Argon 18 takes on Cervélo with E119 Tri+ and E117 Tri+
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The E119 Tri comes without the accessories and has a different seatpost(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The Argon 18 E119 Tri+(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The E119 Tri features an integrated front end, but the drinks system isn't incorporated into the frame design as with some other superbikes(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
This is the same fork as the Nitrogen – only 340g(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The brakes are the same as the Nitrogen aero road bike(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The E117 Tri features a standard cockpit, so bars and stems are easily swappable(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The E117 Tri+(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The rear brake uses a clever rotating cam wedge to actuate the caliper arms(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
Here's the brake without the fairing – it's lighter than a Dura-Ace caliper(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The integrated front end is exceptionally clean even when using mechanical shifters(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The Cookie Jar lets you store your nutrition within easy reach(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The front brake is also hidden, the fairing acting to help guide the cable(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
There's also a fairing underneath to protect from road grime(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The rear brake is covered to maintain the flow of the frame(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
It's a big behind, but Argon 18 says its quicker than it not being there(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The Tailwind box mounts onto the seatpost, which Argon 18 says is more secure than rail-mounted options(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
The E117 Tri comes without the accessories included(Image credit: Tom Ballard / Immediate Media)
Canadian brand Argon 18 is looking to take on Cervélo with the launch of four new TT bikes across two new platforms – the UCI-legal E117 Tri and the totally illegal E119 Tri – the latter of which is claimed to be faster than a Cervélo P5 in real-world conditions. Argon 18 is the second sponsor and bike supplier of the Bora-Argon 18 Professional Continental team that rode the Tour de France.
Both bikes have been designed to offer practicality as well as speed and come in regular and ‘plus' versions, which come with a bevy of accessories to store ride essentials, nutrition and hydration.
E119 Tri+
The E119 isn't a development of Argon 18's range-topping E118 Next TT bike. Rather, the brand's engineers created a whole new platform from scratch in a bid to beat the genre-leading bike of that other Canadian company – the Cervélo P5.
Argon 18 used CFD to design the new frame, making a conscious decision to forego some 0-degree speed in exchange for better performance than the P5 at real-world five to 20-degree angles. Argon 18 is measuring its aero performance in terms of CDA (and will publish its wind tunnel data in this format). By this standard, the E119 Tri is 14.89 percent more aerodynamic than the E118 Next, which is, and will continue to be, ridden by the Bora-Argon 18 professional team.
The frame features deep tubing, lowered seat stays and a clean, integrated front end. Argon 18 says frame weight is 1,200g, 300g lighter than the E118 Next, which was launched at Eurobike last year – impressive for a superbike with a lot of frame on show.
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Practical elements include a simple centre-pull brake at the front, which is covered by a fairing that doubles up as a cable guide to keep the caliper true. Cabling for this routes down the bayonet head tube section. It's lighter than a Dura-Ace caliper too.
This simple centre-pull brake is lighter than a Dura-Ace caliper
The tailwind is a modular storage system that can actually make you faster
In its native setup, two bottles are nestled into the sides of a large plastic storage container. It might look like a lot of junk in the trunk, but Argon 18 says that using it helps fill the area of low pressure that pools behind a rider, giving a tiny 0.8 per cent aero advantage, but also allowing storage of most of your essentials.
The Cookie Jar is a simple plastic food container that bolts to the top tube, giving easy access to nutrition via a rubber-lipped lid. The Tri+ also comes with Torhans' AeroZ between the arms aero system, giving riders the option of whether or not to implement a reservoir here – unlike the Scott Plasma 5 or the new Canyon Speedmax prototype.
Spec and prices may vary worldwide, but in North America, the E119 Tri+ starts at $6,500 for the frameset, though you'd have to be a bit crazy not to spend an extra $100 to have it built up with Ultegra Di2 ($6,600). The top-end model comes with Dura-Ace Di2 and Vision Metron Disc / Trispoke wheel combo for a cool $13,000.
The ‘regular' E119 Tri uses a slightly different carbon layup, conceding a bit of weight and featuring a seatpost with a slimmer mount. Argon 18 says it'll be possible to buy the Cookie Jar and Tailwind separately if riders want to upgrade at a later date.
The frameset is $4,700 and runs up to $10,400 for the top DA Di2 spec. The Ultegra Di2 version is $8000.
E117 Tri+
Argon 18 are also launching the E117 Tri+, which is a really practical option for those who want a regular stem setup – albeit with the benefit of Argon 18's press-in Aero 3D head tube extenders, which are designed to alter stack height without losing stiffness.
