”The Arcallis is a sporty speeder with aero attributes”, writes Tour magazine in its May 2015 edition about STEVENS’ new aero racer. The Arcalis Disc is the third bike besides the Ventoux Disc and the Supreme Disc that can be brought to a halt safely and well-modulated with hydraulic disc brakes.
Hydraulic disc brakes are currently the most noticeable novelty in road bike technology, Tour says. While last year there were only a handful of road bikes with disc brakes, now the choice is much bigger. Besides Shimano there now is Sram to offer a selection of hydraulic disc brakes. Their advantage: Better braking performance in any situation, especially in the wet with only a marginal weight penalty. And since cycling’s governing body UCI is thinking about making them race legal, the trend for better braking will be even stronger with road bikes.
The most reasonably priced Ultegra-class bike in the test
The test of eleven retail-store bikes was a tight competition with end results ranging from 1.9 to 2.3. The Arcalis Disc was right in between with a TOUR grade of 2.2. It is the most reasonably priced Ultegra-class bike in the whole competition, though, says TOUR. The specs including great wheels and first-class tires are a fair offer. Other models in test with equal specs and almost equal rating are an astonishing 2.000 Euros more expensive.
The frame was also tested in the lab with top marks for stability and power transfer, which were confirmed by test rides on the road: ”The distinctive frame performs well in the lab, on the road it behaves calmly in a positive way.” The bike also excels by lateral stiffness, paint job and overall craftsmanship. Seating position is ”quite sporty, yet far off from what is typical for aero race bikes.”
Conclusion: ”Sports-oriented aero frame, many sizes, some minor drawbacks concerning specs, quite reasonably priced.”
The STEVENS Arcalis Disc Ultegra in Team Black with inner fork legs and chainstays painted in neon yellow is available at your local STEVENS dealer. The Arcalis Disc is also available from the STEVENS Custom Program with five different shifting groups. It is also possible to get the frame set for itself.
