Lowdown: Lightweight Urgestalt Road Bike
Last Thursday, while sauntering by Red Lantern Cycles in Menlo Park, California, owner Matt Barkley invited me in to check out a bike. It was a Lightweight Urgestalt equipped with a Fernweg carbon wheelset and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting drivetrain. And while you may not of heard of the Urgestalt or Fernwegs, dedicated weight weenies will drool at their mere mention.
The wheels are extremely sought-after in the world of super components, thus the eye-watering $8000 price tag. It's a similar story for the frameset, which retails for $6500. Packaged together, the result was a breathtaking matte black piece of two-wheeled art that reminded me of an esoteric super-car. "Why don't you take it for a ride and give it back in a week or so," offered Barkley.
Of course I accepted, feeling like I'd been given the keys to a Lamborghini Huracan. I was also nervous as heck, scared that I might scratch up this insanely expensive money machine. Fortunately, that didn't happen. Here's my review after a brief but exhilarating test session.