Launched in January 2022, the Origine Fraxion GTR is yet another perfectly successful step in the French brand’s success story. Long-awaited by fans of the northern company and by cyclists looking for a model more “performance” oriented than the original Axxome, the Fraxion, only available with disc brakes, immediately seduced with its sleek and muscular lines and then with its qualities that excel on all terrains. Not to mention the comfort, over short or long distances, which is part of Origine’s DNA and the balance it so carefully seeks. This Fraxion therefore adheres to the golden rule and represents an ideal compromise for many demanding rider profiles. Pleasure and performance guaranteed.

By Pierre-Maxime Branche – Photos: 3bikes

It is customary to say that one should not fulfill one’s fantasies because, instantly, they lose their flavor, their magical and exciting power. Once in action, the fantasy would deflate, like a balloon or a mirage that evaporates in the desert when one thinks one is reaching it. Fortunately for us, cyclists and triathletes, racers and sport riders, fiery youngsters and patient experienced riders, Origine went all the way to satisfy our pleasure on the road.

Because the Fraxion was for some time, not to say several years, the object of all fantasies. For the brand’s creators, for their engineers in the design office, and for the very first followers of the northern brand, this fantasized frame haunted many nights for the former, caused many drops of sweat to flow over analysis curves and prototypes for the latter, and aroused an almost interminable wait for the third group. After the original Axxome in 2016, the Axxome II in 2018, and then the Axxome EVO at the end of 2020, three models surprisingly balanced between efficiency, responsiveness, comfort, and lightness—that is, the fantasized recipe (we’re back to it) of all bicycle manufacturers—the catalog lacked a more robust, sleek, and “pure” performance-oriented frame, one is tempted to write. But if we stopped there, we would misunderstand the brand’s DNA: Origine does not design bikes that can only be ridden by an elite.

Thus, the Fraxion is a muscular model (compared to the Axxome), a little ball of nerves that only asks to be pushed, relaunched, and ridden at a fast and furious pace if you can. It’s a frame that, when you’re in shape, should allow you to get the most out of your potential. And that’s on all terrains. The challenge was therefore to design an ultra-sporty model that combines ease of handling and riding, intended for a sprinter developing 2,000 watts as well as a 60 kg climber, an overtrained rouleur, or a sport rider worn out on their last climb of the day. Or simply for everyone who enjoys their Sunday ride with friends.

The geometry of the two triangles and the shape of the tubes are radically different from those of the Axxome here. The front triangle has much more thickness to provide rigidity. The rear triangle, with its straight and thin seatstays, integrates lower on the seat tube, but not too low so as not to lose comfort. Each tube is tapered, with edges that shape its profiles. The top tube is flat on top. The fork legs are designed to cut through the air. Only the down tube, the head tube, and the seatstays retain some roundness, and even then. The seat tube is very elaborate and integrates the rear wheel cutout in its lower part. The head tube and down tube seem to flow naturally into each other. Everything is relatively thicker and more profiled, without exaggerated bulk. Despite everything, the Fraxion, in all its modernity and innovation, retains a certain classicism.

Origine started from a completely blank sheet to design its frame, particularly the front triangle, using its magic formula developed with the Axxome EVO: the Unique Matrix Layup (UML). With this technology, the carbon sheets are assembled on the front triangle in a single pass, around a single matrix. There are thus no more junction points, no residue, no unnecessary fiber superposition. Consequently, it eliminates excess material that serves as junction zones and inevitably creates hard spots and unnecessary weight.

The rear triangle retains the CCT+ (Continuous Carbon Tubing) process, with a single tube forming the chainstays and seatstays. Here, the carbon fibers wrap around the seat tube to fully embrace it, further reducing vibrations by dispersing them along the entire length of the continuous carbon part and minimizing hard spots. This process, which has largely proven itself on previous versions, provides both responsiveness and vibration filtering.

