What development targets did you set for the new AR?

This AR began development as soon as the previous generation was finished in 2008. We continued to develop tube shapes in CFD that would improve the aerodynamics and construction techniques that would cut weight. We explored new materials outside the cycling industry and introduced them in lay-up studies and FEA simulation to boost stiffness, strength, and durability. One of the big changes since 2008 was the emergence of ‘aero’ as an important box to check for new road bikes and many new additions in the aero frame segment, it was getting crowded. Some brands chose to focus on weight, others on stiffness, others purely on low drag. We determined that creating a bike that was at least #2 in every analytic category – weight, drag, stiffness – would put us #1 in the market. As we worked on those goals, reviews started coming in from magazines, consumers, and professional athletes about the latest crop of new aero bikes. Many had an unwelcome poor ride quality. This was evident in many professional teams where riders opted to use older models with more comfort, giving up the aero gains. We had a new challenge. A fourth metric – comfort – was added to our requirements. We drew on knowledge from our Z series.