Cornelius' Take on the Velocite Magnus

Cornelius at the ASU Sun Devil Crit

Before my Velocite Magnus arrived I spent a good amount of time checking out the photos and specs of the frame on dnadistributing.com.  The photos of the downtube struck me the most.  This was one stiff and mean frame.  When the Magnus arrived and I had it in my hands it became even more apparent how well crafted and purpose driven the design of the frame is.  Everything about the design of this bike is made for forward motion: from the tapered head tube, the massive down tube and bb30 bottom bracket, to the super stiff chain stays.  For such a stout bike I expected to see a weight penalty but, if there is one, it is not noticeable when picking up the frame or racing or training on climbs.  One of my first rides on the Magnus was up Mt. Lemmon, a 27mi (~43.5km) climb in my hometown, Tucson AZ.  Riding out of the saddle is a true joy on the Magnus, looking down at the bottom bracket area while out of the saddle there is absolutely no lateral movement and the bike rockets forward with each pedal stroke.  On the way down I was completely blown away at the stability and predictability of the bike at high speeds.  While Mt. Lemmon is not particularly steep, high wind gusts can get you up and over 60 mph (~96.5 km/h) very quickly.  The Magnus handled it without a second thought.  I had full confidence in the bike on every corner at any speed within two days of building it up.  With every other bike I've ridden the amount of time it takes to trust the bike and adapt to its riding style has been weeks or even months.  On the way back into town from Mt. Lemmon there is a city limit sign I always sprint for.  For me a sprint is always a huge rush of adrenaline and that's why I enjoy it so much.  The Magnus is the biggest rush I've ever had sprinting a bike. 
Brian Cornelius is a 26-year-old Category 1 cyclist from Tuscon, Arizona.  It is his dream to race professionally and he has been in pursuit of that goal since he started racing as a category 5 rider five years ago.  For 2011, Brian will race for the Tuscon, Arizona based team O2 Modern Fitness/Maynard's.