Price: $4,095

Weight: 1,295g (frame)

Components: Ultegra, Cane Creek, 3T, Mavic

Frame & Fork: Carbon-fibre Composite

Geometry: 73.5° head tube, 73° seat tube, 65.5cm top tube

Sizes: XS, S, M (tested), L, XL

Comments: “Smoooooth.”

www.veloargon18.com

Canadian Pride: Some Argon bicycles are completely made in Canada and some
are designed and assembled in Canada. The Platinum is designed and
assembled in Canada.

There is nothing like a little fibre in your diet to get things moving
quicker and smoother. The Argon 18 Platinum will certainly fill your
boots-I mean your spd’s with heaps of quicker and smoother. The key is in
the 100% carbon frame and fork of the Platinum, the carbon giving a comfy
combination of light, stiff, and, of course, shockingly absorbent
properties. These are carbon’s characteristics, and why riders such as
Lance Armstrong choose to plant their butts on such a material when faced
with 20 stages, five mountains, and 3,454 kilometres of grueling European
roadways to pedal through.
If you are paying close attention, you will notice that the Platinum is
what the Helium aspired to be in 2001. Argon set out to create Platinum
from the Helium by stiffening up the Helium’s medium- and large-frame sets
without compromising weight, and the 2002 Platinum is the result of this
alchemy. The differences? The new Platinum definitely surpasses the Helium
in stiffness, thanks to some tweaking of the Helium frame design.

Specifically, the frame has been modified for 2002 in the bottom bracket,
down tube, and headset, which now features an integrated 1-1/ 8-inch
design. As well, the weight has dropped another 100g for 2002. The new,
stiffer Platinum now weighs in at a very respectable 1,295g for the medium
frame.

The trick to carbon-designed frames is aligning the carbon fibres so they
provide not only a stiffness to the overall feel of the bike, but also an
ability to soak up road shock without compromising that stiffness. Of
course, keeping the weight of the bike down is a bonus. Argon uses
pre-molded carbon lugs, which are glued to the main carbon tubes. The lugs
are the result of a high-pressure milling process that provides the
necessary precision and resistance. The weight of the frame is kept in
check by varying tube thickness through a blowing process during
manufacturing. The more technically savvy readers will understand that the
Platinum’s weight and strength come from the grade of carbon material used
in the frame, which consists of Toray T700 fibre with a FAW of 160 and
125g/square metre.

The weight and durability of the Platinum also get a boost from a reliable
Shimano Ultegra group, a set of Mavic CXP23’s wrapped in Michelin Axial
Pro’s , a 3T stem and bar, and a Selle Italia Trimatic 2 Gel saddle.
If your bent is on start lines and finish lines, then the Platinum is an
excellent option for those looking to smooth out the road without
sacrificing stiffness and durability. While the cost of the Platinum is
very fair relative to the cost of most exotic frame materials, you’ll have
to decide if carbon is the material of choice, if you are looking for the
best performance per paycheque.
As with many exotic frames, there is not much to say that is negative about
carbon other than the cost. There is a unique feel to carbon that is
probably best described as “wooden.” This is by no means a weakness; more a
comment about the characteristic feel of carbon on pavement that may not be
appreciated by those who love to be more in touch with the road.

The
Platinum is a stiff, smooth steed just busting to attack the closest climb
and ready for action whenever an out-of-the-saddle sprint is required.
Cornering on the carbon frame is not as crisp and clean as on an aluminum
or steel frame, but the Mavic wheels do help instill confidence when
pulling the g’s . The Platinum, like the Helium, uses road-race standard
73.5°/73° seat/head tube angles. Smaller- to medium-sized riders will love
the responsiveness and absorbent properties that the Platinum has to offer
over the long haul, and will cherish the pedaling efficiency that carbon is
known for.