Bastion unveils limited

The Australian brand's ArchAngel road bike is limited to 88 pieces and uses 3D-printed lugs

Bastion has announced the release of its latest superbike, the ArchAngel.

As you’d expect from a brand whose stated mission is "to create the most desirable bikes in the world", the ArchAngel seeks to create its own blueprint, described by Bastion as "the most highly specified production bike ever released".

Like its predecessor the Demon, it uses 3D printed titanium lugs bonded to filament wound carbon tubes. However, while the Demon was limited to one owner per country, the ArchAngel expands its reach to 88 bikes.

Bastion released the first ever commercially available 3D printed bike seven years ago. They hit the headlines again at the 2020 Olympics as producers of the 3D handlebars that failed during the Australian men's team pursuit qualifiers. Bastion were largely vindicated in an independent report into the incident which concluded that the Australian Cycling Team's inadequate specification for custom-built handlebars and its lack of adequate fatigue testing were the primary causes.

Designed entirely in-house, the bike takes its inspiration from the A-12 ArchAngel plane, the world's first titanium-skinned aircraft. Indeed, the bike's cerakote finish is a nod to the ceramic coating required to stop the A-12 melting as it reached Mach 3. The plane, and its predecessor, the SR-71 Blackbird, were also instrumental in inspiring Bastion co-founder James Woolcock to pursue a career in engineering.

High-altitude reconnaissance aircraft aren't the only influence at play here, though. Each of the ArchAngel's lugs are adorned with three dimensional Wings, raised above the lug surface and polished to contrast with the textured finish of the surfaces beneath. The wings take their inspiration from the Marvel superhero who also goes by the Archangel moniker.

The finish of the lugs has become something of a Bastion trademark. However, unlike the polished lugs used on the Demon, the ArchAngel opts for a new approach.

"Part of our Bastion DNA is to emphasize the intrinsic beauty of the materials we use," says designer Charlie.

"Our products have focussed on hand finishing methods to constantly refine the level of finish on our frames and achieve an unparalleled appearance of our 3D printed components.

"With the ArchAngel, rather than using hand finishing methods to achieve a flawless appearance, we wanted to embrace the raw texture of our printed parts. The ArchAngel is the result of years of refinement of our 3D printing and post finishing processes."

The lugs will be offered in eight colour choices, applied over the raw 3D printed finish.

Other details of the ArchAngel include chrome logos, which Bastion says take five times as long to achieve. The result is a finish that it describes as "almost identical to that of polished Titanium". In addition to the logos, each bike will be individually numbered in raised features smoothed and polished to match.

Unsurprisingly for a bike that's designed to be "the ultimate collectible Bastion", the build options offered are about as high-end as it gets. Groupset choices are top-tier only, meaning you’ll have to decide between Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, SRAm Red eTap AXS or Campagnolo Super Record EPS. However, the crankset is Bastion's own BC10, which includes Carbon-Ti chainrings

Headset and bottom bracket bearings come courtesy of CeramicSpeed, as does the oversized pulley wheel, that's also 3D printed and comes with cerakote finished jockey wheels to match the frame.

As for the wheels, you get to toss a coin between Lightweight's Meilenstein EVO Schwarz Ed. or Obermayer EVO Schwarz Ed. Additional touches include the saddle of choice re-upholstered in Alcantara by Busyman, with bar tape to match.

Bastion says that 25% of the 88 bikes have already been allocated, so if you’re interested it appears as though you may need to act promptly. The price you ask? That's only available upon request, which Bastion says is apparently "a true indication of its prestige".

For more information visit bastioncycles.com

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Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.

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