The Sestriere Scandium bike by Spoon Customs, built by hand in Italy from triple-butted Dedacciai Scandium and 7005 aluminium tubing, was unveiled at the London Bespoke Handmade Bike Show. According to the manufacturer, the new model will allow for a personalised build for each rider and can be assembled into a complete bike equipped with Zipp 303 S wheels and SRAM Rival eTap.
Despite its exotic name, Dedacciai's tubing contains only 0.1 per cent to 0.15 per cent of scandium, with aluminium making up most of the alloy followed by zinc and magnesium.
Due to its relative ease of welding and ability to require less expensive heat treating, the 7005 wrought aluminium alloy is used in bicycle frames. However, it is harder to form, making manufacturing more challenging.
‘The big brands have convinced many people that making bikes designed for you just isn’t possible; it’s out of reach. This is surprising now that off-the-peg bikes cost just as much as custom work – it’s the big-brand business model that doesn’t deliver what customers need,’ said Andy Carr, Founder and CEO at Spoon Customs.
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The expensive scandium does, however, significantly impact the tubing's strength, which Dedacciai claims are around 25 per cent greater than its other aluminium alloys. This makes the tubing lighter and thinner than typical aluminium tubes, resulting in a lighter frame. According to Spoon, the tube does not require heat treatment following welding, allowing for a sturdy and responsive frame.
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