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Carbon Vs. Aluminum Mountain Bike Frames: The Showdown

Is Carbon Worth the Upgrade?

There are many options for upgrades, from less costly upgrades like a new handlebar or seat to more expensive upgrades such as replacing your wheels or switching your drivetrain from 2x10 to 1x11. Most upgrades are born from the idea that less weight is better, and we tend to agree as long as it doesn't come at the cost of performance. There are some components that you can replace with top-ranked bike gear to lighten your rig, but what about the frame? We feel that most bike owners out there will do a full upgrade in the form of a completely new bike, but there are riders out there that will replace just a frame. This article will speak to both groups of riders about whether upgrading to a carbon frame or upgrading from an aluminum bike to a new carbon bike is worth the cost.

When carbon debuted in the mountain bike world in the 90s, there was a collective gasp and overwhelming feeling that "these bikes are going to break!" That may have been true initially, but it is no longer the case. We've moved from the "lightest carbon frame possible" mentality to "the best carbon frame possible." With a switch of focus from light to durable and building carbon frames to withstand the abuses of a specific genre, we've seen carbon become nearly ubiquitous in all forms of cycling as the material of the pros. While a carbon frame built for cross-country riding may not hold up as well as one built for downhill, the lightness of the cross-country frame is more important, while the durability of the downhill frame is a more significant asset.

In truth, if we tested the strength of the same frame built from carbon and aluminum, you would see that carbon fiber frames are much stronger per pound in terms of both stress tests and impact tests.

Weight vs Price

One of the most discussed aspects of carbon fiber frames is the weight savings over aluminum frames. It is hard to pin down a hard and fast rule about how much lighter a carbon frame is compared to an aluminum one. For example, a Santa Cruz Bronson carbon frame may boast a 1.5-pound weight saving over the aluminum version, while the carbon Pivot Switchblade might be 1.9 pounds lighter than the aluminum Switchblade .

Then comes the elephant in the room — cost. Carbon fiber tends to be much pricier than aluminum-framed models. This begs the obvious question, is a 1.5-pound weight saving worth the extra cash? That, of course, is a personal question that depends on your goals and finances. It should be noted that component upgrades save weight as well. Even if you have a chunky aluminum frame, it is easy to save a pound or two with the components on the bike.

Remember, having a slightly heavier bike isn't a big deal. Fitness and skill are far more important than bicycle weight.

• Damping: A carbon frame has a damping effect, lowering the ride's harshness. Aluminum is a stiffer material and transfers much more of the trail, including rocks and roots, into your hands and behind. While minimal, the dampening effect of carbon will take some of the harshnesses out of the ride by soaking up some of the chatter you get when riding a rough trail. However minimal, this effect will give your hands and butt an amount of respite not offered by an aluminum frame. When multiplied over hours of riding, the effect multiplies, and we find that we can ride comfortably for a longer period on a carbon bike. While dampening is real and does smooth out the ride, we feel that there may be a placebo effect of carbon that makes it feel much smoother than it is, and we tend to feel faster because of this. This could also be attributed to a lighter weight as well. Whether these exaggerated benefits are part of the mindset of slaying on a carbon bike or not, we're 100% confident that we ride faster on a carbon bike. We especially notice this "carbon comfort" factor at the end of a super long mountain bike ride. If you don't choose to go the carbon frame route, carbon handlebars and a carbon seat post will give you some dampening and soften the ride and also lighten your bike at the same time.
• Torsional Stiffness: While dampening can soften the ride, it is by no means at the cost of pedal power. The bike will rock to the side when you push down on a pedal, especially in a standing position. With a carbon frame built correctly, the torsional stiffness will transfer all that power into your rear wheel. (Carbon is a grained material, meaning that the placement direction of the grain is important.) Although both frame materials flex a bit, carbon frames tend to be torsionally stiffer, preventing your bottom bracket from twisting about the chainstay and down tube, creating a snappier ride. Accelerating on a carbon bike feels much snappier due to both the torsional stiffness and lighter weight. Although minimal, that snappiness will affect your performance and psyche, leading to faster times and more confidence.

