Anyone turning the corner on board the Aper KOMPace is sure to be greeted with amazement. The enduro bike with a fully CNC-milled aluminium frame is an absolute eye-catcher mountain bike. However, technology fans will not only be amazed by the small Greek label Aper because of the milled shapes and the colourful anodised finish, but also because of the interlocking rear triangle design. Clear the ring for the Aper KOMPace!
Aper KOMPace in detail
- Area of application: Enduro
- Suspension travel: 170/160 mm
- Wheel size: 29"
- Frame material: 7075 aluminium
- Frame weight: from 4080 g
- Price frameset: from 3969 euros
- Complete bike price: from 7769 euros
- Available sizes: S1 / S2 / S3
- Special features: made in Greece, Rising Pivot rear triangle design
Greek mechanical engineering
Behind Aper Bikes are the two mechanical engineers Nikos and Giorgos, themselves enduro bikers and tinkerers with decades of experience in the bike industry. When Nikos was working on his final thesis as a mechanical engineer for aeronautical engineering, he had the vision of developing a maximally efficient downhill rear triangle. Years later, he came up with the idea of adapting the design for enduro use. During development, the designers were driven by nothing less than the desire to bring the ultimate enduro bike made from the highest quality materials onto the market. They were inspired by the rugged terrain of the Erymanthus Mountains that surround their home. The Aper KOMPace is the engineers' first production-ready complete bike and an exciting exotic.
>> The exotic PM Sports Pika is also produced on the CNC milling machine. Find all the details here.
Milling weakness
The frame of the Aper KOMPace is CNC-milled from 7075 aluminium in the Greek city of Patras. This material, which is familiar from the aerospace industry and other high-quality mountain bikes, is designed to guarantee a long service life. The double bearing of the rear triangle is in the same vein. Frame weights from 4080 grams are the result of consistently solidly constructed hardware. The aluminium parts are connected using a high-performance adhesive. A flip-chip allows two different geometries. In the slack setting and with a 170 millimetre suspension fork, the steering angle is 63.6 degrees. The seat angle is noticeably steep and is designed specifically for the frame size. The chainstays are particularly short at 430 and 426 millimetres respectively, while the reach values are up to 535 millimetres long.
Rising Pivot
Aper has developed a completely independent rear suspension system for the KOMPace. In the enduro segment, high-pivot systems are celebrated for their optimised wheel lift curve. However, most bikes are limited in how far the rear wheel can travel. Aper speaks of a movement radius of around 25 millimetres for the rear wheel and 70 millimetres for the front wheel for the majority of the competition. The patented Rising Pivot design should enable the rear wheel to avoid an obstacle in the direction of force and move backwards by up to 45 millimetres. To achieve this, the lower shock mount sits on a movable carriage. Aper promises a smoother ride on rough terrain with the Rising Pivot System.
Framesets and complete bikes
In the online shop, customers can either order a frameset for 3969 euros without shocks or complete bikes from 7769 euros. If you want a different anodised colour than black, it costs 300 euros extra. The Aper KOMPace MY2026 Special Edition shown here with Fox Podium suspension fork and CNC-milled parts from Hope as well as Alugear costs €12,969. Three different frame sizes are available.
Wild boar
Aper chose the Erymanthos boar, a symbol of wild, untamed nature from ancient Greek mythology, to symbolise their young company. In the present day, Aper associates the Latin word for "wild boar" with the thrill of mountain biking. In the spirit of the mythical wild animal, Aper bikes are designed to carry their riders onto the trails of the wilderness and offer them an unadulterated riding experience full of adrenalin in challenging terrain.
Conclusion
I find it hard to resist the full milled aluminium frame. The Aper KOMPace is definitely an eye-catcher. But the locally manufactured bike is not only visually interesting, but also technically. With a very progressive geometry and its own Rising Pivot technology, it presents itself as a rad enduro bike for really wild terrain. Cool! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Jan Timmermann
Editor
