Argonaut Cycles

Back in October 2023, I connected with Ryan at Argonaut Cycles, and we (VIA-Atelier) hosted them for a few days during the Rouleur Classic show. After several conversations and rides, it became clear that they were a perfect fit for VIA - Atelier.

This wasn’t my first contact with the brand, though. Back in 2016, my good friend Jordan from G!RO brought them into the UK. I remember sitting in the cafe admiring one, and then on a Girona trip, one of the G!RO guys was riding one; it was stunning. I’ve worked with a number of custom brands over the years and owned a few (still do), but generally, they offer custom geometry. Argonaut goes a step further and offers a custom ride; essentially, that translates into the ‘feel’. They achieve that by laying the carbon up specifically for the rider, conducting an interview where they consider weight, rider use, location, and power, and then the design process starts. I’ve yet to work with a brand that goes into such detail, even making their own carbon wheels so they can completely control the ride feel. In a world where most wheel brands are now making their products more compliant, Argonaut wants the frame to be the highlight, and using more compliant wheels would detract from the feel. So, by bringing it in-house, they can have complete control over how the bike rides and ‘feels’; there’s that word again.

The bike pictured above was the second one I sold through VIA. The first was a GR3 gravel bike, and then this RM3 was next. It was for a regular customer with a bike collection to die for. I don’t normally get jealous, but when this turned up, I really didn’t want to hand it over. Max wanted a traditional-looking bike, so I pushed for the horizontal top tube, my aesthetic input that I’m glad Ben Farver wasn’t offended by. The customer service and contact throughout the process were incredible, with weekly updates and allowing the rider to have some input and feedback. Sadly, most brands aren’t interested in the rider, but not Argonaut; this bike is tailored to Max, and they genuinely cared about his input and needs.

I got to ride a non-custom RM3 in Piedmont recently. After a few local rides, I felt fast, really fast, but that’s not really a priority for me; I want a bike that handles, has some life, and ‘feels’ lively to ride. Something that lights up on descents. Lots of bikes are fast but feel dead when you really push them, or you have to work them around a corner, not this. You can brake late, hold the line, and then power out of the corner; it’s the exit where you feel it really wanting to go. It begs for the next bend and then the next; on the switchbacks, it was an absolute joy. I felt incredible riding it

I could go into more detail about the manufacturing process but to be honest you’re better off reading THIS from James Huang of The Escape Collective, one of the best pieces of tech writing I’ve seen in a long time.

By way of comparison bikes I’ve ridden and enjoyed are the Factor 02 and Cervelo R5 (current model). Both are great bikes and both have ride qualities I look for, handling being the priority and while the RM3 I used wasn’t custom (for me) the fit was great and Ben swapped out the bars and stem for me to get it perfect. I would like to see and feel how a custom lay up would differ and how much difference it makes.

The feedback from Max, a man of many bikes is that he hasn’t ridden any of the others since his RM3 turned up including his S-Works Tarmac. High praise indeed.

Build weight of both Max’s bike and the one I rode was around the 6.7 kg.

To find out more or to arrange a demo hit me up at VIA Atelier, nick@via-atelier.cc

The GR3 gravel bike and a Supernaut build can be found in a previous post HERE