The most affordable bike with the narrowest tires and the hardest gearing: the value-for-money Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc seems to imbue extremes. But can the matte black stealth bomber keep up with 14 of the most-progressive road bikes of 2021? We put its all-round capabilities to the test.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2021 – 15 models in review

Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc Ultegra | 7.82 kg in size M | € 2,999 | Manufacturer’s website

The Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc is clad in lustrous matte black and draws looks with its glossy black branding. The German company, established in 1986, decided to send this € 2,999 series model into the test. That makes it the cheapest bike but does that also mean it’s only a quarter as good as the four times more expensive S-Works? At the heart of the build is the 2×11 Shimano ULTEGRA R8020 groupset with 52/36 t chainrings and an 11–28 t cassette – the hardest gearing in our test and a touch too sporty for long rides in alpine terrain. The DT Swiss P1800 SPLINE wheels are shod in 700 x 28C Continental GP5000 TL which measure only 27 mm wide due to the narrow 18 mm width of the rims, leaving the Storck rolling on the narrowest wheelset and tire combination in the group. While the widely sculpted crown would fit significantly wider and more voluminous tires, the clearances between the seat stays are 99% full with the size fitted. In comparison to the rest of the bikes in the test, this no longer seems up to date. The shaping of the carbon frame is anything but a visual flourish: Storck claim that overly close spacing of the tire and frame can lead to turbulence and slow you down which is exactly why they chose this open and wide construction.

Room to improve
While the level of cable integration isn’t especially good, given the fair price point it’s totally fine. Put a little more love into the cable runs and the frontal view of the Storck becomes quite a bit calmer.
Understatement
Black on black – the Storck presents a premium image with lots of understatement.
Flowing forms
The clamp for the seatpost is integrated into the top tube, which transitions organically into the seat stays.

Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc Ultegra 2021

€ 2,999

Specifications

Seatpost Storck F.3 Carbon
Brakes Shimano ULTEGRA BR-R8070 160/140 mm
Drivetrain Shimano ULTEGRA R8020 2 x 11
Chainring 52/36
Stem Storck RSBU 350 110 mm
Handlebar Storck RSBU 350 420 mm
Wheelset DT Swiss P1800 SPLINE 12 x 100/12 x 142 mm Thru-Axle
Tires Continental GP5000 TL 28-622 (700x28C) 27
Cranks Shimano ULTEGRA FC-R8000 172,5 mm
Cassette Shimano ULTEGRA CS-R8000 11–28

Technical Data

Size XS S M L XL
Weight 7.82 kg

Specific Features

one-piece carbon cockpit
understated elegance with black on black finish


A tight fit
The 700 x 28C Continental GP5000 TL tires only measure 27 mm wide on the DT Swiss P1800 SPLINE wheels. That’s the narrowest wheelset-tire system in the whole test field but there’s hardly any more space between the seat stays of the Storck anyway.
Breathing room
The fork legs are widely spaced and help improve aerodynamics – and it works. Even without an aero wheelset, the Storck does well in headwinds.
Never say no
The Shimano ULTEGRA R8020 groupset keeps on giving and does its duties inconspicuously and reliably. If you’re not disturbed by the looks of the bulky hoods, you get a decidedly attractive package here.

This approach also dictates the aerodynamic alignment of the fork crown with the head tube. In terms of integration, Storck rely on a seatpost clamp in the top tube to fix the Storck F.3 carbon seatpost together with a one-piece cockpit up front. The Storck RSBU 350 has 420 mm wide bars, a 110 mm stem and with its sporty drop underlines the performance aspirations of the Fascenario.3. The partly external cable routing works but could easily be tidied up with some heat shrink.

