearance: Officially supports up to 700x30mm tires; 700x32mm tires may fit but could void the warranty.
- Maximum Rotor Size: 160mm.
- Cockpit: Standert’s integrated headset ensures a clean aesthetic and smooth cable routing.
- Customization: Standert offers a customizable build, allowing riders to select components that best fit their preferences and needs.
- Price: 1,499.00 EUR, $1,700
- Weight: 17lbs total bike as pictured
Geometry and Fit
The geometry and feel are reminiscent of my Cannondale CAAD 9 (one of my favorite road machines) and the modern Specialized Tarmac SL8. It’s very similar to the SL8, with the same head tube/seat tube angles, stack/reach, and chainstay length for the size 54cm. So, it’s safe to say the Kreissäge will satisfy the modern road palette, but you’ll get a nice bit of flash back when the alliumum hum hits you on the pavement.
Standert crafted the geometry for performance, offering sharp handling and efficient power transfer, accentuated by a larger down tube and bottom bracket shell. I opted for a 54cm frame (I’m 5’10”) with a 120mm stem and 40cm bars, and I was able to recreate my road fit well.
Side – Bar – Standert Project Compact: To make sure everyone has a chance to fit their bike properly, Standard indicated ‘Project Compact’. Creating a geometry that is better both aerodynamically and biomechanically (and aesthetically too) for those riding 52cm and under frames. The steeper angles mean riders sit further inside the reach, shifting the center of gravity towards the center of the bike and creating a more compact position, reducing frontal drag. This position also opens the rider’s hip angle, increasing pedalling efficiency and power transfer. Standert feels that the result is a bike that handles better, is more comfortable, more efficient, and looks more balanced.
Build: Choose My Own Adventure
I went for the build your adventure model, starting from the frame, with lots of review and test gear. The Kreissäge was the canvas, and my largest piece to install was the SRAM RED AXS groupset. I’m a fan of the updated SRAM RED group. I’ve reviewed (and liked) the newest XPLR (both Force and RED), and the new road group is that. Plus, I chose it for the zero wires needed to build this wireless machine.
Build-wise, the only bits that stick out as unusual or slightly annoying would be the headset and bottom bracket. Both are Standert issues, and they can be swapped. Standert even includes a nice BB tool with the frame, but you have to pick what you’re swapping for carefully.
The BB wasn’t that big of a deal. Mostly, I was agitated because I had a Ceramic Speed one that wasn’t the correct spacing in my hand, and I wanted to use it. The headset is more of an aesthetic issue than a functional one—the brake hose travels through the top headset cup, headtube, and bearings, similar to many internally routed frames. But on the Kreissäge, the top headset cup is round and doesn’t look great with a more modern bar/stem combo. I’m sure that an aero spacer or top cup would quickly solve this issue, but I’ve chosen to stick it out with the OG equipment, and it’s not bad at all.
Packaged to Preserve
The frame itself arrived expertly packaged and covered from any shipping mishaps that could arise, coming from Germany to the USA. Internally, the frame was clean, with no scraps of metal or burs around cable ports and openings – it was a nicely finished product.
I was pleased with the frame paint. The paint is classic and has a beautiful, deep color, with a slight pop of pink in the lettering. Thick and resilient is a great way to describe the paint now that I think about it. I’ve had a few scrapes and dings on the Kreissäge since I’ve started riding it (nearly daily), and they are hardly notable.
A frame like the Kreissäge should be a canvas that helps to accentuate the components that the rider chooses, none looking out of place or sticking out. I believe that it does this expertly, all while dovetaling modern and classical cycling vibes. It’s the bike that you want to ride, not just because it would be aero or fast, but because it looks beautiful and fun.
Ride Impressions: Fast, Responsive, and Sharp
The Kreissäge is a blast to ride. From my first roll on the road, it was nice to feel that alloy hum under me. It reminds me of my first times on a race bike, this time, however, with modern equipment and tires that rounded off the extra harshness (RIP my 22mm Vredestein tires pumped to 130PSI).
Adding the one-piece CADEX (and before that, Vision) bar/stem stiffened up the front end nicely. It’s also matched the bike’s aesthetics (minus the headset transition), so a win/win in my book. On the open road, the handling is crisp, precise, and confident.
With 32mm tires, the Kreissäge has a slightly different personality than the 28mm I spend most of my time on. I could explore slight gravel (especially when equipped with the WTB Expanse tires) and not bat an eye. It was a fun ride, and not over its head steering through the forest or too fragile to take a stick to the chainstays.
When you get a bike like the Kreissäge, there is a strong aesthetic that you’re after, and it delivers. Every time I would look down, see the frame or get a glimpse of myself passing a window, I was like “man, that’s cool”. It made me want to ride it more and more.
Performance Feels Cool
Performance-wise, the bike can roll. Yes, it’s slightly heavier than a carbon frame. But if weight is all you’re looking at as a performance metric, this isn’t your bike. For racing crits, however, the Kreissäge feels like an asset. It can take all the watts and, paired with a nice set of wheels (like the URSUS Proxima 40 Team Editions), it holds speed and looks great doing it.
When out of the saddle, the bike offers quick reactions, making it easy to get that pop of speed when you need it. However, on rougher tarmac, the stiffness of the alloy frame can feel harsh, but you know that. It’s not quite as forgiving as a carbon race bike, so tune your tires accordingly.
Bottom Line
The Standert Kreissäge is an impressive bike. Its sharp handling and fast response make it an ideal choice for anyone looking to race hard, fast, and stick out in the crowd (in a good way).
There’s no two ways about it, the Kreissäge stands out in the alloy category. Some alloy frames are trying to appear carbon, even Standert’s own Kreissäge RS is in that boat. The Kreissäge, on the other hand, doesn’t hide its alloy makeup; instead, it rocks around tubes. Making it even better looking than the matte, alloy, and carbon look-alikes. If you’re looking for a race-ready bike that’s fully customizable (via the Standert site), delivers solid performance, and will undoubtedly last more than a few seasons, the Standert Kreissäge might just be the one.
For more information or to configure your own Kreissäge, visit the official Standert page.
