Baldiso Air Flight One in the TOUR test
When Sebastian Baldauf talks about the first steps of his "baby", he has to laugh himself. The beginnings of the new Baldiso brand were "wild as a bird". Without the pandemic, as strange as it sounds, the former professional would probably still be offering racing bike camps at Continental level and not selling customised racing bikes from the company headquarters in the Allgäu. "I'm really grateful that corona came along and that I was able to turn my dream into reality," recalls the 34-year-old.
The 2014 German Bergmeister has been on the market with the young brand for three years. The fleet now comprises six models from all categories. For our test, we invited the new Air Flight One, an aerodynamically optimised competition all-rounder. The racer is not only eye-catching because of the (still) little-known name on the down tube, but also because of the golden paintwork.
Understatement is different
But that wouldn't fit in with Baldauf's self-image either. "We want to position ourselves as an exclusive bike brand," he says and promises "limitless customisation" for all bikes. If you prefer something more discreet, you can also have the Air Flight One painted in any colour you like. In addition, all components, from the drive to the saddle, can be selected using a modular system.
Either from a predefined list or after consultation with Baldauf and his team of around ten. The assembly and paint shop are located at the company headquarters in the Allgäu region, while the frameset and wheels - also an Ennoble brand - are manufactured in Asia. Still. According to Baldauf, production will be brought to Europe "in a few years". Customisation only reaches its limits when it comes to frame construction, as the Air Flight One is not available as a made-to-measure model but in five sizes. It should only take around three weeks between ordering and the first ride.
Before TOUR took the newcomer out on the road, it had to prove its aerodynamic potential in the GST wind tunnel - and it certainly lived up to its model name. With 212 watts at 45 km/h, the Air Flight One is currently one of the fastest competition all-rounders and is only just behind established professional devices such as the Giant Propel Advanced SL (209 watts) or Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 (210 watts). With a slightly faster wheelset, the Baldiso would even scratch the top ten of the fastest production bikes in the TOUR test, which are dominated by angular aero bikes.
Baldiso Air Flight One - Fast but heavy
The high weight is a tribute to the streamlined design. Both the frame and the fork are heavy, and the almost 1900 grams for the frameset are no longer appropriate for a modern competition bike. The aforementioned top models from Giant and Specialized - admittedly in a different price range - undercut this value by up to 580 grams. The wheels, whose carbon rims are reminiscent of Zipp's wave profile, are also comparatively heavy at around 2900 grams.
As a result, the stiff Air Flight One sits firmly on the road, but needs a few powerful pedal strokes to get going. On tours, the Baldiso impresses with a successful mix of high smoothness and precise steering behaviour. In combination with the 28 millimetre wide tyres, the aero carbon seat post provides plenty of suspension, but reaches its limits on poor road surfaces. The riding position of the Baldiso is orientated towards professional racers, although the relatively long stem of the one-piece cockpit makes the riding position even more race-like.
Wild and ambitious
Overall, the 7560 euro Baldiso with Ultegra Di2 is a refreshing newcomer which, apart from its weight and "teething troubles" such as the difficult-to-access adjustment screw on the seat post or rattling cables in the cockpit, has no significant weaknesses and is on a par with more expensive race all-rounders. How and whether Baldauf can hold its own in the competitive premium market remains to be seen.
However, the former racing cyclist is not only "wild as a bird", but above all ambitious. "The aim is to more or less reinvent the racing bike," says Baldauf, announcing the first in-house development for early 2024, which is to be created in cooperation with the experts at Carbonworks.
Baldiso Air Flight One in detail
- Price7560 Euro
- Weight frame/fork/steering bearing* 1278/503/95 grammes
- Frame sizes** XS, S, M, L, XL
- Seat/top tube/head tube 500/545/136 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR*** 546/383 millimetres/1.43
- Wheelbase/caster 970/55 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift Shimano Ultegra Di2 (2x12; 50/34, 11-28 t.)
- Brakes Shimano Ultegra (160/160 millimetres)
- Wheels/tyres (weights)**** Ennoble Sun Ride/Continental Grand Prix 5000 28 mm (f./h.: 1242/1668 g)
Measured values & individual notes*****
- Weight of complete wheel 8.0 kilos Grade: 3,0
- Steering head stiffness 91 Nm/° Grade: 1,7
- Lateral stiffness fork 52 N/mm Grade: 1,3
- Bottom bracket stiffness 66 N/mm Grade: 1,0
- Seatpost spring stiffness 218 N/mm Grade: 2,3
- Aerodynamics 212 watts Grade: 2,0
>> The Baldiso Air Flight One receives an overall TOUR score of 1.8
*Weighed weights.
**Manufacturer information Test size bold.
***Stack/Reach Projected vertical/horizontal dimension from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube;
STR (Stack to Reach) 1.36 means a very stretched sitting position, 1.60 means an upright sitting position.
****Impeller weights including tyres, cassette, quick release/threaded axles and brake discs if necessary.
*****Single notes, which are weighted differently in the overall grade, are only partially printed for reasons of space. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are shown with rounded decimal places.
******Aerodynamics Theoretical pedalling power required to overcome air resistance at 45 km/h, measured in a wind tunnel with a pedalling leg dummy.
Julian Schultz
Editor
