The Sarto RASO is a thing of wonder. A new era of road bike for the modern rider and racer and a welcome addition to the table for us ageing but still feisty riders.
Over the last twenty or so years, the big brands have continually been creating pigeon holes of product from "Sportive" or "Endurance" to "Climbing" and "Aero" bikes, in order to 'speak' to your needs as an individual. While this is not wrong per se, and it largely opens up cycling to a broader market, it does entice people to ride the wrong type of bike.
As any decent bike shop knows, fit is the only thing that should guide your purchase. As a rider of many decades I have done my racing, epics and now my leisurely ambling up mountain passes on a bike that fits me - not one bike for each aspect. And fit is based predominantly on a person's physical make up and limitations on mobility. As any vaguely switched on indiviual knows - vast swathes of the population buy based on looks or "reviews" - otherwise why would marketing folks get paid the big bucks?
We see it all the time. Our guidance of your bike purchase is centred around how YOU ride. So when folks come in looking at the latest and greatest aero speed weapon, it is often an awkward reminder for those swept along in the media rhetoric, that their recent entry into the sport, desire to ride up hills for 50 miles a week and enduring back problems - may be better served by something that actually fits them!
In recent years and largely the result of smaller, independent manufacturers as well as at the behest of Pros, we have seen a transition back to all-round bikes.
Before continuing, it is important to caveat that last, slightly paradoxical - statement however.
All-rounders (like any bike) are still a function of their fit and inherent geometry, and as such will not mean they are suited to all - but we'll get to that.....
Geometry aside, by all-rounder we are talking about a bike that is light & stiff and adept up the climbs, while being aerodynamic enough to be competitive in the sprints and out in the wind, and that at the same time, is forgiving enough to carry its rider to any finish line in reasonable comfort.
Part of the reason for the many niches of bikes, is that technology has not, until recently, been able to deliver these aspects, equally, in any meaningful sense. Compromise has always existed and has been weighted to one or other facet: Weight. Stiffness. Aerodynamics. Comfort.
The Sarto RASO (meaning Satin) came about from a desire to marry the key elements that make up the ideal modern road bike. To build the ultimate machine that deftly blends aerodynamics with lightweight comfort and versatility. The project was facilitated by the move into an entirely new production era for Sarto, and the Raso is the first frame entirely produced by Sarto's new machinery. Indeed, the new plotter and autoclave remove the need for Sarto to rely on suppliers, and an already adaptive and flexible operation is made more so by rapid internal prototyping, production, QC and testing, with immediate feedback that informs direction and manufacture.
Like all Sarto bikes, the Raso is crafted by hand.
Using unidirectional fibres and based on extensive research, feedback and meticulous attention to the needs of each individual rider’s needs, Sarto are able to understand the expectations of their customers and are well positioned to identify trends before their broad uptake.
Aesthetically the Raso presents itself as both powerful and elegant with sharp lines and aggressive truncated aero tube profiles, seamlessly married to more traditionally rounded tube shapes; a function no doubt, of the blending of the often juxtaposed elements it sets out to unify. Like all Sarto bikes, the individual sections are meticulously joined by hand with swatches of carbon cut to size and painstakingly aligned for the desired characteristics and a beautiful aesthetic.
The Raso’s sophisticated yet racy looks speak to a refined but energetic ride and this is borne out in the detail. The Raso speaks to those of us who view cycling in broad terms, those who set out to simply ride - however that may manifest itself. To this end, the Raso features wheel housings that maximise aerodynamics while offering clearance for 35mm tyres, suggesting an all-road leaning.
With its forward thinking stance, it comes as no surprise that the Raso is fully internally routed with cables and housings integrated through the supplied handlebar/stem. The bar itself also nods towards the inherent versatility. A modern 125mm drop and 75mm reach is augmented with a gently flaring 10.75o angle for perfect arm alignment that conveys confidence on all surfaces, around the whole bar, hour after hour.
The ride of the RASO is both typical of Sarto and entirely novel.
Anyone who has ridden a Sarto will immediately recognise the desire of the bike to move you forward, reacting to the smallest input with heroic efficiency. Descending - to my mind - is where the true test of a bike comes and it is here that the Raso impresses most, delivering unwavering control in the corners regardless of arc and surface. From that control we derive confidence, and it is that confidence that makes us fast.
With all this reactivity and direct handling you would expect a level of buzz or unwanted feedback - but it never materialises. Instead the Raso’s tenacity is tempered by exceptional manners and a sublime smoothness that helps you push that bit more and that keeps you engaged through a physical preservation unmatched by other frames.
The Raso, with its race like agility and plush control typical of more endurance focused rigs, defies categorisation, making it part of a very small stable of bikes that aim to deliver a potent but balanced ride for those who choose not to define their riding.
As I mentioned above, the only real limitation to all-rounders (of which there are few) is the geometry. The Enve Melee, released last year, is the only other machine that really springs to mind as being close to the ideal, and is arguably the most customisable off-the-peg machine available.
The Sarto Raso is available in 7 stock sizes, but given the inclusion in the price of a Custom Geometry build, you would be mad not to capitalise. Like all Sarto bikes, Sarto offer the rider the option to completely customise their frame, from geometry to lay-up and onward to paint.
And It is this that sets the Raso apart - even from Sarto's other models - combined with the ever rising costs of premium brands’ flagship offerings, that is likely to make the Raso a much sought after machine.
I know I want one.