Italian bespoke brand Sarto has unveiled a method of decorating its frames with a finish that not only looks absolutely stunning but which it claims also enhances tube strength and vibration resistance. It’s an inescapable fact of bicycle manufacturing that paint generally adds dead weight – but Sarto's Black Marble finish is achieved with a single layer of carbon fibre instead, and although the weight difference is negligible, the big difference is that it adds an extra layer of performance.
The Black Marble finish is, according to Sarto, “a tube-level innovation created by the in-house team, a product of their ongoing innovation sessions designed to explore creative applications of carbon fibre”.
Enrico Sarto, the company’s CEO and son of founder Antonio, explains: “We’re always thinking of ways we can play with the look of our frames, with elements that perhaps only we can innovate as fibre-to-finish bike makers. As we produce everything here in our HQ, we are uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of what’s possible with composite materials.” He continues: “During several sessions, we experimented with adding an outer layer of unidirectional carbon fibre, BU45, to the tube moulds to test out a new aesthetic concept we had in mind. Like all the composite materials we use at Sarto, the material was manufactured by one of our local partners here in Italy.”
Once the tubes have cured in the autoclave, the marble-like finish is revealed, adding a 'surprise me' element. The effect can be varied each time, which the brand says adds to the unique nature of each Sarto. Further, the effect of adding a layer of unidirectional carbon fibre to existing moulds is not purely visual: “It also enhances tube strength and vibration resistance – a welcome bonus.”
Although Sarto wanted to keep the technical details of the proprietary process secret, Enrico Sarto told Rouleur: “It’s more complicated than it seems. BU45 comes after a long research among the best UD carbon fibres with the right balance between thickness and amount of resin that allow us to create this effect; it's a technical code with which we register the fibres we archive here.”
And on how the finish is actually achieved: “We prepare the outer layer before laying the laminations in the mould and the process is a mix of manuality (placing the fibre in the right position to create those special waves) and special tools we specifically studied to improve the precision during the job.”
The Black Marble treatment can be tailored to the client’s preferences: it can be applied to a full frame or just specific sections. Additionally, it’s available in a “select palette of transparent inks” that introduce an overlay of colour and of course add customisation options.
Initially Black Marble will only be available with Sarto’s Raso model with an upcharge of €650. For more details and pricing go to Sarto’s website or email info@sartobikes.com.
