The unique .1R is the offspring of car maker Aston Martin and bike maker J.Laverack
Words Sam Challis Photography Adam Atkins
Ferrari and Colnago, McLaren and Specialized, Red Bull Racing and BMC… performance car companies and bike brands have surprisingly strong ties, but Aston Martin can lay claim to being the most heavily associated. Founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford were brought together through bike racing, and the marque has collaborated on bikes before with the likes of Storck and Factor (subscribers will remember the incredible Aston Martin x Factor One-77 bike that featured in issue 2 of Cyclist, a mere 11 years ago).
Its latest partnership with British titanium bike maker J.Laverack represents a departure from anything it has done in the past. The .1R has been a project five years in the making, and comes to market with a host of innovative features that have only been made possible thanks to a significant commitment of expertise and resources from both companies. The authenticity with which the relationship originally came about speaks to their dedication to the project from the very start.
‘One of Aston Martin’s designers, a chap called Garry, bought a J.Laverack years ago,’ says Ollie Laverack, J.Laverack’s co-founder. ‘He would ride to Aston Martin HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire, and the bike would sit in the design studio. Marek Reichman, who is Aston’s chief creative officer, noticed the bike, which encouraged him to contact us. We’ve ended up making several bikes for him, and after we delivered the last one, he said, “You know, we should do a bike together.”’
No stone unturned
Meetings upon meetings followed, drilling down into the minutiae of the bike’s design.
‘We had to create something unique,’ says Dave Clow, the other half of J.Laverack’s founding pair.
That isn’t just hyperbole. By virtue of the .1R’s design, every part is made to order and totally bespoke to each customer. This is possible thanks to the .1R’s hybrid construction: machined aluminium for fittings such as the brake callipers; carbon composite for the tubes; 3D printed titanium for the junctions.
‘Mechanically, this mix of materials makes perfect sense,’ says Laverack. ‘The properties of each are perfectly suited to the structural demands required in the areas they are used. Printed titanium can be near-l
