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.