Tech Podcast: Contador and Basso discuss Aurum Bikes
Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso join tech editor Dan Cavallari to tell the story of Aurum Bikes; it's a passion project with heaps of engineering behind it.
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It became clear even before I hit record for this podcast that Ivan Basso and Alberto Contador are very good friends. They joke and smile, and the conversation eases from one to the other naturally, as though they have been bantering for years. And they have, both as teammates and as friends after their careers as professional cyclists. Now, they have teamed up to create Aurum Bikes, and more than anything else I can tell you about the bikes themselves, I can assure you the brains behind Aurum are passionate about them. Basso and Contador care deeply about this new bike brand. It is an extension of their friendship.
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Contador and Basso joined me on the VeloNews Tech Podcast to give the back story on how Aurum Bikes came to be, and what makes the first Aurum Bikes model, the Magma, different from anything else on the market today.
The Magma combines all the elements that both Contador and Basso wish they had been able to capitalize on while they were riding sponsor equipment over the course of their careers. Both riders developed a strong sense of what they did and did not like from every iteration of every superbike that they had ever thrown a leg over, and it seemed to make sense that they could now combine all those elements effectively in their post-racing careers. So they teamed up to do exactly that.
Aurum Bikes was born over the course of several years, and both Contador and Basso have been riding prototype models of the Magma since early 2019. They have both been involved with the development of the bike, but they have also wisely relied upon experienced bicycle engineers and testing facilities all over Europe to get the aerodynamic and structural elements just right.
The end result is a bike that combines aerodynamics with light weight and all the ride characteristics that refined riders like Basso and Contador want and need from their bikes. The Aurum Bikes lineup ill find itself at home under everyday riders, and racers alike; Contador and Basso have their sights set on a presence in the WorldTour, and have already begun that pursuit with team sponsorships at the Continental and Pro Continental levels.
Will Aurum Bikes one day become as legendary a name as Colnago or Bianchi? It’s entirely possible, but Contador and Basso both know they’re at the very beginning of a very long journey. Listen to this episode of the VeloNews Tech Podcast to hear their story and get the details on Aurum Bikes.
If you have questions about this episode of the VeloNews Tech Podcast, feel free to reach out to tech editor Dan Cavallari via email, Twitter, or Instagram. And as always, if you have suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover on a future episode of the podcast, we’d love to hear them.
