August 27th, 2008 by 
kwc
Storck Absolutist 0.9 Pro Review - By Ken Conley
All Photos © Ken Conley
- 3K carbon fiber monocoque
- Super-sized seat and chain stays
- Seat post diameter 31.6mm
- Proportional tubing
- Sizes: 47, 51, 55, 57 (tested), 59, 63
- Weight: 980g (frame) 14.88lbs (built w/o pedals)
- MSRP: $3200 (frame/fork/headset) $6700 (as tested)
For the past decade, German designer Markus Storck has been at the leading edge of carbon fiber design. With frames, brakes, cranks, forks, and Zipp wheels designs to his credit, he has frequently sought “firsts”, such as the first all-carbon full suspension mountain bike and the sub-10-lb Fascenario road bike. The records have limited the reach of the Storck brand, however, as $6000 framesets are not often spotted on the street — even in expensive-bike-rich Woodside, CA. One rider told me that he saw a Storck once; he believes the rider was German.
Storck is now determined to reach a wider American audience with the more affordable Absolutist 0.9. At $3200 for the frameset, Storck won’t be losing their high-end status any time soon, but the Absolutist is a perfect super bike for delivering designer Markus Storck’s message to a wider audience: stiffness is king.
The Absolutist 0.9 is quintessential German engineering. Fans of German sports cars should know what to expect: fast, tight handling, solid and masculine. It’s not surprising that Storck was picked to design a Porsche-branded bike. Power, not elegance, is the word that comes to mind when you look at the over-sized chain stays and giant Stiletto Aero fork. You don’t buy a German sports car for the leisurely cross country trip: you buy it because you want to weave through traffic and switchbacks with power and ease. The Absolutist is similarly at home in the fast-paced world of the bike race. If you want to think who this bike is designed for, think of Jens Voigt or Jan Ullrich with their powerful, mashing legs instead of Lance Armstrong and his 90-100rpm cadence.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Awesome review Ken!
August 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Nicely done!
Your crash story sounds a whole lot like “I was just riding along…”
August 27th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Very cool review!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Beautiful bike
Nice review Ken
August 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I had a chance to ride this bike and it is everything it’s said to be and more. I am saving my money and when I have enough I’ll be on a Storck!
March 25th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
This bike doesn’t sound enjoyable to ride at all! What is the point of riding something that feels like a tree trunk?
May 30th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I am now an Absolutist owner and I love it. This bike is so smooth and you can do really dangerous things with it on the first ride!
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
The review is “spot on”. The Absolutist is not made for bicycle touring or even the Saturday morning 60 mile fast ride with your friends. This is a racing bicycle. Oh yes, you can do everything on it (which I do)and it performs perfectly, just have a dentist in the family to continually replace loose fillings from the vibrations and jarring. If you are looking for a true racing bike that will transfer every watt of energy from you to the road, especially in a sprint, then this is your bike.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I rode a Storck Scenario CD .9 until I got struck by a motorist from behind. I’m replacing my previous Storck with another Storck. Until you ride this bike you cannot understand how fast, stiff - but comfortalbe, and light this bike is.