This is a long-distance tri/road model, with one-piece frame, same full in-house production, such as the hollow carbon fibre dropouts, dual-chamber top and down tubes and internal, fully concealed Shimano electronic Di-2-compatible cable routing. Topping off the features list is a slippery, integrated – but fully removable – seat post, which also acts as storage area for the on-board hydration system.

This bike embodies not only cutting-edge features at the top of every bike racers’ wish-list, but also design attributes that will no doubt be ‘paid homage to’ by mainstream brands in the next couple of years.

Alongside the Heidelberg and slimandfast, was an equally-striking, truly cutting edge model; the r-009.

The concept behind this breathtaking example was to build a TT/triathlon bike for a rider only 160cm (5’ 3”) but capable of running full-size 28” wheels. The low seat tube, combined with the short top tube and need to run aero bars presented a challenge many would have shied from, but one Hoffleit relished in. As well as designing and building the frame from scratch, he also developed an aerobar cockpit, a unique all-carbon steering system, still capable of using off-the-shelf stems or bars if required.

The aerobar, the r-001, is also available as a stand-alone product.

There’s a saying amongst designers that ‘if it looks good, it usually works good’.

This could not be truer of the rafael 009. It doesn’t just look good – it looks perfect; a perfect example of a state-of-the-art machine, a bike designed with one rider in mind, a bike built for racing against the clock at the highest level.