Storck

Fascenario 0.6 & 0.7

We’ve built up some super-light bikes in our shop. A bike around 14 pounds is considered featherweight, and we’ve been able to break this barrier a few times. Enter the Fascenario, and suddenly 14 pounds seems heavy. With frame and fork coming in under 1,000 grams, using esoteric parts we can build up one of these beauties under 11 pounds, and 12 pounds is easily possible with readily available components.

The Fascenario 0.6 has integrated built-in brakes inside the fork and rear stays, and other aerodynamic shaped tube features that came directly from the development of the Aero2 time trial bike. Still solidly in the “ultimate” class, the Fascenario 0.7 shares a lot of the design qualities of its older sibling but forgoes the integrated brake system and a different carbon fiber frame material.

Lest you think that following design goals for absolute weight savings translates into substandard performance (other ultra-lightweight bikes do suffer from this, and many also have rider weight limits), both the Fascenario 0.6 and 0.7 feel solid, stable, and exciting on the road. At this level you should expect no compromises, period.

Fenomalist

Before the new Scenero started to turn heads, the Fenomalist was the bike that made people really notice Storck. Although in the mid-range of the Storck line-up, the Fenomalist brings a lot of the magic of their high end into a package that wasn’t stratospheric in price. It’s still the top-selling export bike for Storck, and strikes the right balance for most Storck customers around the world.

The Fenomalist’s tubes have each been strategically shaped, with the downtube flattened for stiffness, the top tube rounded for comfort, and the head tube ovalized for additional strength and stiffness. The design is a hybrid between the super-stiff rear end of the Fascenario 0.7 and the more compliant front end of the Absolutist. The Fenomalist uses unidirectional carbon fiber throughout for a stronger, stiffer, more durable frame.

The Fenomalist is light, quick, stiff, and everything else you’d expect from a world-class racing bike. Di2 internal routing and battery mount is available for a nominal upcharge.

Absolutist

Prior to 2012, the Absolutist was in an awkward position – sitting between the Scenero receiving much attention as a mid-range giant killer and the Fenomalist that pushes high-end race bikes costing double or more aside. With the new year comes a redesign that actually adds a little weight while carbon tubes are reinforced, reshaped, and reworked to provide a smoother ride quality that positions the Absolutist solidly into the high-performance luxury segment.

The Absolutist is a little more comfortable than the Fenomalist, and is a perfect choice for frequent riders who want a little more compliance from their frames. The stiffer 12K weave carbon fiber forms the core of this build, with a unidrectional carbon for the top wrap. This combination provides a very lively ride quality that is anything but fatiguing.

Scenero

Although you might wonder about the quality from the bike at the bottom of our Storck page, the Scenero has been the highlight of the Storck lineup in Europe for the past year. In bikeradar’s bike of the year competition, it handily beat a field of goliaths and it should be noted that it was a wide margin. This is a great all-round bike that is at home racing in a criterium or triathlon, but also on longer rides like the STP or Flying Wheels Century.

The Scenero was designed and manufactured in Germany directly by Storck, unlike many other bikes in this price range that are outsourced to foreign factories. It has a ride quality that is smooth and balanced, and needs to be ridden to truly understand how special it is. The aerodynamic downtube and fork, and the massive rear triangle are just the start of the attention to detail you’ll notice on Storck’s entry level carbon fiber frame.

If you’re in the market for a high performance road bike in the $3,000-$4,000 range then the Scenero really should be on your shortlist.