DASSI INTERCEPTOR
£5995 › Graphene-infused superbike made in the UK
The Dassi Interceptor is a genuine UK-made homegrown hero, and it’s the first bike in the world to make use of graphene, the one-atom-thick material promising to revolutionise carbon technology.
Externally, the Interceptor is just another carbon bike. Its frame has some distinctive design features like seatstays with a Kammtail cross-section, but nothing screams ‘futuristic’. It’s what goes into that frame that makes the bike special. All carbon frames combine an epoxy resin with sheets of carbon to make up the composite, but Dassi adds graphene to produce something that’s exceptionally stiff and tough for its weight. This frame is claimed to weigh around 800g (plus 290g for the fork), which is respectable, but Dassi CEO Stuart Abbott reckons he’ll be able to manufacture an aero frame weighing just 500g in the near future.
The material is exceptionally conductive and Abbot believes that it could be used to produce so-called “intelligent frames” that integrate all manner of sensor technology into the bike – strain gauges, thermometers, you name it…
Just 25 examples of this bike are being produced, with paintjobs tailored to customers’ requirements, but the bike is expected to pave the way for larger scale production of frames in the next year or so.
The Interceptor is aptly named as its climbing ability puts one in mind of some sort of fighter jet. The frame makes for one of the stiffest bikes we’ve ever ridden. When you stand on the pedals and light the afterburners, it just goes. As tested, this isn’t a bike we’d really recommend to lightweight riders, as it’s pretty unyielding, but on smooth, twisty descents the Dassi comes into its own, with that phenomenally stiff chassis feeling accurate and sure of itself.
The spec is almost a little bit irrelevant since this is an ultra low volume machine that you can build however you like, but suffice to say the Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset looks pretty fabulous and gets the job done fine and dandy, thank you. We’d prefer a dual-pivot rear brake option as the stopping power is a bit lacking at the back, but those Bora One 50mm clinchers are hugely stiff and very handsome too, if a little twitchy when things get gusty.
Graphene is a material whose properties aren’t yet fully understood and it’s expensive to produce, something that’s reflected in the cost of the frameset, the price quoted is for the frame, fork and seatpost.
THE VERDICT Not a bike you buy for its value for money, but because you want a piece of cycling history