WHERE CARBON AND TITANIUM MEET: STEIN&FENTON PRESTIGE

In the world of exclusive bikes, Stein & Fenton is not only among the most exclusive, but ironically, also one of the least well known.  Funny that! We featured the inside story on the American brand earlier this year – Stein&Fenton – and now the  small American brand is back for more.

With the release of his new Prestige road bike, S&F founder Blake Young is now two for two when it comes to grabbing our attention with images of his uber expensive Stein& Fenton bikes.  So impressed were we with his titanium bike that we put it on the cover of the mag (below). That bike was based on a titanium frame that Blake outsourced through Dean Titanium. At the time Blake told us  that in addition to his goal of adding a new employee to his then one-man operation, what he really wanted to accomplish was to build his own bike in-house. And for the most part, that is what he has accomplished with the new Prestige.

THE 3D WAY
The basis for the new bike is a collection of imported carbon tubes that are joined by sculpted 3D printed titanium lugs made for Blake by Silca. As Blake describes the process, “Although we’re planning to make the bike available in a range of standard sizes, thanks to the 3D printed lugs we can make them in as many different sizes as we want. As far as the bike industry is concerned, Silca is at the tip of the spear when it comes to understanding how to make 3D parts.

“Each set of lugs are fabricated on the same build plate, and it takes 16 hours to print each plate. The carbon tubes (and Enve fork) have a special finish on them and since I’m a motocross guy, I decided to use a titanium nitride coating for the lugs just like you find on the best motorcycle fork tubes. I’m not a fan of using paint because that just cover up all the details so if someone ordered a bike and wanted psychedelic green lugs it’s probably not going to happen!”

STEIN&FENTON PRESTIGE

Press Release

The new Stein&Fenton Prestige offers all the amenities of a modern road bike while also suitable for an All-Road setup. Equipped with a T47 threaded bottom bracket and up to 32c tire width, this new Prestige is as capable as the rider and delivered to the customer “Ready to Ride”. What is “Ready to Ride”? All Stein&Fenton Prestige bikes come equipped with a SILCA Mattone saddle bag, SILCA or Alpitude bottle cages, pedals (customer’s choice), and computer mount.

Sizing – We offer “stock” size frames from 49cm up to 61cm in 1cm increments. For an added fee and longer lead time, we are happy to accommodate custom size geometry to fit your exact needs.

Customer chooses every spec of the build for the desired perfect fit such as crank length, chainring size, cassette size, saddle manufacturer/model/size, handlebar width, stem length, tire manufacturer/model/size, and so on. No longer are you tied to the default specs of “big manufacturer” stock bikes. You get to choose it all with Stein&Fenton!

Our Technology

After nearly 16 hours of print time and an additional 8 hours of cure time, a set of 3D printed Titanium Prestige lugs then become more than 99.5% of the density of billet 6AL-4V Titanium. When you add in 10 hours of post-CNC machining/finish time, you now have a set of Prestige lugs ready to build a frame. Under controlled guidelines, hand laid carbon fiber tubes are then bonded to prepped surfaces that can withstand over 4,000 psi shear strength.

Our Build Process

Stein&Fenton only builds complete bikes, which means no “frame only” options are available. Base level builds include SRAM Red AXS or Shimano Dura Ace 9200 level groups, ENVE SES wheels with Chris King hubs, Darimo seat post, 1pc bar/stem combo, and other preferred supplier parts. Upgrades for nearly every component are available a la carte as well as lug and tube finishing options.

Our Preferred Suppliers

Stein&Fenton prides itself on attention to detail and craftsmanship. Preferred suppliers are hand-picked based on those same standards and include brands such as SILCA, Lightweight, Darimo, SLF Motion, Chris King, THM, ENVE, and several others.

When can I place my order?
Prestige models will be available to order in early 2023. They will be built in order based on contact date and deposit received. Delivery dates will depend on the availability of supplier parts.

For more: Stein&Fenton