Argon 18 Review

Argon 18 is a Canadian road bike manufacturer based in Montreal. It all started when Gervais Rioux entered his first cycle race, and from then on he was hooked. Rioux went on to represent Canada in the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. In 1990 he opened his own bike shop in Montreal, and then began designing bikes. The first model, the Argon 18 was so well received that Rioux was invited to the Interbike exhibition in 1999. This was a turning point in Argon 18’s development, as the brand, and the bike was exposed to the world market. The reception was as warm and enthusiastic as the one experienced at home in Canada, and the Argon 18 market share grew. More models followed, including a carbon fiber model, the Helium. Now Argon 18 bikes are available all over the world, and are very popular in the racing community.All models in the Argon 18 range are named after elements in the periodic table. The company says they name the bikes this way because they wanted to reflect the known forms of matter in the universe, both natural and artificial. Argon 18 have won numerous design awards and enjoys acclaim from business and riders alike. Argon 18 bikes are well regarded and have been the bike of choice for competition winners across the world.

Models

• Road bikes include Gallium, Krypton, Radon and Plutonium. Triathlon bikes include the E-114, E-112 and E-80. Cyclocross is represented by the Arsenic, Track by Electron, Hybrids by Cobalt and Junior bikes by Xenon.

Pricing

Argon 18 is a premium brand for which you pay a premium price. The Gallium Pro road bike retails for $7,999 as a complete bike, or the frame alone can be bought for $2,999. The Arsenic Cyclocross frame is cheaper at $1,799 frame only.