Vaast R/1 review

The Vaast R/1 is a magnesium alloy road bike with an aerodynamic aesthetic but a more endurance-leaning geometry that makes for a package full of pleasant surprises.

American brand Vaast's use of magnesium means that the frame can be fully recycled at the end of its life. It also makes for a bike that, although it looks like aluminium, is lighter and less harsh than you'd expect, weighing 8.4kg for a size large and soaking up bumps and vibrations from uneven surfaces nicely.

Its set-up features aero bars and aero-inspired tube shapes, but a shorter reach and higher stack – although the stem can be slammed – makes for a more upright and comfortable riding position than you'd get from an aerodynamic racing bike.

This build comes with SRAM's second tier Force eTap AXS electronic groupset and Vaast wheels made with Alexrims, however there are also mechanical Shimano 105 and Ultegra models.

The Vaast R/1 is available in sizes from XS to XXL and is priced at £4,999 / $4,999.99 

Vaast R/1 frameset

When you first laid eyes on this bike, what did you expect? Probably not a magnesium alloy frame set-up for all day riding.

If you read Cyclist’s review of the Vaast A/1 in issue 113, you will no doubt recall that magnesium is one of the most abundant elements on the planet, requires significantly less energy to manufacture and is recyclable – although Vaast says that doesn’t mean it won’t last.

And yes, it’s the same metal that you set on fire in science class, that burned so bright you had to look away.

While it’s rare to find a magnesium bike frame these days, the stuff has done stints in the pro peloton in the past. The first Pinarello Dogma was made of magnesium back in the early 2000s, for example. However, the superior strength-to-weight of carbon composite and aluminium alloy’s ease of manufacture meant those materials mostly won out over magnesium in the bike industry.

Magnesium is now more commonly used in motor vehicles, aerospace and consumer electronics. Still, being the lightest of all metal alloys, it isn’t surprising brands such as Vaast still see its potential in a bicycle application.

Morten Kristiansen, vice-president of Vaast’s parent company, United Wheels, was part of the team that created the bike manufacturer and explains that while the material was the catalyst to starting the brand, that isn’t the only foundation Vaast is built on.

‘We’re a brand for people who just want to go out and explore and enjoy themselves – we’re not a brand for racing,’ he says.

So why then has Vaast created what looks to be an aero bike, if it’s not for racing?

‘I’m glad you asked,’ says Kristiansen. ‘It’s not an aero bike. Yes, it’s “aero-inspired” in design and obviously has aero bars, but the R/1 is a bike for riding.’

Vaast R/1 geometry and sizing

The general remit is evident in the bike’s geometry: it’s not as long and low as a typical race machine, but it’s also not as short and tall as an endurance bike.

‘It caters to people who could slam the stem and ride aggressively, but you could also ride it with a good neutral setup and do an all-day ride, which is what we want it to be,’ says Kristiansen.

‘It has some aero cues because we want it to be efficient, but it’s not designed to be an aero bike. The R/1 was not developed in a wind-tunnel, but some of the tubes have a NACA profile that we know to be efficient.’

For this size large R/1, that ‘do anything’ ethos produces 388mm of reach and 565mm of stack paired with a 990mm wheelbase and 73° head tube angle. Surely those oversize tubes and chunky junctions mean it’s really stiff though, right? Actually, it’s surprisingly compliant.

‘It’s a very efficient frame in terms of power transfer from the way it’s built, but it also produces a very muted ride from a vibration-damping perspective,’ he says. ‘The reason for that is the material itself.

If you compare it to an aluminium alloy molecule, which is basically a cube with four lattices, magnesium alloy is six lattices, so it’s hexagonal. Those lattices dampen vibrations by absorbing them, so magnesium’s molecular structure gives it a better built-in capability to mute road buzz.’

Vaast R/1 build

The SRAM Force eTap AXS is a solid electronic groupset and should be plenty good enough for the R/1's target audience, with the wireless shifting helping to clean up the front-end, which is already slightly messy with the brake cables entering the downtube through a guide that I found to be constantly popping out of its slot.

45mm deep carbon rims – which are tubeless-ready – help to keep the weight down and do add some aerodynamics, but for a bike that's meant to be largely prioritising ride feel and comfort, I'd personally prefer to pair them with 28mm tyres rather than the stock 25mm ones, but that's nitpicking as it's not a difficult change to make post-purchase.

One other thing to note, my test bike had quite a lot of pimples on the frame – which you may notice in these images – that Kristiansen told me wasn't normal, but was likely to be a reaction that he believes should be limited to early production models like this one. However I am still waiting for an official word from Vaast on exactly what this is.

Riding the Vaast R/1

Riding the bike confirmed everything that Kristiansen had claimed about the R/1. On my first test run I was expecting an aggressive, super-stiff racer, and certainly it felt nippy under power, but it wasn’t harsh and I appreciated the mid-point geometry.

I didn’t feel too stretched hunching over the hoods, but when riding on the tops didn’t feel like I was a dog with its head out of a car window either.

The R/1’s handling was similarly nondescript – but in a good way. It was adequately stable most of the time but capable of nimble turns on technical bits of road.

At 8.4kg this isn’t the lightest bike, even  when fitted with carbon wheels and cockpit, although it’s still competitive with most aluminium bikes. However, any notions of weight pale into insignificance when ride quality is taken into account.

There is definitely something distinct in the way the frame’s magnesium construction affects how the R/1 feels on the road. It’s a certain liveliness that causes it to spring forward like a well-executed titanium frame, but balanced with particular levels of comfort against fatiguing low-level vibrations, like the bike is working to buffer imperfections in the road.

Vaast R/1 verdict

Given this, the R/1 makes a compelling case for anyone looking for something slightly different, whether that’s in aesthetic form or ride quality function.

I enjoyed my time riding it, and found its surprises pleasant. For someone looking for a comfortable bike to ride not race, I'd prefer this over an aluminium bike. Its environmental credentials certainly help too.

However it is quite expensive for what it is, a carbon bike with similar spec is usually cheaper than the R/1's near £5k price tag. Plus, do you think about disposing of your bike when purchasing? I'd personally rather go with a steel bike that is likely to last much longer if that were the case, despite the weight penalty that would come with.

That's just a personal preference though, and provided those pimples aren't a bigger problem, would happily recommend the Vaast R/1.

Vaast R/1 specs

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Vaast R/1 alternatives

Vaast R/1 Shimano 105

Make some spec sacrifices and you can get the same R/1 frameset but pay less than half the price (£2,299), with the major change a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset instead of the wireless Sram Force.

Vaast A/1

Vaast’s A/1 (£2,999) is the brand’s ‘all-road’ bike. It comes with wide Maxxis Rambler tyres and Shimano GRX groupset for off-road riding, but is only a few spec swaps away from tarmac capability.

Pick of the kit

Universal Colours Spectrum socks, £25, universalcolours.com

Many brands use the fact that winter socks are buried under other clothing to justify dull designs, so it’s great to see Universal Colours paying just as much attention to the look of its Spectrum winter socks as it does to its lightweight summer options.

Function backs up their form too. UC uses merino wool for the bulk of the socks’ construction, which means they insulate nicely in cold conditions and don’t come off with the usually associated smell at the end of a long winter ride.