All cables are integrated, nothing disrupts the lines of the Fraxion. “Full integration.” Despite this, the steering is very fluid when turned at a standstill, from right to left, with no angle limit. The seatpost clamp is also – finally – integrated, hidden, and protected from weather conditions and dust by a rather crude elastomer piece that clips into place at the base of the top tube. In addition, Origine has installed the BLKTEC R8 one-piece handlebar-stem combo. Made of composite, it is wide and very flat only on the central upper part, like an airplane wing.

The seatpost features a proprietary “Kamm tail” design and offers a setback of 0 to 20 mm. It accommodates the Di2 batteries, despite its particular shape. The full carbon BB86 bottom bracket shell can accommodate all drivetrain systems, from Shimano to Campagnolo, Sram, Rotor, or FSA. On our test model, we opted for a Sram Force eTap 12-speed with a 48-35 double chainring and a 10-30 cassette at the rear.

Note the rear derailleur hanger mounting system – Origine’s XRD technology – which directly links it to the rear wheel thru-axle, thereby increasing its rigidity within the frame by +17%, and consequently the precision of gear changes. The frame is compatible with FlatMount brake calipers of 160 mm at the front and 140 mm at the rear, and tire widths ranging from 23 to 30 mm. Here we have Continental GP 5000S Tubeless Ready tires, mounted on Origine’s Prymahl Orion C50Pro wheels, which feature a 50 mm rim depth, 19 mm internal width, and 24 stainless steel spokes for a weight of 1,530 g. Origine has also recently redesigned this Orion range to make it lighter and more comfortable:

Fully assembled, excluding pedals and bottle cages, this Fraxion GTR in size L, with its Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow saddle, weighs 7.4 kg on our scale, for approximately 7,100 euros.

Many equipment adaptations and modifications are obviously always possible via the configurator available on the website. You can customize your baby as you wish, observe the changes made, and, most importantly, find the right weight/price balance – the sinews of war for most of us! – with real-time updates. The choices of components (tires, saddles), drivetrains, wheels, and colors or “bi-colors” are still as rich, providing a very pleasant customer experience. It’s one of the best configurators available, and you can spend hours on it.

On the road

After several rides on varied profiles, we would almost be disappointed: unsurprisingly, the Fraxion GTR answers all the questions that its design, its DNA, and its (long) anticipation posed: is it a reactive and responsive frame, that likes to play, favors powerful accelerations, and returns all the watts sent? Yes, it stands out from the Axxome by the rigidity and efficiency it offers. Does it retain all the qualities of comfort and vibration absorption so dear to Origine? Yes, absolutely, thanks in particular to CCT+ and UML technologies which mean that this bike, with its muscular tubes, does not feel harsh and, despite its pedigree, allows you to tackle long distances without coming out completely broken. Is it performing on all terrains? Completely. Its preferred domain remains flat and rolling rides, but it is also very performing on climbs of several kilometers with varied gradients. We haven’t had the opportunity to take it to high mountains, but it seems designed and built to be that unique bike in your garage that allows you to go on all terrains. Uncompromising and versatile. Is it easy to handle? Yes, like all Origine models, it stands out for its ease of adaptation and handling, despite its profiled and performance-oriented frame. Finally, is it a beautiful bike? A very personal answer for this one, but this bike is elegant, like its little brothers, but also sleek, performance-oriented but not outrageously so.

The Fraxion GTR recipe is a success, and we thoroughly enjoy it on the road. Despite a lack of fitness when starting the test, the frame didn’t let me down as soon as the road climbed the Azurean slopes. The rigidity is much higher than that of the Axxome, which is immediately noticeable, but the geometry of the triangles, the design of the tubes, and the carbon layup pay off. The Fraxion responds effectively to demands, it is easy to ride, responsive, springs when you get out of the saddle, and encourages snappy accelerations, especially on gentle slopes or short, steep climbs that require power. It offers great sensations of efficiency when gaining speed and allows you to maintain it effortlessly when spinning a big gear on the flats.

