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Aurum Essentia vs BH Aerolight
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- The BH Aerolight starts €420 cheaper (€4,600 vs €5,020 for the Aurum Essentia).
- Our verdict scores the BH Aerolight higher overall: 76/100 vs 74/100.
- Tire clearance: up to 30 mm on the Aurum Essentia vs 32 mm on the BH Aerolight.
Aurum Essentia
BH Aerolight
| AurumEssentia | BHAerolight | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Aurum | BH |
| Build | ESSENTIA Ultegra Di2 / Zipp 404 S | Aerolight 6.0 |
| Build notes | AURUM's English page lists this build 'from €4,149 (tax excl.)'; the Spanish page shows €5,020.29, i.e. with 21% VAT, which is recorded here. The online configurator says the 2026 ESSENTIA range will be added soon, so no configured totals or other wheel options are priced yet. No power meter. | Model code LA606. BH showed it discounted to €3,909.90 (Spain) and £3,554.40 (UK) in October 2026. |
| Price (MSRP) | €5,020€5,020€5,020 | €4,600€4,600£4,200 |
| Model year | 2026 | 2026 |
| Generation | — | Aerolight (2022 model year) |
| Launched | — | 2021-10 |
| Discipline | Aero road | Aero road |
| UCI legal | Not stated | Yes |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 74 | 76 |
| Aero | 72 | 74 |
| Frame | 70 | 84 |
| Components | 76 | 76 |
| Fit | 72 | 70 |
| Practicality | 66 | 62 |
| Price | 87 | 89 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon (AURUM ECT-9 laminate, up to five types of carbon fibre around an EPS core) | Carbon (Aerolight Disc ACR monocoque, made with BH's HCIM hollow-core internal moulding) |
| Fork material | Carbon (AURUM ESSENTIA ECT-9), 28.6 mm round steerer, asymmetric legs | Carbon (Aerolight 'Air Bow' fork, integrated tapered 1.5 in steerer) |
| Frame weight | — | 950 g33.5 oz |
| Weight measured on | — | BH claim; BH's page gives no size (ROADBIKE quotes BH's figure as size MD) |
| Frame sizes | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58 | XS, SM, MD, LA, XL |
| UCI frame approval | — | Approved 4 Oct 2021 as 'AEROLIGHT ROAD' (frame and fork), sizes XS - XL (5), code BHB-AERO (UCI list version 2026.10.02) |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Hydraulic disc, flat mount | Hydraulic disc |
| Max rotor size | — | 160 mm |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 30 mm | 32 mm |
| Bottom bracket standard | BB386 EVO press-fit | BB386 (86.5 mm wide shell, 46 mm bore) |
| Front axle | 12 mm thru-axle (AURUM CNC Stealth, 122 x 12) | 12x100 thru-axle (M12x1.0), BH Quick Lever |
| Rear axle | 12 mm thru-axle (AURUM CNC Stealth, 163 x 12) | 12x142 thru-axle (M12x1.0), BH Quick Lever |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Electronic groupsets only | Electronic groupsets only: Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo EPS |
| Mechanical shifting possible | No | No |
| Max chainring | — | 55T |
| Cable routing | Fully internal (AURUM Head Tunnel) | Fully internal (ACR system) |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Cockpit | One-piece AURUM carbon monocoque bar and stem | Integrated bar and stem with ACR internal routing (BH EVO SL Monocoque ACR; Vision Metron 5D ACR on the 9.0) |
| Seatpost type | Round carbon 27.2 mm seatpost with an integrated clamp under a rubber cap | BH Aerolight aero seatpost, clamped inside the seat tube by an integrated rear clamp |
| Fit notes | — | Bar width and stem length are matched to frame size on the stock builds (400-440 mm bars, 90-110 mm stems). Up to 40 mm of headset spacers (2x15 + 1x10 mm) can go under the stem. |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | AURUM lists aerodynamics among the frame's aims but publishes no figures for the ESSENTIA | 15.9% less drag than BH's previous G8, about 5 W at high speed (BH) |
| Testing method | None published | — |
| Tube profile | NACA truncated aero profiles with a size-specific aero down tube; raised seat stays | Kamm-tail tube shapes; the 'Air Bow' fork and seat stays leave a wide gap to the wheels |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Headset bearings | Tapered 1-1/8 in to 1-3/8 in, stainless-steel angular-contact bearings | FSA ACR (integrated, tapered to 1.5 in) |
| Derailleur hanger | — | BH frame-specific hanger (part numbers in BH's Aerolight manual) |
