Looking Inside a Modern Masterpiece: CT Scanning the Bastion Archetype
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
At Velo Atelier, we’re fortunate to work with some of the finest bicycles ever created. Recently, I had the opportunity to assist Velora Cycling on a fascinating project: taking the new Bastion Archetype to one of the UK’s leading CT scanning facilities to literally look inside one of the world’s most advanced bicycles.
The resulting article offers a rare glimpse beneath the surface of modern bicycle engineering and reveals just how much thought, design, and craftsmanship go into creating a true superbike.
The Bastion Archetype represents a unique approach to frame construction. Rather than following the conventional full-carbon route, Bastion combines 3D-printed titanium lugs with filament-wound carbon tubes, creating a structure unlike anything else in cycling. Every frame is built to fully custom geometry and individually manufactured for its rider.
The CT scans revealed details that owners would never normally see: intricate internal titanium lattice structures, carefully engineered bond interfaces, hidden cable routing solutions, and the remarkable precision involved in producing these extraordinary machines. Equally fascinating was seeing the honest reality of handmade manufacturing—small imperfections that are not flaws, but signatures of a carefully engineered and validated process.
As someone who has worked with Bastion for many years and remains their longest-standing European partner, it was especially rewarding to help facilitate a project that shines a light on the engineering philosophy behind the brand. Too often, bicycles are judged only by marketing claims or surface appearances. This project allowed the engineering to speak for itself.
What stood out most was not the pursuit of perfection, but the pursuit of understanding. Great engineering is rarely about creating something flawless; it is about understanding materials, manufacturing processes, and design constraints well enough to build products that perform exceptionally in the real world.
For riders considering a Bastion, this matters. These are not simply luxury objects—they are highly engineered tools designed around the individual rider.
And that brings us to perhaps the most important point.
When investing in one of the world’s finest—and most exclusive—bicycles, the fit and geometry deserve to be every bit as considered as the frame itself. A custom bicycle can only ever be as good as the data and expertise that underpin its design.
At Velo Atelier, every Bastion begins with a comprehensive fitting process led by Lee Prescott: frame builder, creator of the Clinical Bike Fit™ protocol, President of the International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI), and a recognised leader in bicycle fit and rider positioning. The result is not simply a beautiful bicycle, but one designed specifically around the rider who will own it.
If you’re considering a Bastion, we’d be delighted to talk through the process—from fit and geometry development to specification and final delivery. Because when commissioning a world-class bicycle, confidence in the expertise behind it is every bit as important as confidence in the bike itself.
Read the full CT scan article and explore the images below.