After the demise of the Divine Group, Blue Bicycles found a new owner, and began the process of rebuilding the company. Within weeks of the announcement, model year 2014 bikes were shipping, and Steven Harad and his team began redesigning their line up to launch their 2015 models.
For the road, Blue is keeping the Axino and AC1 models. The Axino is their all-around road frame, meant to be stiff and stable, prefect for road racing and crits, but comfortable enough for a grand fondo. The AC1 continues as the aero road frame, sharing some of the same technology as their super slippery Triad TT/Tri bike.
The heart of the Axino SL is the frame, and how it is constructed. Blue uses their High-Modulus Continuous Fiber Frame Technology (CFFT) and Zero-Void Internal Technology (Z-VIT) in the frame and fork. Essentially, the CFFT boils down to using larger and longer pieces of carbon sheets to make the bike stronger by using uninterrupted long strands compared to other patchwork layup methods, and lighter by using fewer sheets of carbon and less resin. Z-VIT makes for a smooth inner surface of the tube, leaving no unneeded material, and creating a consistent weight and strength from one frame to the next. On the fork, the carbon strands extend from the top of the steerer tube down to the drop outs, making it lighter stronger.
As part of the redesign, the frame looks very different than the previous iterations of the Axino. The former round tubes of the front triangle are now shaped to provide more stiffness and a touch of aerodynamics. The down tube has taken a square profile that strengthens the front end and connects to a larger bottom bracket junction to provide a solid base. The front side of the down tube is a little more rounded, while the back side that faces the inside of the triangle has harder edges with a flat back that resembles more of a Kamm tail design. The back of the steerer tube and underside of the top tube also hold the flat surfaces. The top of the steerer tube is relatively flat to the top tube compared to the old model, and looks like it could potentially have a custom upper bearing cap allowing you to completely slam the step. Even without a custom cap, the circular cap that comes with the FSA headset is only a millimeter or two tall, allowing a rider to position the stem as low as possible. The seat tube follows the Kamm tail design even further with a rounded front and flat back, helping to control the air flow around the rear wheel. The junction of the top tube and seat tube has a triangular shape, giving the impression of the seat stays flowing past the seat tube to connect to the top tube. This creates plenty of real estate for the new internally mounted seat clamp that keeps the top of the top tube clean and flush. Out back, the Axino is a mix of tall vertical chain stays for power transfer and skinny seat stays for some added compliance, giving the rider a little extra comfort.
Being the top of the range model, the Axino SL is decked out with a full Dura-Ace mechanical group, except for the Ultegra cassette and a KMC X11SL chain. The gearing has a racer in mind with 53/39 chainrings and an 11-25 cassette. The rest of the build is rounded out with a Fizik Arione saddle and Aerus cockpit and wheels. The seat post is a 0 degree post specific to the Axino, and follows the seat tube’s Kamm tail shape. Out front, the Aerus AL stem connects the C4 carbon handlebars to the full carbon steerer tube. Aerus Quantum SL 35 carbon clinchers wrapped in Hutchinson Atom Comp tires keep the bike rolling.
My first impression of the Axino SL, was the bike wants to ride. On the flats in a straight line, the frames stiffness transfers the power from the pedals to the wheels efficiently. There was very little flex that I could feel, even at 200 lbs. Diving into corners, the front end tracked exactly where I aimed the bike. When the hills came, the bike and wheels were solid, even for a larger rider like myself. With all this stiffness, some might worry that the ride would be overly harsh, but even after a few hours in the saddle, I still felt ready to push on for the next sprint, due to those skinny rear seat stays.
As for the Aerus components, the name has been speced on Blue bikes for a few years now. They are more than some house brand parts added onto the bike to save a few dollars. The brand is working to position Aerus as a stand alone brand, in my opinion, something like FSA which is prominent in both the OEM and aftermart arenas. The carbon bars road as smooth over rough roads, yet were as stiff in sprints, as the 3T Terranova bars on my cross bike. The AL stem held everything together as well as versions from 3T, Loaded Precision, and Ritchey that I have used in the past. The wheels also shined for me, though they also seemed a little heavy at 654g for the front, and 911g for the rear. They measured 35mm tall, 24mm wide, with 18mm inner diameter. I’ll take a little added weight for a wheel that is stiff and will hold up well, even under a 200 lb rider. While there is no official weight limit on the wheels, it is safe to say just about any carbon wheels without a weight limit should be avoided for riders over 250 lbs. The only other complaint I had on the wheels was the wet weather braking, but then again, I have yet to find a carbon wheel that stops well in the wet. When you grab the brakes, there is the initial rotation or two at speed before the brake track dries off and starts to heat up enough to grip the pads. If you are really concerned about it, keep a pair of aluminum wheels and aluminum specific brake pads at home for rainy days.
About the only complaints I have for the frame are the seat post and the weight. The first ride, the seat post was slipping downward into the seat tube. I tightened the binder a little more, but didn’t want to crank down too hard without my torque wrench and risk putting too much pressure on the post. Once home, I pulled the seat post out, and saw it had a textured section to help the post lock into place. Personally, I’d like to see it extended a little bit further up the post to extend the range of adjustment, even if it takes away from the smooth finish on the back of the post. I found that adding a healthy dose of carbon paste, which there didn’t seem to be an abundance of when I took the post out, went a long way to keep the seat tube in place.
As for the weight, for the bike being an SL edition, I was a bit surprised when I saw the numbers come up on the scale. At 16.05 lbs. for a size 56, with Speedplay Zero Stainless Steel pedals and a Garmin Out-Front Edge mount, the bike isn’t grossly overweight, but there is a reason it isn’t a flyweight. I had a chance to speak with Steven Harad, CEO of Blue Bike, at the Endurance Sports Expo, and when I explained my disappointment, he told me that lighter weight prototypes were created, but they lacked the stiffness of the the current version. Harad isn’t a small guy if you’ve never met him. Standing at well over 6′, he wanted a bike that would hold up to riders like himself putting down serious power, not just the skinny climbers on WorldTour teams. He wasn’t willing to sacrifice the stiffness, just to save a few grams.
With the Axino SL, Blue is back in a big way. If you are looking to throw down in a crit, this bike will guide you through the corners and jump when you power out of them. If you are looking to shave a little time off your next grand fondo, the redesigned tube shapes and 35mm tall wheels will be a little more aerodynamic, without feeling like a sail in the crosswinds. And if you are just looking for a bike to get out and ride, but want to enjoy a range topping bike with pro level components, the Axino SL will not disappoint. At $5,425, it also won’t break the bank like many other brand’s top range bikes will.
http://www.rideblue.com
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Location – Lancaster, PA
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