Frequently Asked Questions

We utilize the latest carbon composite technology to create the finest frame in the world. We use a combination of Nano carbon particles in the carbon fiber along with Smooth Wall (SW) layup techniques to create the right combination of flexibility, strength and stiffness we come to expect in the world’s finest performance road bike.

Nano Carbon technology– Nano carbon particles are impregnated in the fiber structure to further enhance the strength while maintaining a high degree of flexibility and yield strength.

Smooth Wall (SW) carbon layup technology– Volagi™ has developed a proprietary technique for carbon layup. This allows for a smooth layering of the internal carbon fiber layers free of wrinkles and voids assuring maximum strength, while maintaining flexibility(where desired).

By specifically shaping the seat stays, LongBow Flex™, and bringing them around the seat tube to connect to the top tube we were able to create just enough flex, a demonstrable flex, to achieve improved compliance that results in better tracking and control as well as reduced rider fatigue. We know you are concerned about losing power transfer from the pedals to the rear drive sprockets as an unwanted by-product of this flex so we oversized the seat tube and down tube, made the chain stay both short and stocky to eliminate any flex in this critical area. The front fork and all possible frame tubes have been aerodynamically designed to cut wind resistance for all those times you’re leading in the peloton.

We addressed fatigue not only through frame flex but also through the riding position. You’ll find that the taller head tube makes riding in the top position slightly more upright and the drop position provided by the compact handlebars is not as far down becoming a less fatiguing and more attractive alternative position.

A real advantage to designing from scratch is the ability to incorporate clearances that are impossible to retrofit. Volagi™ comes equipped with slightly wider, 25mm tires, for improved traction and reduced rolling resistance. Additionally, Volagi™ is the only performance bicycle that is able to accommodate full fenders. As you know, our events happen rain or shine, as with a Volagi™ when the weather turns wet you won’t have to pull out your heavy bike in order provide some much appreciated protection for yourself and the rider behind you.

Regardless of how compelling the engineering is or how seductive the design it all comes down to the ride. If you think you might be in the market for a performance bicycle you really should test ride a Volagi and discover for yourself what it’s like to ride a bicycle designed specifically for someone just like you.

We designed the LongBow Flex™ Stay to optimize the carbon fibre's natural properties to absorb road vibrations and maximize the ability to move up and down. To put this in non-layman's terms: Our patent- pending design gives maximum vertical compliance and suppleness while maintaining a high degree of lateral stiffness or STW (stiffness to weight ratio) for power transfer.

The LongBow Flex™ stay is a revolutionary design that utilizes high-yield strength carbon fibre and lengthens the overall stay to maximize the frame’s ability to give vertical compliance to absorb road vibrations. In fact, the frame’s vertical deflection rate at 6.0+mm/kN is one of the highest in the industry. Even the orientation of the oval shape allows the stay to flex in one direction, while maintaining stiffness side to side for maximum control and power transfer.

Another benefit to the LongBow Flex™ stay is it actually maintains the great handling characteristics of a short chain stay design while enhancing the ride quality. Furthermore, the stay is connected all the way to the midpoint of the frame providing a strut- like design for even better lateral stiffness. As a result, Volagi™ bikes promote better handling and more efficient power displacement.

We are accustomed to hearing that stiffer is better. Well, if the ride is only going around a circle for 30 to 40 minutes on smooth pavement, this might be the case. Most of us though are riding in all kinds of road conditions and enjoy being on the bike hours at a time. Volagi™ bikes are plenty stiff, but only stiff in the right places. In fact, our STW (stiffness to weight) ratio of 95 kN/deg/kg is up there with the best racing bikes, but that’s not the whole story.

The vertical compliance, or its ability to flex and absorb the small vibrations and bumps, is the other story that is missed. We are glad to say that our vertical deflection, the measurement of the frame’s ability to move up and down, has been measured at 5.6mm/kN and we might be the best in the business. More importantly, it’s how you feel that matters. We guarantee that you will feel better on a Volagi™ and in turn, you are going to perform better and be faster. Now when you have to surge to chase the group or push up the last hill on a double century, all you have to provide is the “will to go” and Volagi™ will do the rest.

Here are a few reasons that come to mind:

1. Consistent braking under all conditions: The braking force is consistent so speed control is more predictable even in wet and muddy conditions.

2. Better safety and control: You can modulate or have greater range of control since the stopping force is even with no sudden grabbing and locking of wheels. No possibility of blowing tires/tubes or rolling tires from overheating rims on long descents or from “riding” the brakes.

3. Better stopping power: Apply more force so you can stop sooner.

4. Less hand fatigue: More stopping power means you don’t have to squeeze your brakes as hard which is a problem on longer descents and cold rides.

5. No black gunk all over the frame: Don’t you hate riding wet knowing you have to clean the black stuff from your aluminum rim?

6. Less maintenance and economical: Since the pad wear is minimal, no need to constantly adjust the cable length and pad position. Less wear means less cost to maintain.

7. Easy to adjust: No tools required to adjust brake pad clearance.

8. Carbon rim: No heat damage to your expensive carbon rims.

9. Brake even with broken wheels: Disk brakes are not affected by the conditions of the spokes or rims; so even if your break a spoke, you don’t lose braking.

