Readers’ Rigs: Peter’s Storck Aerfast Pro G1

Readers’ Rigs: Today’s Readers’ Rig comes from Peter Kiel in Wiesbaden, Germany. He has been the proud owner of a Storck Aerfast Pro G1 since 2019, shod with Campagnolo, Mavic and Look. Peter’s pride and joy.

Name: Peter Kiel
Location: Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany
Bike: Storck Aerfast Pro G1 (size L = 59 cm)
Groupset: Campagnolo Chorus 11sp mech.
Wheels: Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLS
Pedals: Look Keo
Saddle: Selle Italia SLS Monolink (Storck branded)
Other: Aerfast seatpost, Storck alloy 100 mm stem and 420 mm bar; Tacx Deva bottle cages, Continental 4000 tires
Weight: 7,6 kg

When did you buy it?
I bought the frame, the components and groupset in June 2019. The wheelset is from my former bike, which I sadly was forced to sell.

What made you choose this bike?
Since 1994 I have ridden road bikes; with my Merckx Corsa Extra I was in Roubaix, the French Alps, Mt. Ventoux and did my first Gran Fondo, with my Bianchi 928 in the Dolomites and Stelvio and with my Storck Absolutist in the Swiss Alps. So I always had bikes with an attitude and Merckx and Bianchi were with Campy. 20 kms away from my hometown is a small town named Idstein, there is a small but cool bike manufacturer: Storck Bicycle. You will get high end bikes there, not mainstream. Their bikes are really different and not so often seen on the roads.

A few years ago my wife signed me up to a season opening ride with Storck. I rode an Absolutist that day, a totally new experience on a roadbike. A few weeks later I owned one; I never thought, I could afford a Storck bike, but if you are looking right, you will get a lot of bike for your money. In Spring 2019 there was another opening ride and I tried the Aerfast Platinum – another step beyond my current bike, with which I was very satisfied. So as a good tradition I bought an Aerfast – I loved that black/white with these thin blue lines, and the Pro G1 frame was on sale. So the solo frame gave me the opportunity to go back to Campy. Italian style is a must be if you want to be individual (and classy). I decided for a Chorus groupset, very solid. My one is the 2018 11 speed version, I love the design of the levers and the rear derailleur much more than the new ones. Hold that lever in your hand and compare it to Ultegra or SRAM… Campy levers are perfect in design and handling. And a little bit ‘old school’, I am a not a fan of disc brakes. Using my 2 years old Cosmics I have a very fast, stylish and unique bike for an affordable price.

Have you done any modifications/additions to it?
For me it was important to have all the parts from one manufacturer: bar, stem, saddle, it’s all from Storck. A little expensive modification is the necessary Record brake under the bottom bracket because of the very little space there.

How many miles/kilometers do you do a year?
I do an average of 3.500kms on the roadbike a year. Family and job have an important place in my life, but I try to ride, whenever I can. Especially in spring/summer I ride from 6 am, it is very impressive to ride the Rhein Valley and through the fabulous Rheingau with its vineyards in the early morning.

What do you love about this bike?
I love that unique Storck design, timeless black and white, the fast aero shape and the composition with Campy. The performance is very good, stiff and light and extremely safe downhill.

Favorite riding area?
I love to ride in the Alps. Although 89 kgs I love planning and training in winter and the long days in fantastic scenery in summer with roads of old racing tradition. I also love my Taunus mountains, it’s a bit like the Ardennes, up and down through the woods and the beautiful Rheingau vineyards.

Favorite riding experience on your bike?
My last very spectacular ride was from Andermatt in Switzerland to Airolo and back over the famous Gotthard Tremola route. A short but very cool trip.

Future upgrades?
Of course Campagnolo wheelset, dreaming of Boras. Storck’s new stem/bar system, absolutely cool. And some speedplay pedals for weight reasons.

Last words?
It’s always possible to build a dream bike without investing thousands of Euros – if you are looking for the right parts at the right time. My bike will become a classic over the years.

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Thanks to Peter for sharing his ride with us. Got a bike that you’re proud of? Well how about sharing it with fellow PEZ fans and getting it featured in Readers’ Rigs so we can all stare at it! Send a Readers’ Rigs submission direct to [email protected] and your bike could be featured in all its glory here on the pages of PEZ.