This recipe is well seasoned by the excellent behavior of the in-house rolling gear, with the Prymahl Orion C50Pro. These carbon rims are also stiff, responsive, light, and offer a very versatile 50 mm rim depth for riding fast on the flats or climbing quickly. They don’t break the dynamics on gradients and allow for easy accelerations.

The overall handling is very pleasant with a direct, responsive, and precise steering, regardless of the road surface. The bike is stable, both on fast descents at high speed and in tight cornering sequences with aggressive lines. It also performs well under hard braking, although the latter lacks a bit of bite, which is somewhat a characteristic of Sram compared to its competitors. The Fraxion offers great sensations of power and acceleration, on the flats as well as on climbs, it easily crests the summit to regain speed, links turns with a great sense of security and stability during braking, and ultimately responds to watts to quickly regain speed out of corners. The performance of this frame is not found wanting, at least not for good racers and sport riders. A professional would surely have the means to push it out of its comfort zones, but the question is almost irrelevant since the cycling elite is not the primary target.

One might have imagined a more demanding and harsher machine for the glutes, lower back, back, arms, and therefore the neck, but this is not the case. As with the Axxome, the Fraxion perfectly absorbs road vibrations and encourages longer rides, while maintaining a high level of performance.

In terms of comfort, Origine once again delivers a demonstration. One might have imagined a more demanding and harsher machine for the glutes, lower back, back, arms, and therefore the neck, but this is not the case. As with the Axxome, the Fraxion perfectly absorbs road vibrations and encourages longer rides, while maintaining a high level of performance. The CCT+ technology of the rear triangle does its job well. One obviously feels some jolts on rough asphalt, but they are smoothed out in the seatstays, seat tube, and chainstays for a very pleasant ride. The profiled fork legs and the relatively massive head tube also do their job well at the front of the frame. Comfort is also aided by the tolerance of the Prymahl wheels and the intrinsic qualities of the Continental GP5000S tubeless tires (used here in a 25 mm width) which stand out for their own quality of comfort, even softness, and their sensation of low rolling resistance on long, smooth straightaways as well as on rougher country roads.

One feels a light and airy wheel feel even when the road is demanding. This comfort characteristic is quite incredible at Origine. Added to this is the lightness of the frame and its qualities of lateral stiffness/efficiency, and the equation leaves no unknowns: this Fraxion provides a lot of pleasure and can easily be considered for long, even very long rides, with mountains, up to committing to an Étape du Tour or a long-distance triathlon, in order to approach the run in good physical condition.

This high mountain projection is all the more true as we rode the Fraxion with the Sram Force eTap AXS drivetrain, equipped with a 48-35 double chainring complemented by a 10-30 cassette. The 48-tooth chainring is easy and smooth to ride on all road profiles, allowing you to spin your legs (48×33 = 39×27) and save yourself for the intensities at the end of a race or training. The 48×10 combination is almost equivalent to a 53-11, so it’s safe to say that it’s more than enough for the best racers or, in any case, for most mortals. In the other direction, with a 35-30 (or more if you opt for the 10-33 or 10-36 cassette), you have the range needed to overcome all difficulties, calmly reach the finish line or home. Of course, we rather wish you to play with this original gear range, to twirl on the slopes and accelerate smoothly out of every corner. The use of electronic derailleurs sometimes lacked a bit of fluidity, but it’s very slight and in any case no more penalizing than that at our level. And their action is, however, largely customizable.

The Origine Fraxion GTR is a great success. It meets both the demands of the French brand and the expectations of users when they buy a bike from this brand, now more than ever recognized for its manufacturing quality, the comfort and performance of its models, and the relevance of its range. Patience is a great virtue, and Origine has demonstrated this by taking the time to release (available since January 2022) a super sporty, performing, and comfortable aero frame, while remaining at affordable prices for most (on the website from 3,700 euros for the entry-level to 8,200 euros). It can be used on all terrains and responds to all demands. Its finish is also true to Origine, with a beautiful, seamless frame and now perfect integration that gives it sharp lines and design, from profile or front. Origine has hit the mark and put all the ingredients together to offer an excellent deal and a great ride.

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