10. Better range of tires: Your range of tires is no longer affected by clearing calipers.

11. Ride with fenders: No tire clearance to worry about without the rim calipers.

12. Easier to repair flats: No need to clear calipers and adjust pads every time you have a flat.

13. Peace of mind: You have enough things to worry about when going for a ride - your brakes should not be one of them.

One of the most important characteristics of the bike is the ability to control it. We pose this question: Why should a high performance bike capable of descending at 60 mph be so inept at braking with any control? Can you imagine a sports car still using rubber pads on a rim as a braking system? Even the most rudimentary mountain bikes have disk brakes. Think of how many times you’ve taken a spill due to rim brakes not working in “real world” conditions. Ouch!

The only time rim brakes work well is when weather and road conditions are perfect. Your pads have to be aligned, rims have to be true, conditions dry, and brake cables have to be adjusted. Disk brakes perform consistently in wet, dry, hot, and cold conditions, and even with bent rims and broken spokes. Now with the rim calipers gone, you have the freedom to put on 30c tires and fenders for the long winter months and enjoy the freedom of cycling outdoors.

At Volagi™, we didn’t just slap on disk brakes. We carefully custom -engineered the hubs, rims and calipers providing the best braking system for a road bike without compromising weight and performance.

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The rear spacing is the traditional road bike spacing of 130 mm. We are making our own hubs and wheel sets to accommodate this spacing as well as to keep the quality and integrity of our engineering and design.

In general, we are keeping most advantages of road cycling, the rear spacing is the traditional road bike spacing of 130 mm. We are making our own hubs and wheel sets to accommodate this spacing. One of the reasons we went with 130mm spacing is so that you could still use your existing wheels with traditional road brakes – so in this case, if you already have a road PowerTap, you could just use that wheel (without any modifications) with a cantilever (traditional road) brake.

If you don’t have a power meter, the better option is to use a SRAM/Quark bottom bracket power meter, which does not involve the wheel – we believe this is a better solution.

Another promising option is the new Polar/Look “power pedals” that should be on the market in the Spring of 2011, about the same time our bikes will be available. This system is even more adaptable to our bike (or any bike).

We believe that once disc brakes are adapted on all road bikes (and they will be), that most, if not all accessory companies will have products available specifically for disc equipped bikes.

We have eyelets built into both the rear and front for fenders. If you mount full fenders the tire size will be limited to 25C sizes although the bikes will easily accommodate 28C tire without it. We also recommend Axiom fenders http://www.axiomgear.com/products/gear/fenders/full-coverage-fenders/pac... to mount properly to the bike.

It depends with the dealer. We know that the bikes will accept a triple however you might want to keep the compact crank (since the FSA’s SL-K is a monocoque carbon arms, expensive and lightweight…) and only swap the rear derailleur to a long cage and rear cassette to a 32-11t (SRAM PG-1050 10spd 11-32 Cassette) which should give you 34-32 combination resulting in gear inch of 29.

Looking at the 55cm frame, the Ultegra model is about 16.7 pounds, the Dura-Ace model is about 16.1 pounds and the Rival model is about 17.8 pounds. The Rival comes equipped with more sturdy set of 32 spoke wheels.

The weight difference between high performance caliper brakes and discs are about 270gms(0.6 lbs) more. However, we’ve engineered the wheels to be quite light, the sets only weight 1,500 gms, about 200-300 gms lighter than comparable wheel sets for the price range of the bikes.

Yes, the Ignite SL wheel set with carbon rims is sold separately. The MSRP is $1,495.00

The Ignite EL wheel set with alloy rims are provided on the Liscio Dura-Ace and Liscio Ultegra models. The Ignite XL wheel set with 32 spoking is provided on our Liscio Rival.

The line SL and EL has been designed from scratch and we have been able to incorporate clearances that are impossible to retrofit. Volagi comes equipped with slightly wider, 25mm tires, for improved traction and reduced rolling resistance.

Additionally, Volagi is able to accommodate full fenders with integrated fender mounts. As you know, our events happen rain or shine, as with a Volagi when the weather turns wet you won’t have to pull out your heavy bike in order provide some much appreciated protection for yourself and the rider behind you.

Regardless of how compelling the engineering is or how seductive the design it all comes down to the ride. If you think you might be in the market for a performance bicycle you really should test ride a Volagi and discover for yourself what it’s like to ride a bicycle designed specifically for someone just like you.

We addressed fatigue not only through frame flex but also through the riding position. If you are a long distance cyclist you probably have an extra couple of spacers at the head tube. You’ll find that the taller head tube makes riding in the top position slightly more upright. In addition, we provide compact handlebars for the drop position becoming a less fatiguing and more attractive alternative position.

Our design engineers, long-term ultra distance riders themselves, created Volagi by scrupulously and painstakingly designing every tube and connection millimeter by millimeter with fresh eyes for exactly details that together would create unique ride characteristics best suited for our riders. This resulted in a ground-breaking frame design we call LongBow Stay.

By specifically shaping the seat stays and bringing them around the seat tube to connect to the top tube we were able to create just enough flex, a demonstrable flex, to achieve improved compliance that results in better tracking and control as well as reduced rider fatigue. We know you are concerned about losing power transfer from the pedals to the rear drive sprockets as an unwanted by-product of this flex so we oversized the seat tube and down tube, made the chain stay both short and stocky to eliminate any flex in this critical area. The front fork and all possible frame tubes have been aerodynamically designed to cut wind resistance for all those times you’re riding in the peloton.