The myth that carbon is fragile again rears its ugly head, but it is just a myth. While both frame materials are susceptible to catastrophic failure, carbon fiber frames tend to be stronger per pound than aluminum equivalents. We see a lot of pictures of broken carbon frames pasted into forums to try and show how fragile carbon is, but it's just not the case. We don't know if these people have ties to aluminum investments or if they hold on to ancient beliefs about carbon, but we know that carbon frames are stronger and lighter than aluminum.

Aluminum is great because it's cheap, fairly light, and fairly stiff. The problem is that with stiffness comes stress fracturing. Carbon has the dampening effect that soaks up repeated abuse and allows it to spring back into place, while aluminum eats each impact. After thousands of miles, these impacts add up to many microscopic cracks in the aluminum, and over time stress failure cracks will appear, typically at the wades, the weakest points. Fatigue cracks will lessen the strength of the frame and will also reduce its stiffness, eventually causing failure. While this certainly won't occur overnight, you should be aware.

On the other hand, besides being better over time, carbon has a much higher tolerance to frame bending. If you were to run your favorite bike straight into a wall or rock or a double where the impact is directed straight through the frame, the impact on the front wheel would push through the fork and into the head tube. The force on the head tube is translated as if you were trying to fold the front wheel back towards the bottom bracket, bending the down tube where it connects to the head tube. On a carbon bike, the catastrophic failure point is much higher than on an aluminum bike due to the flex qualities of the carbon material. Just as one impact of this nature could break an aluminum frame and not a carbon frame, repeated stresses would also cause an aluminum frame to break sooner.

Carbon is also said to splinter on impact, while aluminum will survive the same impact. While both frames have their breaking points, typically, carbon will "bounce" off a rock due to those same dampening qualities we addressed earlier, while an aluminum frame will tend to absorb more of that impact, sometimes in the form of a dent. There isn't much information regarding specific impact forces, and we weren't allowed to take an axe to the top tubes of any of the bikes. Still, we don't feel carbon is less susceptible to impact breakage than aluminum and possibly more resistant. Regardless, carbon is repairable, while aluminum is not so much.

That being said, we did manage to break a carbon frame during our test period, so we know that it is not invincible. The force of a big crash can damage any bike. Would an aluminum bike have survived when this carbon frame splintered? We don't know for sure. Would we resort to only buying aluminum frames because of this? Nope. We are still fans of carbon.

Not all carbon is not created equal, so be judicial in your purchase decision, especially if the price for that carbon bike is lower than you'd expect. Manufacturing practices go a long way in determining the quality of your ride, regardless of material, and we recommend bikes built by reputable companies with solid warranties.

As technology changes so quickly in the modern era of mountain biking, we don't know how much lifespan will affect your choice because either material will give you a solid 7-10 years of life. Still, carbon is the way to go if you want to buy a bike that will last. Impacts and abuse aside, carbon doesn't fatigue over time, and your frame will be as good in 20 years as it was the day you bought it, although heckling will probably increase, as might your belly.

Other Materials

Other materials out there have stood the test of time, namely steel and titanium. We've seen both disappear for various reasons, steel being much too heavy and titanium being too expensive and still heavier than carbon. There are uses for both, often custom-built frames for riders of unusual size (ROUS's) . titanium, for instance, is extremely compliant and stiff. When building a bike for a very tall rider, you can't simply make a frame bigger; it has to be designed for that rider, or the rider's forces will negatively impact the frame. Titanium is very stiff. Building a bike for a taller or heavier rider allows the builder to keep the same design as a smaller bike without compromise.

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The 10 Best Hardtail Mountain Bikes For Ripping Trails and High-Performance

Whether you want a lightweight cross-country rocket or a cheap trail ripper, one of these picks will work for you.

A “hardtail” is a mountain bike with front suspension but no rear suspension. This design can be lighter and less expensive than a mountain bike with rear suspension, as well as simpler to maintain. Think of a hardtail as the workhorse of the mountain bike world.

Sometimes hardtails are simply the best tool for the job, depending on the circumstances. For instance, those just learning to mountain bike may prefer the handling of a hardtail. Kids are often better off with a hardtail for several reasons, particularly the reduced weight. Sometimes the terrain where you ride simply doesn’t warrant a full suspension bike. Or, finally, it might be personal preference drives your desire to ride a hardtail.

