We met up with Markus Storck, founder of Storck Bicycles, and asked him a few questions. Check out our video interview with Markus, where he touches on topics such as how he got addicted to the bicycle, how the Klein merger with Trek affected him, and what motivates him when he designs a new bicycle today.

Lexington, SC - Storck Bicycle and Vanderkitten Racing have announced a multi-year sponsorship deal that will place the Elite Women’s Team on Storck road bikes beginning with the 2009 racing season.

“Our organization enjoyed a terrific 2008 season and we are confident that 2009 will be even more successful now that we will be riding Storcks”, said Robin Zellner, Managing Director - Vanderkitten Racing.

“We are delighted to be associated with this first rate team and are looking forward to a strong partnership which will benefit both our dealers and consumers”, said Dave Goeppner, GM for Storck in the US.

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Storck 69er Wheelset Pro Review - by Steve Cooper

• The Marcus Storck designed wheelset made by Zipp
• A perfect 69mm deep dish, dimpled, carbon rim, front and rear
• Designed and engineered to be faster than 404s and better in the wind than 808s
• Speed-Blue anodized Zipp hubs
• Available in 700c, tubular & clincher models
• Campy or Shimano
• Sapim CX Ray spokes
• 1369 grams
• MSRP $2,499

If RoadBikeReview had a “smack the carbon wheel skeptic upside his head” category; it’d be a perfect place to post this review. That said, I owe you a little explanation. When we first received these Storck 69er carbon wheels for review, I was very much in the “flat-earth/what-for” camp, but after lots of ride adventures, and identifying the wheels’ strengths and attributes, I’ve become a carbon wheel juggernaut, rolling speedily into a fast new world.

The Storck 69er is a unique beast; designed and licensed by Germany’s crown prince of carbon, Marcus Storck, and manufactured by 20 year carbon wheel veteran Zipp Speed Weaponry. The 69er is intended to be a practical, multi-use 700c carbon tubular wheel set, with a blend of an aero-profile and low-drag surface, a just-deep-enough rim section (69 mm deep, 21mm wide), weighing in at a reasonably light 1369 grams.

Rolling on custom anodized Zipp 82 front and 182 rear hubs, the 69er’s profile is midway between Zipp’s 404 and 808 offerings. Lighter and less susceptible to cross wind forces than the deeper 808, yet more aerodynamic than the 404, the 69er sits in that sweet middle spot, designed to be your primary high end wheel set for both road/crit racing and time trial use. You could even train on these wheels, but my cautious inner-Eyeore wants to reserve these wheels for race and TT day.

Zipp has never been shy about decals, nor has Storck. Put these two together with 69 millimeters of open space and you’ve got a rolling billboard opportunity for both companies. But frankly, if you’re prepared to drop the coin on a set of 69ers, you’ve earned the big, bold bragging rights. Looking beyond the screaming silver and blue graphics, you’ll find lovely ano-blue hubs with carbon dust caps, stainless bladed Sapim CX Ray spokes (18 front, 24 rear), securely clamped down by Zipp’s sleek and aero-slippery Ti skewers. No doubt about it, these wheels boldly telegraph their go-fast intent. Got the legs to back that up?

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.