JUAN'S S-WORKS AETHOS

This week we’re featuring a demonic S-Works Aethos, built for Juan.

It’s not every day that we have a client approach us with such a specific goal for a bike. Juan was looking for a bike that would help him conquer one of the most iconic, historic and gruelling climbs in the world; the Col du Tourmalet.

One of the best known ascents in the Pyrenees, the Tourmalet has been included in the Tour de France more often than any other mountain since its introduction in 1910. Whilst the first treacherous crossing was summarised by the iconic, flippant words of Alphonse Steinès, stating “Crossed Tourmalet stop. Very good road stop. Perfectly feasible”, the Tourmalet is not to be taken lightly.

The 19km climb averages around 7.4%, with the steepest sections at the very end, once your energy is almost fully drained. From the Western side, you’ll gain over 4,000ft of elevation. The pros will commonly conquer this ascent in under an hour, but for us mere mortals, under two hours is very respectable!

Juan is a passionate cyclist, who loves to take on a big challenge. He’s done tons of miles, and has many of the world’s epic climbs under his belt. To conquer this bucket-list mountain, lightness is absolutely key, as well as an appropriate gear ratio.

Could there be a more perfect frame for this purpose than the lightest mass production frame on the market, the S-Works Aethos? We helped Juan locate his Aethos, managing to secure a frame with a unique “Obsidian” finish. A gorgeous finish, with flecks of green, red and purple over dark, raw carbon, weight is kept to a minimum at every point. This is a great pair with LuisFe’s Campagnolo special edition Aethos we recently featured, another deceiving frame, painted to look like Carrara Marble.

Nailing the gear ratio is hugely important for this challenge. We installed a SRAM RED AXS 46/33 power meter with a 10-36 cassette, so Juan can keep a close eye on his power output, and have the huge gear range to conquer the 19km climb and nail the descent.

For the rest of the build, lightness was our primary concern. We installed a set of Roval Alpinist CLX carbon wheels, and a Zipp carbon stem and handlebar to fit his position perfectly. Finished with an S-Works Power saddle and Arundel Mandible carbon bottle cages, this stealthy bike tipped the scales at just 14.8lbs.

We’re happy to report that since this bike was built, Juan has taken it to the Tourmalet, and managed to conquer the climb. We couldn’t be happier, to have helped him cross of that bucket list climb, and fulfil his cycling dreams.

Juan is already looking for a new goal for 2024, and we can’t wait to see where this bike takes him. Allez!