Only Five People Will Own a Cobrarace Bike: A 24K Gold Leaf Cycling Dream Made Reality

Folks, Vasili Design is a crew based out of Sydney, Australia, that saw its spark back in 2020 when Vasili Zygouris started to make his presence known. Since then, this crew has focused on doing just about everything a design studio can do, including building some really out-there concepts that may never see the light of day. But, one has; the Cobrarace.

I'll be honest; I love bikes, be they with a motor or without, and upon seeing this visual and dynamic marvel, I couldn't help but stare at the images in the gallery for a few minutes. I recommend you do the same. After, come back to the text so we can continue our journey into whatever the heck this is, how it may work, or what we can expect to pay for this hunk of carbon fiber and peak cycling components.

So what do you think? Isn't this one of the juiciest bicycles you've seen in some time? Well, there's a bit more to it than just looks. For example, Vasili Design is responsible for countless bicycle concepts, but this is the first one that we finally see come to life.

Now, everything starts with a carbon fiber frame shaped with a super-sleek aero profile that's sure to displace airflow like a knife through butter. Be sure to notice those edges that Vasili runs along the head tube and also those fin-like seat stays. I wonder how this thing behaves at speeds of over 40 kph (25 mph).

Furthermore, the entire frame is crafted as such to yield a monocoque design, making it extremely difficult to sand and prepare the mold for painting. Yes, you can be sure that each one of these five machines is going to be hand-built. Internal cable routing also ensures that the luscious look and feel of the bike isn't compromised.

Building methods and all that aside, one aspect of the Cobrarace that's sure to raise its price is the presence of gold leaf accents. This feature can be seen all over the frame and include the aero fins I mentioned, the cobra logo at the front, and a few others. Gold is always one way to pump value into something.

As for the rest of this bugger, it's decked out with top-shelf equipment, including a full Campagnolo drivetrain and wheelset. As you'd expect from the wheels, they, too, are carbon fiber, as if anything else had a place on the Cobrarace.

Starting from the ground up, let's explore the Campagnolo wheelset. Here Vasili chose to opt for a top-shelf Bora WTO 60 setup that comes in with a price of well over $2,000. Since the bike doesn't have a suspension system, these wheels are crucial in helping reduce vibrations from the road, and, once coupled with the frame, riders should be able to stay in the saddle until breakfast and lunch have been burned away.

As we move upward from the wheels, we run across the drivetrain. Again, Campagnolo is the team handling the shifting experience, providing a 2x12 speed Super Record EPS drivetrain. In short, you'll have enough range to access all the power that your legs can crank out.

At the front of the bike, a carbon fiber fork is seen supporting the head tube, and at the top, your cockpit. Here, more integration is in place, and again, the whole aero profile is clearly obvious. Once coupled with a high-rise seat, you can guess that your riding position is going to be headfirst. The name of the game is speed.

And that's really all we know about the Cobrarace; there's no information on Vasili Design's website telling us anything about what we see. Everything I've enumerated above is from looking closely at the images in the gallery and a tad of research.

That said, there's also nothing on the price of one of these five possible machines. One way to find out just how much we have to dish out for something like this is to stay awake to make up for the time difference between Australia and wherever you are, or you can send an e-mail like everyone else. Be sure to factor in shipping costs.

Finally, I want you to imagine that money is no object, and you have a Cobrarace sitting on your living room wall - it's a piece of art. Now, throw on your cycling gear, take this beauty off the wall, and off you go. As you ride around town, you'll start to understand that what you're on is way different from all the other bikes.

You're sure to have countless onlookers and even a brave soul or two that try to chase you down just to check out the carbon fiber weave glistening in the sun. Point out that the "yellow" lines are gold leaf, and you're sure to start a cult following.

Before I go, let's play a little game; it's called "Guess the Price," and I urge you to leave a comment about how much you think this costs.

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