J.laverack R J.ack Disc
Proof titanium still has its place for top-end road
Do you remember that bike company started by that ex-racer? Or that revived 1930s French brand crowdfunding to build new old-school cranks? Or that sports nutrition outfit inspired by their cousin’s dog’s aunty’s great-grandma’s flapjack recipe?
Cycling inspires cyclists, and cyclists inspire cycling, and frankly it’s all rather lovely. Which is why I had a soft spot for this bike from the off. The registered name at Companies House might be Oliver Laverack, but the bikes that Oliver and co-founder David Clow have created bear the name J.laverack: Jack, Oliver’s grandfather.
‘He was a test pilot who flew some of the first military planes,’ says Oliver. ‘And although he was a reserved Yorkshireman he’d occasionally tell incredible tales of flying under pylons or taking his future wife Ada out on flying dates.’
Jack was also a keen amateur cyclist, and he inspired a passion in Oliver to ride. Little did he know his grandson would like riding so much he’d start his own bike brand in 2015. Six years on, this is its flagship racer, the R J.ack Disc.
What you looking at?
If steel underwent something of a renaissance a few years back, I’d say titanium is doing the same now, and it has gravel to thank. Titanium is naturally predisposed to making great gravel bikes, partly because it deals with knocks much better than carbon or aluminium. And though rivalled by steel in that regard, it’s roughly half the density, meaning a given tube can be just as stiff at half the weight. Thus titanium represents a blend of the two that’s perfect for gravel.
But lest we forget, in the right hands titanium also makes brilliant road bikes. True, ti frames rarely get below 1.2kg, but with top-drawer components being so light now, a ti-racer can hit some decent weight numbers, and the R J.ack is proof: this size 56cm weighs 8.3kg.
It’s therefore not exactly a revelation to say the R J.ack climbs well. I’ve ridden lighter, stiffer carbon frames more adept at climbing, but most of the time – the exception being sharp, punchy rises – the R J.ack is untroubled by inclines, with its 56mm-deep aero rims helping on the longer seated efforts. I make this judgement based on average speed, because considering the R J.ack makes no other concessions to aerodynamics, I found my average speed slightly up, particularly on one loop I ride that’s basically pan flat.
Those wheels are from sister-brand ÆRA, which like J.laverack frames are sourced from
the Far East and laced to Chris King or Hope hubs in the UK. I say ‘like’ the frame, as that’s designed by J.laverack and then manufactured in Asia – a common supply model for UK titanium brands. Unlike small-batch steel, it’s rare to find titanium frames made here in any numbers. Yet while you could find some very similar looking ÆRA rims elsewhere, the frame is unique.
Neat touches abound, from the engraved bottom bracket shell that is imprinted with the company motto, ‘Freedom to explore’, to the engraved cowls on the rear dropouts.
The stays are gratifyingly curved, usefully for clearance and nicely for aesthetics, and the top tube has a distinctly flattened appearance, which is a throwback to an early J.laverack that was designed to be shouldered for cyclocross.
I had half expected a spiel about the top tube shape boosting comfort because it can flex more, and I half wanted that spiel. It would at least have been one solid thing to hang my
It’s the ability to blend smoothness and sharpness that elevates the R J.ack into the realms of something very special
judgement on that this is one smooth bike. As it is, I’ll now have to look elsewhere for answers.
All tied up
That’s the bottom line with this bike: it rides so very sweetly. This is the ‘race’ geometry spec, meaning shorter fork trail, steeper head tube and lower stack, and although there is a ‘classic’ geometry, I’d say the R J.ack’s handling is perfectly keyed in as it is, so if it ain’t broke…
It’s balanced and stable for descents, smooth on good surfaces and sting-softening on the rest. Yet, despite this cruisy quality, the R J.ack retains a vicious bite when it comes to corners, and it’s this ability to blend these two things, smoothness and sharpness, that elevates this bike into the realms of something very special.
I’ll admit the tyres play a big role: tubeless, 28mm and with a proven rubber compound, the Conti GP5000S provide exceptional grip.
Yet it’s the frame’s suppleness and moreover its geometry that really bring out the best in these tyres. And these wheels. And this cockpit.
