Speed metal

Reilly co-founder Neil FitzGerald walks Cyclist through the company's boldest creation to date

- Words Paddy Maddison Photography Alex Wright/Teneight

It would be safe to assume that 'aero titanium' isn't high on most cyclists' list of 'bikes I need next'. But that might change, because the Reilly Fusion is a metal bike like few others. Sculpted to slice through the air, it takes all the practical benefits of titanium and marries them with the flowing lines of a modern, wind-tunnel-optimised carbon race bike. But, as Reilly co-founder Neil FitzGerald proudly notes, you're far less likely to see one of these propped up against the wall at your local cafe.

'I always smile when I see it glinting in the sunshine against a sea of carbon bikes. The internal routing gives those lovely clean lines and the titanium adds to its aesthetic appeal. It rides as fast as it looks too - a demon on the flat, confidence-inspiring on the descents and comfortable enough to be out on all day. And the comments are always the same,' he adds, “It’s a stunner.”

There's a reasonable chance anyone who reads this magazine regularly is familiar with the work of FitzGerald and his late business partner, Mark Reilly. The pair started out in the 1990s making steel road bikes under the brand name Omega. Later they discovered the joys of titanium with Enigma Bikes before dabbling in carbon with Nerve and finally establishing Reilly with a focus on hand-crafted titanium. Somewhere in the middle of all that, they also branched out into aluminium time-trial frames using Columbus's ground-breaking Altec 2 aero TIG-welded tubes.