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IT took no more than a glance at the gorgeous titanium lines of his colleague’s gleaming new J.Laverack J.ACK road bike to spark the curiosity of Marek Reichman, the Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Aston Martin. The bike was propped up in the design studio at Aston Martin HQ in Gaydon, and its irresistible looks prompted Marek to get in touch with J.Laverack. The Rutland-based specialist bike company offers a fully customised ‘Dreamworks’ bespoke bicycle design service, which is where Marek’s commission began.
Marek, the man behind some of the most exciting cars to have roared off the Aston Martin production line, was looking for a refined and millimeter-perfect made-to-measure road bike. As a designer, however, he would also throw down the gauntlet to J.Laverack with his expectations for a bike every bit as sleek and elegant as the cars he designs.
So the J.Laverack team headed to Gaydon with a selection of bikes and its Shimano Dynamics Lab bike fitting jig to talk Marek through the options, take his measurements and discuss his cycling needs and ambitions.
At the first meeting it became apparent that Marek liked the signature J.Laverack top tube as well as the company’s Gryphon logo. The prospect of having a frame fabricated to his exact measurements and honed from titanium, the most durable and resilient material, was also very appealing.
But it was the design intricacies of the bike that really fired his imagination, and particularly J.Laverack’s ingenious solutions for concealing cables. The company’s brilliant, fully-integrated ‘Streamline’ bottom bracket, for example, hides all the cables around the bottom bracket area inside the frame. It’s a clever, practical and neat solution.
Both Marek and his fellow Aston Martin colleague Garry then wanted to explore our new concept head tube that could integrate the bike’s rear brake, front and rear derailleur and dynamo cables through the head tube, to create cleaner lines and reduce the visible cables.
Happy to accept the challenge, the J.Laverack team set about refining their concept and turning the idea into a refined solution. Combined with the new ‘Streamline’ bottom bracket, their engineering would deliver the ultimate refinement and integrated enhancement for the company’s discerning customers.
After hours at the drawing board (CAD screen) and a number of design revisions to ensure sufficient clearance for the carbon fork steerer to move freely, J.Laverack’s team created a design that seamlessly allowed the cables to enter through the head tube and into the frame, removing the need for any holes in the down tube.
The company has now added this upgrade to its options list, enabling customers to select one or both ‘Streamline’ features for their bespoke bike commissions.
Marek was also looking for a bike that could run ‘daytime running lights’ to make sure he can see and be seen, especially in the winter. He therefore opted for the ÆRA AR Dynamo Disc Fork and ÆRA carbon dynamo seatpost, which allow the dynamo cabling to be internally routed in the fork and frame. As the designer of uncompromisingly beautiful cars, such as the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and Valkyrie, even the bike’s practical, functional safety features have to be graceful and elegant.
Aside from its bespoke geometry, his frame also features his son’s date of birth on the back of the seat tube. And, being a James Bond fan (no surprises there), Marek’s bike also features a personalised 007 graphic on its down tube, as well as having 007 engraved into its non-drive side dropout.
If James Bond were to ride a road bike then Q would undoubtedly build him a do-it-all J.Laverack J.ACK as his weapon of choice, perhaps with a few anti-pursuit gadgets added for good measure. Whether Bond has since ordered a J.ACK is something that we can neither confirm nor deny.
“Combined with our new ‘streamline’ bottom bracket this would be the ultimate refinement and integrated enhancement for our discerning customers.”
Full specification of Marek’s J.ACK III Dura Ace Di2
- J.Laverack Bike Fit using Shimano Dynamics Lab Fitting Jig
- Bespoke geometry
- Streamline head tube – 6Al 4V titanium
- Streamline threaded bottom bracket – 6Al 4V titanium
- Engraved headbadge
- Engraved personalised dropouts
- Hand brushed frame finish with bead blasted graphics
- Internal dynamo cable routing
- Personalised bead blasted message
- ÆRA AR Dynamo Disc Carbon Fork
- ÆRA Dynamo Carbon Seat Post
- ÆRA AR|56 carbon wheels featuring Chris King rear hub and Son Schmidt dynamo front
- Continental 28mm tyres
- Supernova E3 Triple 2 front light
- Son Schmidt rear light
- Dura Ace Power Meter
- Dura Ace bottom bracket
- Shimano Di2 D-Fly inline wireless unit
- Dura Ace hydraulic brake levers
- Hope Technology disc brake calipers
- Dura Ace 160mm disc rotors
- 3T Apto stem with J.Laverack J.ACK Top Cap
- Fizik Tempo soft touch black bar tape
- Pro Vibe carbon bars compact with Di2 bar end junction box and cable integration
- Brooks C13 saddle
As Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman relishes the challenge of creating the next generation of Aston Martins, maintaining the same passion as when he first started 12 years ago.
