Feature

CENTURION Numinis Carbon 2017 Prototype Bike Check

29.02.2016
by

At the Andalucía Bike Race, the pro riders from TEAM CENTURION VAUDE were out whipping up dust on an as-yet-undisclosed prototype. But hidden under all that secrecy and protective foil is surely the next generation CENTURION Numinis Carbon. Here at ENDURO, we got an exclusive glimpse of this new marathon bike and picked up some pretty solid info on the series bike that we’re naturally going to share with you.

The new silhouette caught our attention – but so too did the prototype camo!
The new silhouette caught our attention – but so too did the prototype camo!

Marking the start of the latest stage race season, the Andalucía Bike Race is a great form-tester ahead of the season’s highlight, South Africa’s Cape Epic. After both CENTURION VAUDE teams of Daniel Geismayr/Jochen Käß and Markus Kaufmann/Matthias Pfrommer were forced for health and injury reasons to withdraw, the atmosphere within the team could have gotten a little tense, but they’re already looking ahead towards Cape Epic. Driven as always, the team pairings haven’t yet been revealed for the eight-day stage race.

And there are just as many questions floating around when it comes to the hidden prototype bikes that the CENTURION VAUDE riders have been on. We’ve been allowed some exclusive info on the bike and can now reveal what the CENTURION Numinis Carbon 2017 is set to look like.

The first thing you notice is the brand new frame design for this 29er. The rear shock is directly under the top tube, giving room for two large bottle cages in the frame’s triangle – well, that’s one big bottle and 600 ml in size 43. This setup will be hugely advantageous on long days at stage races, and particularly at the Cape Epic, where feed stations are few and far between.

Details of the CENTURION Numinis Carbon 2017

There’s a SR SUNTOUR UNAir rear shock doing its duty at the rear, which has been meticulously set-up to attune the new kinematics to the team riders at a special set-up camp.
There’s a SR SUNTOUR UNAir rear shock doing its duty at the rear, which has been meticulously set-up to attune the new kinematics to the team riders at a special set-up camp.
Fittingly, the SR SUNTOUR Axon with 100 mm travel takes over executive duties while the fully integrated headset saves weight.
Fittingly, the SR SUNTOUR Axon with 100 mm travel takes over executive duties while the fully integrated headset saves weight.
Flexing seat stays replace the rest of the bearings, saving yet more weight and reducing maintenance.
Flexing seat stays replace the rear bearings, saving yet more weight and reducing maintenance.
They’ve got rid of the bridge between the seatstays to give more tyre clearance. The Boost hub gives more rigidity.
They’ve got rid of the bridge between the seatstays to give more tyre clearance. The Boost hub gives more rigidity.
At 435 mm, the chainstays are significantly shorter than the current Numinis Carbon.
At 435 mm, the chainstays are significantly shorter than the current Numinis Carbon.
Matthias Pfrommer unfortunately had to withdraw from the Andalucia Bike Race after his team partner Markus Kaufmann crashed out.
Matthias Pfrommer unfortunately had to withdraw from the Andalucia Bike Race after his team partner Markus Kaufmann crashed out.

The bike will be available in two different models. Alongside this marathon/XC frame with 100 mm front and rear travel, there’s also going to be a model with 130 mm front and 120 mm rear travel, which will be an interesting proposition for many riders. And they don’t just differ on travel; they also feature geometry that’s been primed for its purpose. Of course, in order to be ready for anything, there’s also internal cable routing for a dropper post. Moreover, the frame is capable of fitting electronic Shimano Di2 shifters. The bike will come in three sizes (43, 48 and 53).

The CENTURION Numinis has long been a popular bike amongst distance riders and it’s now had a revamp for 2017. Coming with new geometry and a ton of modern features, we’re excited to see what the model is going to look like and how both variants are going to be specced.

Words: Moritz Dittmar Photos: Ross Bell

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