CyclistDream bikes: Prova IntegraleGreat engineering makes the complex look simple, and theres plenty of that going on in the Prova Integrale. The flowing lines of its frameset conceal custom-butted titanium tubing, unique 3D printed junctions and hand-laid carbon fibre. The finished product may look uncomplicated but its the result of a manufacturing journey that extends over several months, while the balanced ride characteristics are testament to Prova founder Mark Hesters decade-plus of experience in refining frame geometries, added to a lifetime of riding.Ive always ridden bikes, alongside building race cars with my dad, says Hester. Initially it was the latter hobby that informed my education and career.A carbon monocoque race car chassis the first autoclave-cured of its type in Hesters native Australia formed his final thesis project, which propelled him into automotive design and eventually a job in the UK at Jaguar Land Rover.In 2014 when the Tour de France started in Yorkshire it was easy for me to go [Jaguar then sponsored Team Sky]. Andrew Denham from the Bicycle Academy had a stand in the event village and we got chatting, then I went to Bespoked [the handmade bicycle show] and kind of immersed myself in framebuilding.Id always wanted a custom bike one in particular from what now would be considered one of my main competitors but Bespoked exposed me to the scale of the scene. Growing up in Australia there just wasnt one. Prova is one of only two titanium builders in Aus still today.Hester had discovered that people actually made a living from building bikes, so decided to try it himself as a fun project outside of his engineering nine-to-five. As with many others, it was a course at the Bicycle Academy that gave him the grounding. Hesters transferable skills meant that he progressed quickly.I started with fillet-brazing steel frames, then practised TIG welding steel, then stainless, before moving into titanium in 2018, he says.Despite not being official yet, Prova was already Prova.I had a Ferrari book when I was a kid and all the test cars had prova on their registration plates. It means trial or proving. Along with the tie-in to iconic Italian automotive design, it made me think the name was appropriate. Better than having Hester on the down tube, thats for sure.Home is where the art isThings moved up a gear when Hester and his wife wanted to move back to Australia.The engineering work I was doing in the UK was quite specialised and didnt exist over here [in Australia], he says. So I moved into framebuilding part time alongside some other engineering work. It really was just some tubes and a jig in a shed for a bit, but I steadily expanded, moving into a shared commercial space to access more equipment.The shared space proved to be beneficial for the fledgling Prova, seeing as Bastion (custom framebuilder), Velocraft (custom painter), Superbe Velo Services (mechanics) and RiderFit (bike-fitter) were the other inhabitants. Prova kept some elite company as it gestated.Early on I learned to focus on Provas social media presence, says Hester. Good photography, beautiful paint schemes and well-specced show bikes helped us gain recognition. Eventually the enquiries grew to the point where I could go full time.There has always been substance to back up the style. Prova was an early adopter of 3D printed tube junctions perhaps a Bastion-derived influence and was one of the first to achieve wide tyre clearances with a dropped chainstay yoke. Youd also be hard pushed to find a disc brake road bike with a UDH standard before Provas Speciale.Since going full-time, Provas headcount has doubled, with Hesters sister Kelly joining after Covid put paid to her career as a baker. Fittingly her main job now is to cook up the carbon composite that forms the Integrales seat tube.Because its so striking visually, the Integrales carbon seat tube has become Provas calling card, but theres sound performance and manufacturing benefits to its inclusion, says Hester.Each seat tube is made uniquely for each Integrale.By making the carbon tube individually for every bike, it means we can vary the wall thickness to suit requirements exactly. Stiffness, strength and weight are all perfectly tuned for the rider of that bike. Plus it saves about 300g and is more comfortable than a titanium equivalent, says Hester.Article continues belowThe Integrales head tube looks so sleek thanks to a novel construction: 3D printed upper half paired with a CNC machined lower half.Mason HenderWorking in titanium means that Prova can fully exploit the advantages of 3D printing, which makes it easy to create custom parts to exacting tolerances, in shapes that arent possible using traditional methods.Mason HenderMason HenderMason HenderWhile Hesters sister Kelly does a lot of the tough stuff small parts assembly, seat tube fabrication and surface finishing Mark Hester does most of the titanium fabrication for each frame, as well as all the alignment checks.Mason HenderMason HenderMason HenderMason HenderMason HenderThe Integrales carbon seat tube is custom-made in-house. Hester says making the tube in carbon saves 300g versus titanium, and allows Prova to tune stiffness, strength and weight for each rider.Mason HenderMason HenderMason HenderMason HenderThe inside lineHester credits the Integrale for putting Prova on the map. The model itself made a splash initially because it was one of the first to showcase Enves In-Route internal cabling system, which