| Proprietary parts | — | Integrated ACR bar and stem, Aerolight seatpost and integrated clamp, frame-specific derailleur hanger, Quick Lever thru-axles |
| Frame warranty | — | Lifetime frame warranty for the original buyer when registered online within 30 days and bought from an authorised BH dealer; excludes the fork and paint |
| Sold via | Direct online at aurumbikes.com and through AURUM dealers | BH retailers, and online at bhbikes.com in some countries |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 | Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 |
| Launched | 2021 · current generation | 2022 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 2x12 | 2x |
| Shifters | Shimano Ultegra Di2 ST-R8170 | Shimano 105 Di2 ST-R7170 |
| Notes | — | Combined shift and hydraulic brake levers |
| Crankset | Shimano Ultegra R8100 | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Chainrings | 52/36 | 52/36 |
| Crank lengths available | — | 165 mm (XS-SM), 170 mm (MD), 172.5 mm (LA-XL) |
| Bottom bracket | Rotor PF4624 | — |
| Standard | BB386 EVO press-fit | — |
| Front derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 | Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 | Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 |
| Cassette | Shimano Ultegra R8100 | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Range | 11-30 | 11-34 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | Shimano Ultegra | Shimano 105 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake calipers | Shimano Ultegra BR-R8170 | Shimano 105 hydraulic disc |
| Type | Hydraulic disc | Hydraulic disc |
| Rotors | Shimano Ultegra | — |
| Front rotor | 160 mm | — |
| Rear rotor | 140 mm | — |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Zipp 404 S | Vision Team35 |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Tires | Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR | Hutchinson Nitro |
| Tire width | 28 mm | 28 mm |
| Cockpit | ||
| Handlebar | AURUM Integrated Handlebar | BH EVO SL Monocoque ACR |
| Type | One-piece carbon monocoque bar and stem | Integrated bar and stem |
| Integrated stem | Yes | Yes |
| Widths available | — | 400 mm (XS), 420 mm (SM-MD), 440 mm (LA-XL) |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Notes | — | BH lists the bar and stem as one model, with stem length by size: 90 mm (XS), 100 mm (SM-MD), 110 mm (LA-XL) |
| Headset | — | FSA ACR |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | Prologo Scratch M5 Pass Tirox | Prologo Dimension |
| Seatpost | AURUM Round carbon 27.2 mm | BH Aerolight |
| Material | Carbon | — |
| Notes | — | Clamped by BH's integrated aero seat clamp |
| Bar tape | AURUM Experience | — |
| Thickness | 3 mm | — |
| Included extras | ||
| Bottle cages | AURUM Carbon | — |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | 48, 51, 54, 56, 58 | XS, SM, MD, LA, XL |
| Rider height min | 152–180 cm5′0″–5′11″ | — |
| Rider height max | 163–188 cm5′4″–6′2″ | — |
| Stack | 505–592 mm19.9–23.3″ | 510–576 mm20.1–22.7″ |
| Reach | 371–401 mm14.6–15.8″ | 368–399 mm14.5–15.7″ |
| Seat tube angle | 73.3–75° | 73–74.5° |
| Head tube angle | 71.8–73.2° | 71.3–73° |
| Head tube length | 103–189 mm4.1–7.4″ | 110–175 mm4.3–6.9″ |
| Effective top tube | 506–579 mm19.9–22.8″ | 510–575 mm20.1–22.6″ |
| Seat tube length | 435–549 mm17.1–21.6″ | 555–627 mm21.9–24.7″ |
| Chainstay | 408–410 mm16.1–16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ |
| Wheelbase | 967–1,008 mm38.1–39.7″ | 973.7–1,005.5 mm38.3–39.6″ |
| BB drop | 71–74 mm2.8–2.9″ | 68–72 mm2.7–2.8″ |
| Fork length | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ |
| Fork offset | 44–50 mm1.7–2″ | — |
| Trail | 58–60 mm2.3–2.4″ | — |
| Front centre | 570–608 mm22.4–23.9″ | 575–605 mm22.6–23.8″ |
| Standover | 721–826 mm28.4–32.5″ | — |
| Saddle height min | — | 680–750 mm26.8–29.5″ |
| Saddle height max | — | 758–830 mm29.8–32.7″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Crank length | — | 165–172.5 mm6.5–6.8″ |
| Stem length | — | 90–110 mm3.5–4.3″ |
| Handlebar width | — | 400–440 mm15.7–17.3″ |
| Handlebar reach | 80 mm3.1″ | — |
| Handlebar drop | 125 mm4.9″ | — |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).