We’re seeing a whole host of exciting new bicycles hitting the market. Whether it’s traditional city bicycles or sleek fixed gear road bikes, we love to see these perfectly engineered objects hit the road. On the other side of the spectrum comes Extans’ Akhal, a new luxury bicycle showcasing stunning craftsmanship and beautiful design in two limited editions: the Akhal Shadow and Akhal Shine. When we first saw Akhal we couldn’t take our eyes off it. This streamlined masterpiece boasts premium components and looks closer to a spacecraft than a common terrestrial bicycle so we had to find out more about it.
The mission
For design house Extans, the aim was to create a premium city bicycle that expressed a modern, simplistic and elegant style while focussing on the use of high-quality, lightweight materials. The final goal was always to produce an iconic object that lasts. The Extans Akhal hopes to inspire a strong emotional connection between rider and bike, elevating the riding experience with its refined beauty.
The inspiration behind the Extans Akhal
The Extans Akhal bike was inspired by the Akhal-Teke horse, one of the rarest purebred horses in the world. Akhal-Tekes are known for their endurance, intelligence and distinctive metallic sheen. So how did Extans translate the majestic beauty of the Akhal-Teke into one of the best city bicycles in the game? The pure form of this premium single-speed bike features a volcano black finish in its Shadow form and a silver-sand white finish as Shine. These slick finishes mean that the fixed-gear city bike mirrors the black and shimmering cremello coat of the horse.
The Extans Akhal’s memorable carbon fibre bike frame has been shaped with energy, harmony, balance and elegance. Even when the bike isn’t in use, it exudes a sense of dynamism, as though it’s ready to take off at any moment.
Extans Akhal specifications
At the core of this premium racing bicycle is its carbon monocoque frame. The rest of the market-leading components are built out from this monocoque construction. Take the CNC machined head, dropouts and seat clamp all from a single solid aluminium billet. Completely handmade in England, there are just 99 limited editions of the black chrome-plated Shadow and the bright chrome-plated Shine available, each made to order.
As we mentioned before, while it’s a pleasure to ride, Akhal looks pretty good stood still as well. So good, in fact, that Extans deliver the carbon fixie bike with a forged carbon bike floor stand featuring a CNC-machined aluminium base – a sculptural piece in its own right which allows you to display the bike as a piece of art when not in use.
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Extans offers a bespoke customisation of the Akhal to allow the rider to co-create a one-off piece that expresses their individuality.
