Fuji bikes will debut their new aero road bike at the Tour de France. The bike, named the Transonic, was engineered in the wind tunnel to optimize the aerodynamics and underwent FEA analysis to shape the frame to maximize stiffness. It owes many of its other rider-friendly characteristics to the riders and mechanics of NetApp-Endura – features such as fully internal cable routing including an internal Di2 battery, direct-mount Shimano brakes, and press-fit BB30. The bike’s head tube angle and fork offset were carefully chosen to be within the optimal range of trail to ensure stable steering and confidence-inspiring handling.
Established in 1899 and named after Mt. Fuji (a Japanese symbol of strength and resilience), the Fuji brand is one of the oldest surviving bicycle brands in the world. Guided by three core principles – strength, heritage, and craftsmanship – Fuji’s steadfast philosophy in utilizing the most advanced technology and incorporating elite athlete input into its high-performance products has enabled the brand to endure while others have faltered.
Fuji offers a complete line of premium bikes – road, triathlon, cyclocross, track, mountain, women’s, kids, urban, transportation, comfort, and cruiser – through its network of more than 1,400 specialty bicycle dealers in the U.S. (http://www.fujibikes.com/dealer) and distributors in more than 50 countries across the globe (http://www.fujibikes.com/general/worldwide). The brand’s success is based upon an innovative design and research process that allows Fuji to develop products based on the performance needs of its sponsored professional athletes and then apply that technology to every type of ride; Fuji strives to develop the best bikes in the world for every rider and every lifestyle.
Originally founded as a Japanese bicycle manufacturing company in the late 1800s, Fuji expanded to the United States market in the 1950s, took the international racing scene by storm in the 1970s, and today, has joined forces with parent company Advanced Sports International – headquartered in Philadelphia, PA – to become a truly global cycling brand. Building on a long legacy of firsts that date back to Japan's first Olympic cycling appearances in the 1920s, sponsorship of the first U.S. women's road racing team (Fuji-Suntour) in the 1970s, and countless victories across the globe from 1899 to the present day spanning all disciples, Fuji’s pinnacle moment came in 2011 when Juan Jose Cobo earned the brand its first-ever grand tour victory at the Vuelta a España. Fuji bikes have also won numerous national and world championships and have been raced in the world’s most prestigious bike race, the Tour de France.
Check it out! THE NEW Fuji Altamira Product Video
The Altamira is the culmination of Fuji’s relentless pursuit of the perfect road bike. Fuji worked with its Spanish-based professional team for three years developing it, utilizing input from the team’s staff, mechanics, and riders. After visiting Spain’s 35,000-year-old Altamira caves filled with Paleolithic drawings of Bison – deemed the earliest example of human development and creative expression – Fuji decided “Altamira” was the perfect name for its new, top-of-the line road racer, as it marked a milestone in the development of Fuji’s carbon road bikes: the perfect marriage of lightness, stiffness, and handling. The Altamira story came full circle in September 2011 when Juan Jose Cobo won the 2011 Vuelta a España aboard his Fuji Altamira, a bike that earned Fuji its first-ever grand tour title – by the rider known as “The Bison” no less.
NetApp-Endura is a new chapter in the Altamira story. The team will be riding the Altamira SL, which represents a new benchmark for Fuji: its lightest production bike ever. Fuji reduced frame weight by using a combination of its highest-level c15 carbon material (which has a density of 1.8 g/cm3 and a tensile strength of 590 Kg/mm2) and a revolutionary new molding process called High Compaction. This proprietary process eliminates wrinkles and excess resin buildup for greater compaction in the carbon layers. The payoff is a lighter and stiffer frame, with an interior as finished as the exterior.
A massive downtube, ETC asymmetrical chainstays, tapered head tube, BB86 bottom bracket, and ride-tuned, super-thin seatstays provide compliance over rougher terrain for all-day comfort, as well as ensure superior power transfer. Regarded as “an exceptionally capable race frame” by VeloNews, the Altamira is the ultimate stage racer that excels on the climbs yet is stiff enough for powerful sprints.
MAXIMIZING SPEED ON A BICYCLE CAN BE DEFINED AS A RIDER’S ABILITY (POWER OUTPUT) TO OVERCOME AIR RESISTANCE.
In our quest to develop one of the fastest bikes in the world, we made our way to the A2 Wind Tunnel, where we tested, refined, and tested some more, each iteration of the Norcom Straight. The final result: We have one of the fastest bikes in industry – 18% faster across the most common yaw angles than our previous Tri/TT platform: the D-6.