Just months after Alchemy Bikes launched their flagship gravel bike, the Lycos Au, the company has announced a dramatic reduction in the entry price for the Alchemy Lycos family of full-carbon gravel bikes. The base-model (non-Au) price for a Lycos is now just $4999, which is $2500 less than its initial iteration, and the new bikes will ship within 48 hours of order, as compared to weeks for the previous model.
Alchemy collaborated closely with a partner manufacturer who will fabricate the new non-Au frames using Alchemy Premium Factory Carbon to Alchemy’s precise specifications, quality standards, layup schedules, etc. for a considerably lower cost-per-unit than the original frames. As a result, they’ll remain virtually identical to the original base-model frames, which Alchemy previously produced in-house in Golden, CO, with no sacrifice in weight, performance, aesthetics, etc. Au models will still be entirely fabricated in-house by hand.
The above $4999 price is for the SRAM Rival GX AXS build, with the premium SRAM Red XPLR version coming in at $7999. They will also be available as framesets, including frame, fork and headset, for $3299. Along with this substantial reduction over the original US-made model, the new model is now around $3500 lower than the premium Lycos Au model with similar spec. As with the original, they will weigh around 300g more than the ultralight, US-made Au frames.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the original iteration of the standard Lycos, and the Au model too of course, and they’ve been extremely well received by consumers and the media alike,” says Alchemy’s Founder, Ryan Cannizzaro. “But we realized we could offer the model to a much wider audience if we could find a way to lower manufacturing costs by outsourcing frames – but only if we could still use our Premium Factory Carbon, and assuming there’d be no sacrifices to the overall quality or performance. After an exhaustive process, we’re completely confident that the new frames match up in every way, and the entry price for the Lycos is considerably lower.”
The new Lycos bikes will debut at the Sea Otter Classic, April 19-23, where Alchemy will have several units on display (booth S150), along with the Au version and their other road, gravel and MTB models. Consumers will be able to pre-order the bikes beginning April 14th, and bikes begin shipping as soon as mid May. Along with the two above versions, the new Lycos will also be available in SRAM Force XPLR and Shimano GRX Di2 builds (both $6499), along with a SRAM Force/XO1 build ($6749).
The new frames will be available in two new colorways: Midnight Prism/Ivory and Evergreen/Silver. Buyers can also choose between two logo schemes: Classic, matching the current Alchemy logo scheme; or Minimalist which features smaller logos.
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
Websites:
Bike World News
Ron’s Bike Garage
Current Bike Quiver:
Bird Bikes Zero 29 29″ hardtail mountain bike
Commencal Absolut 26″ Dirt Jump/Pump Track bike
Commencal Tempo 29″ full suspension mountain bike
Felt ZA 700c race bike
Kona Kilauea vintage 26″ mountain bike
Niner RLT9 700c road/gravel bike
Specialized Stumpjumper vintage 26″ mountain bike
Day Job: Digital Marketing
Night Job: Digital Marketing, eCommerce Consultant, Web Consultant, Bike Shop Operator, Husband, Dad, Tenor