Onix: a new name

Onix is a new name in the cycling world; based in the northwest of England, the company only launched its first frameset at the end of last year. Topping the 2011 range is the Azzuro, a full-on racing frame built from Toray T1000 carbon, with a 12K outer weave.

Stiffness to the Max

So many of the tube profiles on the Azzuro have been specifically shaped for one reason, and one reason only: to make it as stiff as possible. To this end Onix has added a whole load of extra carbon to the huge bottom bracket area and widened the downtube. These things, and others like the massive, barrel-shaped head tube, can be seen on many carbon frames right now but he things that Onix is most proud of, and what it considers set it apart from others, are the “Unsymmetrical” chainstays.

Many frames have differently shaped chainstays to reflect the different forces they are subject to; the driveside (right) is subject to forces along its length, while the non-driveside (left) is subject to more lateral forces. The Azzuro though, has taken this to another level with a massively flattened non-driveside stay, which Onix says that tests have shown makes the rear of the bike able to take much higher forces without flexing.

Geometry-wise the Azzuro is set up for racing. My 56cm tester had a 56.2cm top tube allowing a long, aggressive racing position, while the 73 degree angles of the seattube and headtube makes the ride very stable. The short-as-possible chainstays and slight rake to the arrow-straight fork blade makes the wheelbase 993mm, which helps to keep handling direct.

The claimed weight for a frame and fork is 1450 grams, which is by no means the lightest out there but is plenty light enough.

The frameset itself costs £1,099, and Onix can provide a bike built up with any Campagnolo groupset between Veloce and Super Record, or Shimano between Tiagra and Di2.

My test bike was built up with Campagnolo Centaur, with the bike price coming to £2,417.92.

Stiffness on paper equates to stiffness on the road

Whether it’s down to the quality of the carbon fibre used or the tube profiles, or more likely a mix of the two, Onix certainly has achieved the stiffness it desired in the Azzuro. The rear end managed to stay straight and true no matter how much force I put through the pedals, on sprints and climbs alike.

Not only was the rear end stiff and true, but the front of the bike was similarly direct. The head angle and fork rake meant that the bike aimed straight for every bend it was pointed at, neither under- nor over-steering; this gave me the confidence to throw it into corners and descend with as much confidence as I wanted.

Even under as much load as I could put through it on out of the saddle efforts, I could neither feel the rear of the bike bending, nor the front of the bike twisting, thanks to the huge, and rigid tubes.

Where a lot of frames have their stiffness compromised in their search for comfort, the Azzuro maintains its rigidity, which means that it gives you constant feedback from the road. It was by no means uncomfortable with this though, and, while the rough roads of rural England were certainly felt through the frame, their broken tarmac didn’t detract from the ride.

Componentry on a budget doesn’t mean poor performance

Centaur is Campagnolo’s top 10-speed groupset and, although it lacks the 11th sprocket of its more expensive brethren, it shares a number of their performance attributes. The carbon levers and chainset carry the high-end look of Super Record but at a fraction of the cost. In all the kilometres I put in on the Azzuro it performed faultlessly and, while I sometimes wanted the extra sprocket, it was more down to my own performance than any shortcomings on Centaur’s part.

The bike is ripe for upgrading, in which case it might be advisable to spend a little bit more for 11-speed Athena. There’s little performance difference between the two groups but upgrading can be done in smaller steps than with 10-speed Centaur.

The wheelset was an excellent pair of Campagnolo Zondas; they may be only the Italian company’s third-best “medium profile” wheels, but they’re fantastically stiff and true and still only weigh 1555 grams the pair. Onix fitted them with a pair of Michelin Pro3 Race tyres – some of the best all-round tyres out there in terms of strength, weight and grip. The Al Capone style whitewalls set the bike off nicely!

Deda Elementi’s Zero1 stem and RHM 02 bars were another good value option that performed well. The 6061 aluminium of both lacks the glamour of carbon – although you can’t tell because they’re both painted white – but this is one of the simplest areas to upgrade when budget allows. The seatpost was an in-house Onix UL1 Ultralight, which set the bike off nicely, was nice and stiff, and held the excellent fi’zi:k Arione saddle in place without problems.

The overall weight of the bike came out a little on the heavy side, but most of this can be attributed to the components. There is, as with everything, the law of diminishing returns when spending money on parts but, generally speaking, the more you spend the lighter it will get. The frame itself is certainly light enough that a more expensive build could bring its weight down to the UCI’s weight limit.

Some minuses, but very little ones

While I personally like the bike’s look with it’s black and white paint, with panels of visible carbon, the monochrome appearance may not appeal to everyone so it would be nice to see a bit of colour in there somewhere.

One of my personal pet peeves with frame design is where a rear brake cable hangs straight beneath a bowed top tube. It works perfectly well, and the alternative is a rather more complicated internal routing of the cable, but I personally find it a little unsightly.

A highly upgradable frame that punches well above its weight

The brand lacks the kudos of the WorldTour, but the quality of the bike means that it wouldn’t be out of place there. With a frame of this price it’s always tempting to use the “for the money” line, but even ignoring that it’s worth a look. In terms of stiffness and directness the Azzuro compares very favourably with frames costing two or three times as much.

The frame really deserves a higher group than Centaur, but if that’s what your budget dictates then it’s an excellently performing group. If you can do without the 11th sprocket though – and most of us can – then there’s no reason to spend more.