Photo ©: Jonathan Devich
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The first thing that I and my colleagues noticed about the Vellum Edge when we were first introduced to it on the floor of the Sands Expo Center at Interbike was its sharp looks. The Edge comes in both traditional 3K weave and the larger 12K bare carbon finish that is currently en vogue. Alternatively, Vellum also offers the Edge with just enough red and white accent paint to give the bike colour as on our test model.
Even more striking than the finish of the frame is its overall design. The top tube of the Edge is curved to give it a slight sloping effect, . and both the top and down tubes also feature some subtle shaping halfway down. A design attribute that is probably equal parts form and function is the seat tube, which reduces in diameter below the seat post to save on weight.
The focus on the look of the bike was confirmed by the head designer Michael Flores. "We really wanted the bike to look different. We wanted it to look stunning. With the help of our supplier from Taiwan they helped us with geometry, and I designed the frames with the edges to make it look faster. I thought, since it is carbon fibre I might as well design it aggressively."
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Our test model came fitted with Campagnolo Record shifting technology, but a variety of other name brands made up the rest of the components, including Zero Gravity brakes, Wipperman chain, FSA RD250 aluminum bars, and FSA carbon cranks. Attached to the FSA cranks were the nifty elliptical Rotor Q-Rings chainrings -- non-round style a la Bobby Julich. This was the first time I would be riding these unconventional chainrings and I was eager to see what all the hype was about. Another product of note was the new Italian Prologo saddle with the ability to mix and match different colours.
Rolling down the driveway and pushing down to engage my pedal gave some foreshadowing as to what this bike was going to be about -- stiffness! Just the simple act of clipping-in produced a jump from this frame. Subsequent pedaling brought this machine to full speed quickly and with ease. In fact, I do not think there is a way to ride this bike slowly. The stiffness really allowed for high power transfer, particularly when sprinting, and there is literally no noticeable flex in the region of the bottom bracket when stomping on the cranks.
Flores commented that stiffness was a priority in his design, along with the visual focus. "We wanted the frame to be extra stiff," said Flores. "The joints on the tubes were not [stiff enough] so we added extra carbon layups on the head tube. We tested the frame for 17 hours and it was ok, but our sponsored riders told us there was [still] some flex so we added more carbon and to the bottom bracket, too."
A sacrifice that was made in this effort was to the overall weight of the bike,
unlike where many other carbon frame builders are going with new designs. "The
stiffness to weight ratio didn't matter much to us actually. We added more layups
for stiffness, and that meant more weight. We feel that adding more grams is
much better performance-wise." The Edge has a claimed frame weight of 1.1kg;
while not a featherweight it was not heavy by any means - the additional weight
was not noticeable during testing.
'You spin me right round...'
The Rotor Q-Rings were definitely a highlight of this review, but I will admit that I was slightly concerned about their possibly negative effects on my pedal stroke. However, in my first few kilometers I forgot that they were even on the bike. It was not until I looked down that I remembered they were there, and then it was like hypnosis watching the chainrings turn in their elliptical fashion.
It was not until I took this bike on an incline that I noticed the Q-Rings' benefits. The non-round design comes into play just before the top of the pedal stroke on each crank arm and provides an ever-so-slight bit of assistance over the top of the stroke that helps even more when under the stress of climbing. As the hills got steeper the effect increased to make climbing just that much more bearable. Maybe it is only a psychological thing, making it seem easier, but I will take that any day when needing a little extra to get up and over those seemingly hors categorie climbs at the end of a ride.
In the realm of carbon fibre bikes three aspects come to mind that this material uniquely addresses: stiffness, weight and comfort. The three exist on a continuum more than absolutes, with one affecting the others. As mentioned before, Vellum focused on stiffness almost exclusively. Unfortunately, this is its major flaw. To put it simply, this bike is far too stiff.
Now I enjoy a stiff bike like any other amateur racer out there, especially in North America where our racing diet consists mostly of short and flat criteriums. But the comfort of a bike should not be marginalized to a point where it actually hurts to ride -- no matter how stiff the end result. That is what I experienced with the Edge. While the bottom bracket is super-stiff (as it should be) the rear triangle is just as rigid. Every bump, crack and hole in the road traveled up the seat stays and into my posteriorto the point that the rigidity of the rear triangle seemed to amplify the road surface.
When speaking with Flores, I inquired about the rigidity of the frame, particularly in the rear triangle. "We revised the seat stay because some found it too stiff," he responded. "They are a bit smaller now. Before it was larger and oval in shape, now with the triangle profile it is smaller and lighter, and not too stiff."
This did surprise me, that the bike I rode had a rear triangle that was somehow softer than previous versions. A common response to the question of stiffness-to-comfort ratio is that pro riders demand stiffness over comfort, and Flores mentioned this as well; to be fair, Vellum does sponsor teams and a few individual triathletes. "We have some teams right now. One is a masters team called EMC and one team in Japan. Most of our pro riders prefer stiffer frames. But we don't want it to be too stiff for our actual market, so we tapered it a bit for the customers."
However, I doubt that any professional rider would be able to ride for extended periods of time on a frame this stiff. And it is not only the rear triangle that is overly rigid. Every part of this frame is marked with that stamp, even the seat tube. Even more, I argue that any non-pro racer/rider, for whom the Edge should be, and is,really designed, would not be able to ride this frame for more than an hour without serious discomfort. My first ride over thirty kilometers was an eye-opening experience, and one ride that topped out at 100km inflicted so much pain that I could not ride for two days.
This is where the saddle also comes in to play as I cannot place full blame on the frame alone. Simply put, the Prologo saddle was not a wise choice. I appreciate the company's goal of making a saddle that will match any paint scheme but there are some critical errors in the design, at least for my posterior. For one, one of the snaps that secure the interchangeable portion was located perfectly on the pressure spot of my groin. OUCH! After thirty kilometers on this saddle I was fully numb and needed to stand for extended periods of time just to regain blood flow in that region. The other parts of the saddle did not offer any respite either. It is true what they say: beauty is painful.
Working together, the frame amplified the imperfections of any road surface into a saddle that could serve as a torture device. This made for a painful and very unenjoyable ride. I do give credit to Vellum for trying to give racers a frame specifically designed for racing that is seemingly off the stiffness charts, but there is such a thing as too much. In other words, be careful what you ask for. Further, non-pros (or even pros that want to have children) will not find this bike to be comfortable or even rideable beyond an hour-long criterium, which I see as its only use. Maybe retooling it for the track will help this frame find a market.
The Rotor Q-Rings were the only bright spot for me, but as they are not spec'd with this as a complete bike, I cannot really include them as part of the frame review -- the same goes for the saddle. However, Vellum says that these companies, along with Profile and Kenda, are set to be included in the near future when complete bikes will be shipped. But if I were to include them, they would still cancel each other out, leaving only the frame.
With this in mind, I give a nod to the attention paid in aesthetic design and a knock to rideability. I encourage an overhaul of at least the rear triangle (but realistically the layups of carbon on the entire frame) to improve the comfort, especially if this bike is designed with the mid-level racing consumer in mind. Otherwise, maybe a rear shock should come as an optional accessory.
Weight: 1.1kg (frame and fork)
Price: $2,595 USD (frame and fork)
Pros: Looks the part of a racing machine, high stiffness-to-power ratio
Cons: Stiff to a fault, painful on short rides, unbearable on long rides
Cyclingnews Rating:
