A few months ago an image went viral, shocking the cycling community. It depicted the amount of carbon fibre sheet required to produce a single bike frame. This was no ordinary frame though, it was the heart of the new UNNO super bike. Engineered in house in Barcelona, the UNNO range is a product of one man’s obsession, and has a price tag to match. We flew out to find out more.
As I stepped into the huge unmarked freight elevator, searching for the right floor I noticed the small CERO sticker, phew, I was in the in right place. I gave the button a firm push and the elevator shunted to life. As the bare concrete walls slowly passed by the open side it felt like a journey into a Bond villain’s lair. The lift opened into a large corridor terminating with a large unmarked black door! I was excited as behind the door lay the birthplace of the most exciting bikes of the year. I was here to check out UNNO bikes, one of the world’s most exclusive framesets.
Walking into the Barcelona based CERO design studio, the huge open plan space was buzzing with the smell of coffee, inspiration and focus, over 30 designers sat transfixed on their screens, flickering with top secret design projects from the automotive and motorcycle industry. Before I saw something I shouldn’t and had to be shot, I was ushered into a large meeting room. It was here where I met the man behind CERO and also the new range of UNNO bikes, Casar Rojo.
Who is Cesar Rojo
Cesar Rojo’s cycling credentials need little introduction, having raced at the highest level of World Cup DH on the Global Racing team he understands the fine balance and geometries that produce iconic bikes. He is also a internationally renowned designer, with a lifetime of work in the cycle and motorcycle industry, pioneering concepts that have shaped some of the more radical DH and enduro bikes that we ride today. He is a man with an obsession for design, and a true perfectionist when it comes to aesthetics and geometry. His team will now be producing a range of five models of cutting edge UNNO bikes that blend the very best materials with some innovative design features.
The UNNO bike range
There will be 5 models in the UNNO range covering the entire riding spectrum. The range includes a superlight XC hardtail and full suspension model, an aggressive 130 mm 29er trail bike, a 160 mm 27.5 enduro bike and finishes with a 200 mm DH bike. Each model is built and engineered uniquely for it’s purpose but each also shares the same UNNO signature design ethos and geometry concepts. Cesar has brought his ‘once radical’ geometry ideals to each of the sectors, pushing the boundaries of the norm.
UNNO, creating a superbike
In the beginning, Cesar investigated using a number of high-end carbon fibre specialists to produce the frames, but each could not meet his demanding criteria or expectations. A choice was made to bring all fabrication in-house, ridiculously expensive for sure but the only way that Cesar could engineer the bike he wanted. Listening to Cesar talk about the UNNO design, moving seamlessly from seat tube optimisation to the resin used in the carbon fibre; it’s clear that every part of the UNNO frame has been questioned, deliberated, agonised over and analysed to the minutiae. It’s this attention to detail that future customers will be buying into, and for some that premium will not matter.
Balance is key, UNNO talk geometry
Looking at the bewildering diversity in mountain bike sizing, you could be forgiven for thinking that the industry is crazier than current world politics. Bike reaches are all over the place, smalls bigger than larges when going from brand to brand, head and seat tube angles seemed to be picked at random. Of course, there has been a noticeable push towards longer bikes recently with even some very radical geometries hitting the market, but still the big brands seem slow to catch up, locked into their defined ranges. Like us, UNNO believe that a longer and slacker geometry with a steep seat tube can benefit a wide variety of riders, as long as it is not too extreme.
For the first batch of frames UNNO are only producing in one size targeted at an average height rider, a larger model will be on it’s way for very tall riders. Boasting a reach of 455 mm in the trail and enduro bikes, looking at alternative brands size recommendations UNNO are certainly longer than most on the market. The UNNO comes up like a L, XL in most models, and while certainly progressive, UNNO shies away from being extremely long or slack. The most interesting bike in the range to us is the mid-travel trail 130 mm 29er that with a 455 mm reach, 65.5 degree head angle and 75 degree seat angle, bringing what would be considered as very aggressive enduro geometry to a mid travel 29” model, we were excited to try it and you can read our first ride review here.
Marketing bullshit and voodoo, the world of Carbon Fibre
There is a lot of marketing techno-babble when it comes to carbon fibre, with many brands using exotic names to disguise the fact that they are using exactly the same material as everyone else. While there are around 40 or 50 forms of carbon fibre on the market, almost all are reserved for more expensive applications than even the most expensive bike frames. In reality only a few types are used in the cycle industry, T300 is the most commonly used carbon fibre grade in Asia for budget conscious frames, with higher end brands using the more expensive and higher modulus (strength) T700 and T1000 types.
UNNO make use of the higher modulus and more expensive T700 and T1000 grade for maximum energy absorption, opting to use the woven cloth rather than the cheaper unidirectional fibres. This significantly adds to the difficulty in construction as cosmetic errors cannot be hidden like with unidirectional, but Cesar believes the woven cloth has much improved impact absorbing properties and produces a stronger frame. Each UNNO frame features over 400 different fabric cuts, and requires around 14 square meters of material to produce.
UNNO, Evolution not revolution
There is nothing revolutionary about the UNNO bikes, certainly the stunning design in naked carbon weave is unique and the skinny-but-wide top tube strikes an imposing silhouette, but there is nothing new. What makes the UNNO bikes interesting to us is that they represent a holistic collection of clever design features, an exercise in reasoning and questions. We love the moulded in curved continuous carbon internal cable routing tubes, allowing the outer to be pushed straight through for effortless cable changes and invisible cabling. We also love the very clever captive pivot hardware borrowed from the supermoto industry. Every single component, from the choice of glue to bind the resins to the type of lacquer used has been hand picked from the very best available, often moving beyond the cycle industry and drawing on experience from F1 or the supermoto industry. Even the rubber parts are designed and moulded on site, from the seat-post seal to the cable ports, each tiny feature requires its own ridiculously expensive mould and extensive testing, having to survive Cesar’s demanding standards.
Testing To Destruction
The beauty of in-house production is that changes can be made from mould to mould, and indeed the UNNO has evolved through many cycles of design, testing and ultimately destruction. Cesar is putting his reputation on the UNNO range and as such is subjecting them to some serious hammer in their in-house fatigue lab. Lab testing is combined with on-trail testing using strain gauges to ensure that the frames are subjected to beyond real world forces, in fact 50% higher than the forces normally used for EN testing. Cesar talks openly of the failures and shows me the collection of early prototype frames that failed on the test rig during development, each one a vital component in the final frames evolution and strength. The goal was always to produce a frame that is light, but more importantly able to withstand many years of riding.
Who buys a € 5,000 frameset?
Yes you read the price correctly. As soon as you hang a €5000 price tag on a frame you do exclude the majority of the consumers. However Cesar is clear that he is not producing a bike for the masses, but a ‘money almost no object’ frame built from the finest materials possible with an exclusivity that will attract many. Like those who lust after expensive watches or high performance cars, the thrill of owning something different, built with passion, will see many burning up their credit cards. Some will lust for the UNNO because it’s beautiful, some will be attracted to the refined ride, and some will not understand it at all, which is OK.
Yes, €5000 is crazy expensive for a frame; but without getting swept up in the hype you perhaps cannot apply the UNNO price in quite the same way as most bikes. There is nothing revolutionary about the UNNO bikes, they represent a homologation of the current best ideas and thinking, handmade from the best materials and with a geometry that really works. This is certainly what you are ultimately buying into, Cesar’s ethos and passion. Cesar is aiming to build an Aston Martin of the bike world, low volume, exclusive and aimed at the enthusiast who wants the best, this is not a bike for the people.
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