Seems like every few months, a bike appears on Kickstarter or Indiegogo out of nowhere, with sleek aesthetics, a slick video and the promise of revolutionizing the two-wheeled world. Because these bikes often come from unknown entities and ultimately deliver more sizzle than steak, we tend to view them with a healthy measure of skepticism. But when one raises $2 million in less than three days — and now more than $3.4 million with nine days to go — we’ve gotta document it.
So here’s what Arevo is telling us about its new Superstrata bikes — which have absolutely blown up on Indiegogo — followed by the response of GP’s most passionate cyclists.
The Superstrata line consists of two bikes — Terra, a traditional bike (pictured below), and Ion (pictured at the top of the page), an e-bike — both of which have frames made of continuous carbon fiber. You share your measurements with the Arevo team, and they 3D-print a made-to-measure unibody frame and fork with no glues or screws.
SuperstrataWith over 500,000 possible combinations, the frame can be tailored to riders’ heights, weights, arm and leg lengths, riding positions and even preferred stiffness levels. The frame weighs in at 2.9 pounds (1.3 kilograms).
The ebike has a 55-mile range and can be fully charged in two hours. Both bikes have integrated data and power wiring throughout the frame, allowing for electronic upgrades. They can be further modified to accommodate different riding styles, such as street and gravel.
The bikes have the endorsement of Sky Christopherson, two-time Oympian, who says: “My Olympic race bikes were light, but would crack when pushed too hard or crashed. Having a bike that’s light like other carbon fiber bikes but really tough is a dream come true.”