was the motivation behind the model name.I was hesitant to go to internal cabling until I saw Enves system, because it still allowed a round fork steerer, which the engineer in me appreciates, says Hester. It was the final piece of the puzzle to create the Integrale, which built on the Speciale you guys reviewed back in issue 91.The Integrale embodies the pinnacle of what Prova offers, representing the brands next step in titanium, which Hester favours as a building material.Titanium is such a useful material for what were doing because we can make a bike of any size and vary the stiffness quite easily. Plus it allows more design flexibility, not being locked into certain tubesets offered by companies. We make the Integrales entire tubeset ourselves. We buy long lengths of tubing and do the butting and shaping. We can truly tune how the bike behaves, like with carbon composite, but an Integrale isnt going to get crushed in a bike bag or cracked in a crash. An Integrale with top-shelf finishing kit on isnt even that much heavier than a premium carbon bike less than half a kilo.The adoption of the In-Route system encouraged Hester to include more additive manufacturing, again something thats done better in titanium.We printed the upper portion of the head tube, marrying it to a CNCd lower half, he says. With the carbon seat tube as well, we began to differentiate more and more from other custom builders and started to be recognised as an alternative to modern high-performance bikes, where customers before had more often come from older steel models.One of oneWhoever the customer is, they are guaranteed to receive a unique Integrale.Were heavily fit-driven, says Hester. So whether thats from people coming in to see me our premises includes a Retl fitting bike and spending time, or seeing a bike-fitter somewhere else in the world that we work with, were starting with fit data. We then design the geometry to suit that.Once signed off, the measurements are converted into CAD drawings to create the files for the 3D printed sections.Theyre printed for us by a company in New Zealand thats the best in the business, says Hester. Once an Integrale project is initiated by the fit, the production takes three months, of which the 3D printing takes one month. It could easily be longer, though, if not for some innovative processes such as Provas parametric design software.It was complicated to set up initially but pays off in efficiency down the line, says Hester. It allows parts of my designs to automatically adjust to changes in others, for example in geometry and tubing diameters. Buying an Integrale is a discussion as much as a purchase, and tweaks are common, so this helps keep things in line with each other.Once the 3D printed parts arrive, there is still a lot of work to be done with them, which also adds to the wait time.We do a lot of surface finishing to the 3D parts. Its important that the printed metal looks the same as the tubing. Integrales have to be beautiful as well as functional.Part of that finishing process necessitates hours in a ceramic rock tumbler. While thats happening, Hester will work on the tubing that the printed parts attach to ovalising certain sections and curving chainstays.Kelly does so much of the tough stuff manual finishing of the printed parts, assembling all the small parts, making the seat tube then I do the raw fabrication work to make the frame, before finishing things off by checking the alignment, facing the bottom bracket and reaming the head tube.After that it could be off to Hesters old mates at Velocraft for the paintjob: This can sometimes be a more complex process than making the frame itself. One customer gave me a paint brief that ChatGPT had helped him write that was 75 pages long.Once done, its then often on to another of Hesters contemporaries from back in the day, Superbe Velo Services, for the final build.We make just over one bike a week generally and 70% of our production is the Integrale these days, with another 20% being the gravel version of it, says Hester. Lead time is nine months its a six month wait before the fit, so we want to make sure that after that, in the production phase, we really engage with each client. People are paying a lot of money so we want them to have a really fun experience seeing how their bike is made.Even while he is building bikes and engaging with customers, Hester finds time to work on refinements to make sure the Integrale stays one step ahead.3D printing the entire head tube as well as the bottom bracket could be a good move, he says. Its allowing me to introduce some aero styling that I think will improve both looks and performance.While there have been some attempts, the titanium aero bike isnt a concept thats yet been fully mastered. Still, its a brave individual who bets against Prova being the builder to do it with the Integrale.Prova has a close relationship with Enve after the two brands worked together to launch Enves In-Route internal cabling headset system. Hester says it was the first internal cabling system he wanted to use on his bikes.Mason HenderThe specModel Prova IntegralePrice AUS$24,000 (approx 12,800)Weight 7.5kg (large)Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace Di2Wheels Enve SES 4.5Finishing kit Enve SES Aero Pro bar/stem, Specialized S-Works Power Pro with Mirror saddle, Pirelli P Zero Race TLR 30mm tyresMore info provacycles.comThe post Dream bikes: Prova Integrale appeared first on Cyclist.