Originally published in the May 2016 Edition of Cyclocross Magazine
Our 56cm review sample of the Sage Barlow is beautifully TIG welded of 3 Al/2.5 V titanium alloy with a geometry that mixes elements from a modern ‘cross bike, like 42.5cm chainstays and a 7.0cm bottom bracket drop, with a road racing bike-like long 58cm top tube to facilitate a lower position on the bike. The long top tube combined with the 72.5 head tube angle yields a long 617mm front center.
The Barlow has a 142 x 12mm thru-axle rear end and is outfitted for flat mount disc brakes with a minimum rotor size of 140mm. The Lynsky-made 6 Al/4 V right chainstay truss is engraved with the Sage owl logo and is machined on the backside to hide the electronic shift wire, a detail Rosen asked for in the stays’ manufacture.
The truss is welded to a standard 68mm threaded bottom bracket shell, also a detail that Rosen toiled over given the variety of choices out there. He says in the end there was no advantage for him to use a new design. The Barlow does have a big 44mm diameter headtube to accommodate a tapered fork steerer. It’s a nice 152mm long on our 56cm size frame allowing me get the bar to the proper height without a tall stack of spacers.