Origine Axxome III GTR Review

The latest version of the Origine Axxome retains the characteristics that made the success of the two previous models, namely responsiveness, comfort, and ease, while adding even more performance, for ultimately greater versatility. Highly customizable at the time of order, the bike here is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and in-house Prymahl Orion carbon wheels, which gives it an excellent price/performance ratio. Test of a machine that gave us a lot of pleasure on the road.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The Axxome is somewhat Origine’s flagship model, the model that has allowed the young French brand to widely spread in the pelotons since its creation in 2013. The Axxome is a versatile bike with consensual shapes, comfortable and above all easy to use. The first Axxome was already a light, fluid, and responsive bike, praised for its accessibility. The second version, tested on 3bikes.fr at the very beginning of the site’s creation, confirmed an appealing character for riders of almost all levels, as only a rigidity capable of supporting the most intense efforts on flat sections was missing. Always maintaining the same design, Origine launched an evolution of the Axxome at the end of 2020, integrating a new carbon fiber molding technique, named UML, without material residue and unnecessary material superposition, to further reduce weight, as we observed with the test of the Axxome RS Evo, at 6.4 kg without pedals in size L with rim brakes.

In parallel with the Axxome, the French brand launched the Fraxion in early 2022, a bike with more muscular shapes, more rigid and also more aerodynamic, but more physically demanding. An essential addition to the range, intended for the most athletic riders or for the fastest courses, even if it is not devoid of comfort.

The fact remains that in reality, few riders can afford to own two bikes of this caliber, and versatility remains the most sought-after quality. It is with this in mind that the Axxome III was created early last summer, a bike that further gains in efficiency in terms of rigidity and aerodynamics, but without denying the character of the first versions.

100% UML Manufacturing

Unlike the Axxome II Evo, the entire mold of this new GTR version was designed around UML (Unique Matrix Layup), and not just the front triangle. This process consists of assembling the carbon sheets in a single step, around a single and unique matrix. According to Origine, this manufacturing method allows for uniform compaction of the fibers under pneumatic pressure, thus controlling the thickness of the tubes to the micron, and eliminating excess material that previously served as a junction area, creating a hard spot and unnecessary weight. The result is a frame optimized for a good balance between weight and rigidity, while respecting fluid mechanics to reduce aerodynamic losses. To definitively align with current trends in the field, the Axxome III also sees all its cables integrated into the head tube. The announced weight of the frame alone is 854 g, which proves to be high-performing for a chassis sold around 2300 €.

As for comfort, the brand relies on a new rear triangle named CCT+ (Continuous Carbon Tubing), with chainstays and seatstays connected in a single continuous carbon tube, without a hard spot between the bottom bracket and the seat tube, in order to diffuse road imperfections along the entire length of this continuous tube. According to the brand, the Axxome III would even offer up to 12% more vibration filtering than the previous version. And to further improve the bike’s comfort, it is now compatible with 35 mm tire widths, which even allows it, if necessary, to tackle poorly paved sections or light Gravel tracks. It should be noted that the Axxome III GTR differs from the GTO, which would offer even more comfort and ease even after many hours in the saddle, but a little less responsiveness during acceleration phases.

For those wondering what that small triangle of material is under the angle of the seat tube and top tube, it’s where a compression seatpost clamp is housed, just like on the Fraxion. The clamp is covered by a rubber cap that provides a clean finish, as on the rest of the bike for that matter.

A Top-Notch Configurator

Even if the color choice of the test bike is debatable (and it’s not our doing!), everything is configurable in terms of colors at Origine, with bikes being painted in France at the Rouvignies factory in the North. When choosing the bike, you can select from many colors on the configurator, and even options that increase or decrease the price for groupsets, wheels, or peripherals, with a systematic update of the bike’s price and weight. Thus, on the configurator, the exact version of the test bike is given as 7337 g in size S (without pedals or bottle cage). And for our part, we weighed the bike at 7320 g in this configuration, which is 7.717 kg with Garmin pedals, two bottle cages, and the bike computer and rear radar mounts (and with a Rotor large chainring, larger than the one supplied with the bike). A great performance in terms of accuracy, even if we shouldn’t forget that the bike costs 6239 €, and that for barely more expensive (6800 €), the previous Axxome GTR with Shimano Dura-Ace weighed 6.8 kg without pedals at the end of 2018!

