‘Alloy is still in the game,’ says the Uriel’s maker, Renzo Formigli.
A veteran of the Italian framebuilding fraternity, Formigli has been crafting frames in Florence, Italy, for the past 26 years, and the fully custom Uriel for the last 16.
‘The Uriel is the longest-running frame in my line-up. The only thing that’s changed is the quality of the aluminium, as I’m sourcing higher grades to keep the frame competitive.’
What's in a name?
The Uriel is made from 7003-T6 aluminium alloy. For those into metallurgy, the ‘7’ refers to the principal alloying element, zinc, the ‘0’ denotes no modification to the original alloy, the ‘03’ is an arbitrary number to identify the alloy, and the ‘T6’ indicates the tubes were heat treated and artificially aged.
For those interested in bikes, 7003-T6 is a stronger, lighter alloy than the more commonly used 6061 or 7005 alloys.
As a result, this uncut size 54cm weighs 1.6kg, while regular seatpost options will get closer to the kilo mark. Not too shabby for a frame Formigli believes rivals many carbon offerings.
The Uriel is available in six stock colours, or custom paint at a negotiable extra cost.
A standard build comprises a BB86.5 bottom bracket, 1.125in to 1.5in tapered head tube and internal, external or electronic cable routing options.
Verdict: Upgraded aluminium keeps the long-running custom Uriel frameset’s appeal fresh.
€1,500, formigli.com