![]() It’s a refreshing stance that seems to put the claims and data for aero road bikes into a realistic context. Instead, SwiftCarbon has chosen to simply minimise the frontal area along with the surface area for the down tube, arguing that the benefits of any other “gimmicks” are much smaller than what can be achieved by refining the rider’s position on the bike. At face value, a claim like that suggests aerodynamics were a primary consideration, but the company was more concerned about creating a faster bike without compromising its handling, compliance or performance.Īs a result, the Hypervox lacks many of the features that have come to define aero road bikes, such as brake callipers hidden behind the forks and/or under the chainstays. The Hypervox is the result of that effort, a bike that is “aero without compromise” according to SwiftCarbon’s marketing. However, there was room to expand the range, both to satisfy consumer demand as well as the needs of a sprint-oriented team in Drapac Professional Cycling. The Ultravox has served as SwiftCarbon’s core road offering for a few years, albeit in a variety of guises including the lightweight SCULP, the TI (Team Issue) version, and the recently announced SSL. Canny sponsorship decisions have helped raise the profile of the brand, which currently caters for road cyclists, triathletes and MTB. The company remains small with 15 employees yet its products are now sold in over 30 countries. The company has been growing steadily since it was founded in 2008, first in South Africa, and then internationally. ![]() From the outset, Blewett was transparent about his Chinese connections and chose to base himself in China to keep a close watch on production rather than attempting to oversee it all from South Africa. Over the course of the next decade, Blewett developed an understanding of Chinese manufacturing, and in time he was motivated to create SwiftCarbon. He also managed to secure a professional contract during the mid-90s before turning his attention to setting up his business in Asia, ultimately leading him into the bicycle industry. The founder and co-owner, Mark Blewett, was a multi-week-tour specialist that once captained for the South African national team. ![]() SwiftCarbon is perhaps best characterised as a rider-owned company. In this review, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a close look at the Swift Hypervox. The new design is a bold and purposeful race bike and according to SwiftCarbon, demonstrates that there is no need for gimmicks to create a fast bike. SwiftCarbon recently introduced a new bike to its road catalogue, taking some of the elements that defined the Ultravox and giving them an aero edge to produce the Hypervox. ![]()
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