Wheels that Define the Behavior of the Axxome III GTR

Among the elements that influence a bike’s behavior, the wheels are obviously paramount. Here, the Prymahl Orion C50 Pro Evo wheels clearly aim for performance optimization. As a reminder, Prymahl is Origine’s wheel brand, and the manufacturing process here is the same as for the Axxome III frame, with the famous UML that optimizes the overall weight. Announced at 1475 g per pair, the Orion C50s feature a rim with an internal width of 21 mm (hook to hook) and a rim depth of 50 mm, with 24 elliptical spokes at the front and rear. All for 1790 €, a relatively well-positioned price.

On the road, the Orion C50s improve the Axxome’s aerodynamics, without providing too penalizing inertia on ascents. Without being excessive, the lateral rigidity allows for sharp accelerations, but without hindering the bike. Fluid and comfortable when fitted with 28 mm tubeless tires, their only drawback concerns crosswind sensitivity, which requires particular attention when riding the Axxome. Many future buyers of this bike, however, will choose it with Orion C35s, which are a little lighter but above all more manageable in many conditions.

For the record, I should specify that the bike was initially supplied with 28 mm Schwalbe tubeless tires that had already seen some use. But after four punctures in one week, I decided to put back tubed tires, consistent with those also offered on the Origine configurator, namely Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance, in 700×25 tire width.

The Origine Axxome III GTR on the Road

Comfortable but not soft, rigid but not constrained, stable but always agile, the Axxome III provides an overall balance that makes it immediately very endearing. From the first ride on it, I set off for 140 km, something I never do with a test bike, at least not on the first day. I expected to have a little trouble getting my bearings, with a cockpit that was a tad too high for me in this size S, but I immediately felt good on it. The Axxome is a bike that must remain accessible to the widest possible audience, and to do this, the manufacturer has chosen to maintain a geometry that offers a slightly less aggressive position than some competing models. However, I quickly appreciated the shape of the handlebars, which here has the advantage of being adjustable to find a good way to settle onto the bike.

With 28 mm tubeless tires, the Axxome offers grip and comfort, with always appreciated rolling fluidity. But as I explained above, I gave in after four punctures in a few days and re-mounted 25 mm tubed tires. The difference in road feel is then quite clear, with a little more bounce and vibration feedback on rough surfaces, but the bike also gains in responsiveness and the sharp feel of accelerations. Between these two types of tire setups, the Axxome III thus offers evolving behavior, and this is all the more interesting as the machine accepts tires up to a 35 mm width, which even makes some Gravel paths accessible to it.

However, it is on the road that it particularly excels, with this Shimano Ultegra Di2 setup, modern and precise, barely heavier than the Dura-Ace groupset and above all much cheaper. At 6239 €, the Axxome III here has little to envy the most high-end bikes in terms of performance. Of course, it gives away a few hundred grams to them, and probably a slightly less advanced aerodynamics, but on most rides, the difference is completely transparent. And above all, the Axxome III always offers pleasure on the road, distilling a mix of responsiveness and comfort that always makes pedaling on its handlebars rewarding.

In the short climbs of the Chevreuse valley, it proves punchy enough to make you want to change pace and finish with a sprint, and without ever feeling the bike come apart laterally. On longer climbs, the bike never restricts the pedal stroke, despite increased rigidity compared to previous versions.

On the flats, it proves more efficient than the old version, accepting large gears without flexing, and power sprints without feeling the slightest weakness from the bottom bracket shell, wheels, or cockpit. In descents or sequences of turns, the machine causes no unpleasant surprises, with an easy and reassuring side that makes it so appealing. As you’ve understood, versatility is definitely the great quality of this Origine Axxome, which retains the general character of its predecessors, now adding an extra sportiness that quickly becomes addictive. A success, at a still contained price.

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