When an email landed in my inbox from British sports car brand Ariel, famous for its Atom track car and Nomad dune buggy, I thought someone had confused me with another JC. Jeremy Clarkson and his duo of Top Gear colleagues may have been the team that introduced me to the Ariel brand, but this email was intended for me.
That’s because the Somerset, England-based brand is getting back into the cycling world after a 92-year hiatus.
The motorcycle, called Dash, is being launched in part as a tribute to Ariel’s very first product, the Ariel Ordinary, a Penny Farthing that the brand claims was the world’s first mass-production vehicle, created in 1871.
The Ariel Dash comes in two separate guises: the belt-driven Dash Urban and a Shimano-equipped Dash Adventure. Both are built around a 1.3kg frame – although the geometries differ – made from a combination of titanium and carbon fibre, using 3D printed lugs, which provide internal cable routing and a sleek aesthetic.
The frames use Reynolds 6-4Ti seamless ELI titanium tubing, which Ariel says was made by Reynolds specifically for the Dash. The tubes are connected by 3D printed Ti-6AL-4V Grade 5 Titanium using the same machines used to construct combustion chamber components for space rockets and satellite thrusters.
The seat tube and seat post are carbon fiber, giving the aesthetic of a continuous tube running up from the bottom bracket to the seat clamp.
Specifications
The Dash Urban, with Zipp’s Vuka track bars up front, uses a single-speed Gates carbon belt drive. It weighs 10.9 kg and uses the Mahle X35+ power system with a 250 Wh battery and a 250 watt rear hub motor. It promises a range of up to 70 kilometers or up to 130 kilometers with the optional range extender.
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The Dash Adventure is equipped with Shimano’s 1×12 GRX mechanical groupset, which offers 2×12 Mahle’s X20 power system with a 236 Wh battery and a 250 watt motor. The Adventure promises a range of up to 50 miles, or 95 with the range extender.
Both bikes can connect to the Mahle My Smartbike app, allowing the user to configure their bike, adjust power delivery settings, record activities and install firmware updates.
Both will be fitted with Aera GR23 wheels built on Hope RS4 hubs, although an upgrade option for the Aera AR45 carbon wheels is available. Mudguards, Tailfin luggage racks, Tailfin panniers, integrated Supernova lighting and a Brooks C13 saddle can also be specified as optional extras.
Price and availability
A standard-spec Dash Urban costs £8,320 plus VAT (20%), which works out to £9,984. The Dash Adventure gravel bike costs £9,160 plus VAT, or £10,992. There is currently no pricing information available for the optional extras.
Each bike is made to order at the Ariel factory in Crewkerne, Somerset, by a single technician, whose name will endorse the frame via a nameplate once it is finished. Bikes can be ordered from June 10, 2024, although delivery times have not yet been confirmed.
Ariel’s history in cycling
After the Ordinary in 1871, the British brand continued to make bicycles for more than 60 years, until 1932 for men’s, women’s and racing bicycles.
In 1873, the Ordinary – or High Wheel as it became known – was used by James Moore to set the first known hour record. He covered 23.5 miles around Molineux Grounds in Wolverhampton. In 1893 the record was pushed to 25 miles by JW Stocks, who later pushed it to 32.5 miles in 1897.
In 1932, Ariel’s attention turned to motorcycles and Ariel’s production of bicycles ceased. Today’s launch marks the end of that 92-year hiatus.