Size XS S M L XL
Seat tube 450 mm 475 mm 500 mm 525 mm 550 mm
Top tube 524 mm 545 mm 566 mm 582 mm 599 mm
Head tube 106 mm 132 mm 158 mm 182 mm 206 mm
Head angle 71.5° 72.5° 73.5° 73.5° 73.5°
Seat angle 74.5° 73.8° 73.5° 73.5° 73.5°
Chainstays 405 mm 405 mm 405 mm 405 mm 405 mm
Reach 381 mm 388 mm 397 mm 404 mm 417 mm
Stack 514 mm 541 mm 569 mm 591 mm 613 mm
Helmet HJC Valeco | Glasses Bliz Matrix Small | Jacket Velocio Women’s Wind Vest
Jersey Velocio Women’s Recon SS Jersey | Pants Velocio Luxe Bib Short | Shoes Cube Road CMPT
Socks Velocio Tricolor Signature Sock | Watch Garmin Forerunner 745

The Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc Ultegra in review

While the stiff frame of the Storck reacts directly to turning the pedals, there are significantly more light-footed bikes in the test meaning acceleration is comparatively sluggish. Uphill the Storck is similarly as leisurely as the ROSE and Mason. By contrast, downhills and flats fully cater to its strengths: regardless of how strong the headwind might be, the Storck maintains momentum valiantly and convinces with its good efficiency. The aerodynamically optimised front and comparatively high moment of inertia of the wheel-tire system pay off here just as much as the aggressively stretched riding position.

Black tarmac, as smooth and silky as the surface of the Fascenario.3’s frame – here the Storck feels completely at home at high speeds. Even if the wind is headed straight in your direction.

Leave perfect road surfaces and the riding position becomes more of a limitation. The overall comfort generated by the Storck can’t keep up with the rest of the test field and makes riding on rough surfaces an unpleasant experience. Regardless of whether it’s a bigger impact or high-frequency vibrations, aboard the Storck you get significant feedback from the ground and have to be a hardened racer not to reach your comfort limit on long routes with broken up asphalt. The handling also tends to be nervous on these surfaces, forcing the rider back to smooth tarmac along the shortest route possible. Once there, the Storck convinces completely with its straight-line stability and the balanced agility of the front and rear. Good-natured and predictable, it can be manoeuvred around corners exactly along your envisioned line. A feeling of safety and fun is a given if it’s about maintaining speed on straights or winding terrain on smooth surfaces. For demanding surfaces, the Storck just has too few reserves in terms of comfort and handling compared to the test field.

Tuning tip: tires with better damping like Vittoria Corsa 28 Graphene 2.0 TL for better comfort

Riding Characteristics

4

Agility

  1. cumbersome
  2. playful

Stability

  1. nervous
  2. confident

Handling

  1. demanding
  2. balanced

Fun factor

  1. boring
  2. lively

Comfort

  1. firm
  2. comfortable

Value for money

  1. terrible
  2. very good

Technical Data

Storck
Fascenario.3 Comp Disc Ultegra

Size: XS S M L XL
Weight: 7,82 kg
Price: € 2,999

Indended Use

Smooth tarmac 1
Allroad/Gravel 2
Everyday/Commuting 3

Conclusion

Do you regularly ride into a headwind, prefer flat terrain and ride mainly on well-maintained roads? Then you’ll find the Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc to be an efficient bike that scores with its fair price and unobtrusive look. Do you need a versatile bike? Or do you want to experience adventures away from perfect roads where you put an emphasis on comfort and a light-footed response? Then you should look elsewhere.

Tops

  • high speed and good efficiency on the flats
  • good-natured handling on perfect surfaces

Flops

  • very little comfort
  • sluggish acceleration
  • limited tire clearances
  • limited range of applications

For more information head to storck-bikes.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best road bike of 2021 – 15 models in review

All bikes in test: BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-MOD Disc Ultegra (Click for review) | Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 eTap (Click for review) | Cervélo Caledonia-5 Dura Ace Di2 Disc (Click for review) | Mason Resolution Ekar (Click for review) | MERIDA REACTO TEAM-E CUSTOM (Click for review) | MERIDA SCULTURA ENDURANCE CUSTOM (Click for review) | OPEN MIN.D. (Click for review) | Orbea Gain M20i (Click for review) | ROSE REVEAL FOUR DISC Ultegra Di2 (Click for review) | SCOTT Addict eRIDE Premium (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Aethos (Click for review) | Storck Fascenario.3 Comp Disc Ultegra | Trek Domane+ LT 9 (Click for review) | Wilier Filante SLR (Click for review)


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Words: Photos: Philipp Schwab