Handsling A1R0evo

Inspired by the Tour de France? The Handsling A1R0evo equipped with Shimano 105 Di2 12 speed could be the bike to realise your dreams!

Have you been watching this year’s Tour de France and been inspired by the action? Riders battling against insane climbs, daring descents down mountain roads, fighting elbow to elbow in the final metres of a sprint! Maybe this summer it’s time to upgrade your old steed, or maybe you’re looking to buy your first ‘proper’ road bike? The folks at Handsling Bikes have got in touch to offer us a ride on their A1R0evo aero bike. It’s exactly the kind of bike you need if you’re wanting to try racing or just want a fast bike at an affordable price.

Handsling Bikes are a UK brand based in Hampshire. The frames are designed by Handsling and manufactured in China, using their own moulds. The brand is very much a race oriented company, their bikes have taken riders like Fred Wright to victory at the junior Paris-Roubaix. They also have multiple track and road medals at national and international level. And they sponsor two pro teams, DAS-Handsling and Chaney Windows & Doors Cycling. So if there’s one thing they know, it’s how to make a fast bike!

A1R0evo frame

The A1R0evo (aero-evo) frame has been approved by the UCI, so should you get that call-up, it won’t be your bike holding you back! The frame is made from Toray T800 carbon-fibre, which is one of the strongest, toughest carbons on the market. Handsling use internal EPS internal moulds for increased carbon compaction. These squeeze out any excess resin, saving weight, minimise voids and create a smoother finish. All this helps to create a lighter, stronger and stiffer frame, which Handsling inform us surpasses ISO standards. Good to know you can trust your frame to take whatever you throw at it!

Choose your components

The A1R0evo can be customised to your exact specifications, choose a groupset, wheels even your own paintjob. However this will all affect the price, so maybe we’ll stick to a standard colour, of which there are fifteen! And for the groupset, Shimano’s 105 Di2. I’ve been using 105 Di2 on my gravel bike and have found it to be an excellent gruppo. The quality is very high, indeed I find it hard to justify the cost of its big brother Dura Ace. And if you were to enter the hurly-burly of bunch racing, then knowing that replacements are a lot cheaper than Ultegra or Dura Ace is good to know.

Wheels

When it comes to wheels Handsling have ten you can choose from! Such as Parcours, Zipp, Walkers Brothers and Shimano. To keep the cost down though we’ll go with their own Handsling TLR Alloy R wheels. Handsling say their TLR Alloy R wheels offer “exceptional value that rivals carbon rims for weight and handling”. They use Handsling branded Bitex BX106 hubs, weigh 1.52kg and are 25mm deep. This will get you an AiR0evo for £4499.99, while that may seem a lot for ‘just a bike’ it’s actually cheaper than a lot of the big brands out there. We’ll be reviewing these wheels soon.

Handsling are able to do this because they are a direct to consumer brand. This cut’s out any middle men, who will add their percentage at each stage of the deal. And if you look at their Trust Pilot reviews they have customer care down to a fine art! A quick search on the internet shows they have had good reviews, so I’m looking forward to trying out this bike. Once we get out hands on a review bike we’ll let you know how it performs. In the meantime head over to their website check out the options on the A1R0evo.