I have had the added bonus this year of having two bikes. But instead of going for two Azzuro's the plan was to have one of them as the maybe less known Aurious frameset. This makes perfect sense, as now I am able to test and give feedback on the two main models in the Onix Bikes range.
Targeted more towards the 'sportive rider' the Aurious is slightly more relaxed with a geometry designed slightly more for comfort rather than the out and out racer....well this is how it is billed anyway. Again I looked to the geometries and the important thing was getting it matched to that of the Azzuro as closely as possible. For me this meant simply dropping down a size to a 52 in order to replicate the position of the Azzuro. The main reason for this drop down was to achieve the lower front end, because as you would expect with a frameset aimed at the sportive market, the headtubes come up slightly longer. However going down to a 52 really wasnt a problem. It has allowed me to achieve the same aggressive low front end position and with a 10mm longer stem (140mm deda stem) the length of the 54 Azzuro has been transfered to the 52 Aurious.
So once the same position was achieved it was time to test out this Aurious. Now when I first ride a new bike normally I end up having to make little alterations over the first few rides until its where it needs to be...not with the Aurious! From the moment I jumped on the bike it just felt pretty much right. The Aurious has everything you need from a bike whatever your main purpose for it is. Obviously some racers get put off by a bike that is aimed at the 'sportive' market, thinking the performance will not be as good. Well this is not the case with the Aurious. I chose the option of going with the smaller frameset which gave me the same aggressive racing position that I was looking for, taking away its 'sportive' set up in my case.
So what are you getting from the Aurious!? Well my initial thoughts are a well balanced bike of performance, comfort, stiffness and responsiveness. I have been very impressed with how the bike handles....and with all the cornering involved in Belgium, I am very happy about this. Another characteristic that may go unnoticed is the fact that the Aurious is actually the lightest of the Onix range....im sure this is certainly something that a lot of people look to when purchasing a bike. I have already put this bike over some of the most famous bergs and pave sections seen in the Ronde van Vlaanderen and have found it more than adequate for these demands.
The components yet again deliver the expected performance. From the light and classy looking Onix UL1 seat post and BC1 bottle cages through to my trusty Mavic Cosmic Carbone Wheelset equiped with a Cycleops Powertap SL 2.4+ hub, which provides me with all the key data I will need from my riding. The contact points are made up of the ever reliable Fizik Arione, Speedplay Zeros and Deda components at the front end. The groupset again is Campagnolo Centaur, which has been working smoothly from the off. A final addition you will notice are the Rotor Aero Q rings. Something I was eager to try out this year...again living up to there reputation as expected, especially at the higher cadences I am now pedaling at.
What else can I say about the Aurious!? Perhaps this is the dark horse of the Onix range. If you get the sizing right for you and your position then I am sure you will be equally pleased with the performance of the Onix Aurious....and again at a great price! Like all of the Onix range you can customize your own bike build on www.onixbikes.co.uk. Below is the spec of my Onix Aurious. More updates to come as the season progresses!
Frameset: Onix Aurious (52)
Groupset: Campagnolo Centaur 10
Shimano Ult Cranks equipped with Rotor Aero Q Rings (53/39)
Pedals: Speedplay Zero
Saddle: Fizik Arione
Seat Post: Onix UL1 Ultralight Carbon
Bottle Cages: Onix BC1 Carbon
Bars: Deda Newton Shallow
Stem: Deda Zero 100 (140mm)
Computer: Cycleops Cervo 2.4
Wheelset: Mavic Cosmic Carbones equipped with Cycleops Powertap SL 2.4+ Hub
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