A good frame ties its parts together while remaining the beating heart, bringing with it a pronounced identity, and that is exactly what’s happening here. The R J.ack frame material and design make themselves known, but at the same time they help create a bike that is more than the sum of its parts. That is, a bike that’s taut, agile and responsive, yet all the while operates with a smooth, assured spring.
Liv is Giant’s sister brand, producing a full range of women-specific bikes right up to Worldtour-level race bikes for its Liv Racing team. The newly redesigned Langma race bike sits at the top of the product tree, and at the top of the 11 models in the new Langma lineup is this Advanced SL Disc, which has already been ridden to victory by Lotte Kopecky at Le Samyn des Dames in March and the Belgian National Championships in June.
The eagle-eyed will notice this latest model shares a number of traits with its cousin, the recently redesigned Giant TCR. The tube shapes and silhouette are very similar, as are the skinny fork and the seat tube/seatpost cluster. But that doesn’t mean the Langma is just a ‘shrinked and pinked’ version of the Giant bike. While Liv and Giant share expertise and technology, the two companies are separate, and Liv insists every element of its bikes is designed with its female customers in mind. As product manager David Ward puts it, ‘There are separate clothes for men and women, shoes for men and women. We’re built differently so why aren’t our bikes?’
So despite the apparent visual similarity the Langma shares barely any numbers on the geometry chart with its nearest TCR equivalent, and is instead better suited to women’s bodies, according to Liv. In practical terms, this means a slightly taller stack and shorter reach than on the men’s bikes and the use of more womenappropriate components such as narrower bars and shorter cranks.
More of everything
Among the improvements Liv says the new model brings to the table are lighter weight, a stiffer fork for better handling, and enhanced aerodynamics. In the Advanced SL Disc, Liv has used longer, more continuous pieces of carbon fibre across the frame tubes and junctions to ensure stiffness while saving on weight. The result is a frame that is 60g lighter than the previous Langma Advanced SL, making for a complete bike (size small) at just 6.65kg.
The fork stiffness is claimed to have improved by 50% and the new tube profiles promise less drag across a wider range of wind yaw angles, especially when paired with the new Cadex 36 Disc wheels and redesigned aero seatpost.
No expense has been spared with the spec. Alongside the 1,302g Cadex wheels (Cadex is the premium wheel brand under the Giant umbrella), the top-end SL model comes with
a top-end groupset, which means that when the bike is available in August, it will be dressed in all-new Shimano Dura-ace. We won’t know the price of the Langma SL Advanced until then.
The next step down in the range – the Advanced Pro Disc 0 AXS – doesn’t quite have the same magic under the carbon skin, but still boasts weight and stiffness improvements and costs £5,599. At the other end of the range, the Shimano Tiagra-specced Advanced Disc 3 comes in at nearer £2,000.
The hills are alive
The name Langma derives from ‘Chomolungma’, the Tibetan name for Mount Everest, which gives an idea of where Liv is pitching the bike: ‘The Langma is designed as an all-around performance bike that excels on climbs.’
Everest might be a bit far away for a test ride, but the Lake District boasts some of the most brutal climbs in the UK, and I was
The adjusted ergonomics of the narrower bars afforded greater control when out of the saddle or sweeping through hairpins
keen to see how the bike would perform against them. I think it’s fair to say the bike was better prepared for the hills than the rider was.
The lightness was immediately noticeable on the climbs, offering a virtual extra gear. The bike’s responsiveness was unhesitating thanks to the stiffness of the frame and the Cadex wheels, which also contributed to excellent handling without ever feeling harsh.
As someone who normally rides a unisex – read: men’s – bike, did I notice the womenspecific geometry at work? In short, yes. I never once felt any ache in my upper body, even after a day when I was straining more than usual, and the adjusted ergonomics of the narrower handlebars afforded me greater control when out of the saddle or sweeping through hairpins.
I took the Langma to some of the steepest and longest passes in the Lake District in an attempt to find any cracks in its armour, but the only one who cracked was me.
What’s more, there is also no denying that this is a very good-looking bike. The colour appears almost black in the shade but as soon as a ray of light hits the frame it transforms to a deep, shimmering purple that reveals the carbon fibre construction beneath the glossy surface.
What makes this bike so good? There’s the technology and components, yes. However what I truly love is the feeling that the bike has been built for me, which makes me feel like a child at Christmas whenever I go out for a ride.