Storck T.I.X. Pro

‘T.I.X. stands for “this is cross”,’ says Storck’s founder and owner, Markus Storck. ‘What we mean by that is, ‘This is how a cross bike should be built.’’

If it were anyone else making such pronouncements we might raise an eyebrow, but with countless industry awards for his carbon fibre bicycles, including outright winner status for the T.I.X. in a group test in the notoriously stringent German Tour magazine, it’s difficult to argue with Storck’s credentials.

‘The key thing is our Direction Depending Stiffness. For example the down tube and top tube use oval tubing, giving you rigidity in one direction but plushness and comfort in the other. We choose carbon as our material as you can’t build the same levels of comfort into aluminium, or get the same lightness. This frame is really, really light at 940g.’

The T.I.X. uses thru-axles front and rear, with hollow 12mm diameter rear axles, and 15mm diameter front axles bolting the wheels to the frame. This is a departure from more standard 9mm diameter quick releases, and it’s entirely necessary, says Storck, to cope with the extra stresses of disc brakes.

‘Thru-axles are a must. If you want to build a fork with a comfort orientated ride but very high side stiffness then it’s not only the shape of the fork that’s critical but the presence of thru-axles too. It’s the same in the rear of the bike.’

Those thru-axles bolt a pair of DT Swiss R23 wheels to the frame, which at 1,655g a pair claimed weight are some of the lightest aluminium disc wheels available. Cross racers might point out that a thru-axle takes longer to change than a quick release axle wheel in the event of a mid-race pit-stop, but Storck counters this, saying that in the real world if those extra seconds are the difference between winning and losing, you’ll probably have a spare bike in the pits, not just a wheel. In addition to this, the R23s are tubeless ready, and if set up as such, punctures even at low pressures are far less likely.

Often own-brand finishing kits can be lacklustre, but the carbon bars, alloy stem and Selle Italia licenced Monolink carbon seatpost are top notch, even at this price. Which let’s not forget is a considerable amount of money. But then again, this is cross, and this is a highly accomplished machine.

Spec