Whatever the case, hardtails are alive and well, and we take a closer look at a wide range of bikes to suit your needs from the most basic to advanced racing machines.

Looking for more riding options? Check out our picks for the best electric bikes , folding e-bikes , and commuter bikes .

The Best Hardtail Mountain Bikes

• Best Overall: Specialized Rockhopper Elite 29
• Best Electric Hardtail Mountain Bike: Aventon Ramblas
• Best Trail Hardtail Mountain Bike: Trek Roscoe 7
• Best Hardtail Mountain Bike Deal: Salsa Rangefinder 29 Deore
• Best Cheap Hardtail Mountain Bike: Eastern Alpaka 29

What to Consider in a Hardtail Mountain Bike

Why you can trust us, how we tested hardtail mountain bikes, our full hardtail mountain bike reviews.

If you are looking for the best high-performance mountain bikes (full suspension and hardtail, electric and analog), check out our Bike Awards coverage. You’ll find 11 exceptional, award-winning bikes rigorously vetted by our editorial team.

If you’re in search of an efficient race machine, a carbon fiber hardtail might be the bike for you. Hardtails also make great adventure bikes for bikepacking off-road and other long-distance riding shenanigans. Build a hardtail with a longer-travel fork and wide tires and you’ll have a fun ripper for romping around your local trails —and you’ll save money and weight compared to many full suspension options.

For decades, hardtails have appealed to riders due to the infinite ways you can build them up and for their simplicity. Here’s what you need to know about hardtail mountain bikes.

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You almost always get more bang for your buck with a hardtail. The design allows manufacturers to either reduce the bike’s overall price or include better components than you would find on comparably priced full-suspension rigs.

Hardtail frames lack rear shocks, pivots, linkages, and the associated hardware. Thus, they are generally lighter than comparable full-suspension frames. For riders who climb a lot, the weight saving can make a difference—both physically and mentally. 

Carbon fiber frames have the best strength-to-weight ratio of any material but are typically more expensive than metal-framed bikes. Despite this, there are desirable characteristics in all frame materials.

Wheel Sizes

Hardtails come with many wheel sizes and gearing options. You’ll find wheel sizes of 29- or 27.5-inches, standard tire widths (up to 2.6-inches), plus-size (2.8- to 3-inches), and fat tires (3-inches and wider). Some hardtails will accept different wheel and tire sizes, allowing you to swap out options to suit your riding needs.

Great for Kids and Tweens

The explosive growth of youth cycling programs and NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) racing got a ton of kids onto the trail and needing mountain bikes. With their combination of lightweight, lower cost, and wheel size options, hardtails make ideal bikes for young riders starting out or teens who quickly outgrow bikes.

Maintenance and Durability

Fewer moving parts mean fewer things that could potentially go wrong, and higher-quality parts mean those parts are less likely to need fixing. The simplicity of not having a rear shock and rear suspension system increases the durability of the bike as it requires less maintenance and fewer replacement parts.

Ride Quality

A hardtail can feel more responsive than a dual-suspension bike when pedaling. The lack of rear suspension creates a more efficient-feeling pedaling platform, so acceleration feels more immediate. 

Climbers especially appreciate the extra responsiveness, though you lose some traction (especially under braking) without the rear suspension. Still, for a fast, efficient ride, nothing beats a hardtail.

Find the Right Fork

After the frame, the fork is arguably the most important part of a hardtail's build kit. You’ll find suspension forks with as little as 80mm of travel on some cross-country bikes, while trail or all-mountain hardtails may have forks with 140mm of travel or more. 

Some hardtails still use forks that lack any suspension. These rigid forks are typically the lightest weight and require no maintenance.

Build One Up

Hardtails also make an excellent second, third...or 10th bike to have around—to loan to friends, for when your primary bike is in the shop, or for dabbling into other areas of riding. 

Many brands (particularly small or mid-sized) offer frame-only options that you can build up on your own or with the help of your local shop. Perhaps you have some old parts kicking around and collecting dust. Well, hardtails are a simple and cost-effective way to put those parts to use!

Bicycling has been vetting and reviewing bikes, gear, and accessories for more than 50 years. The bike recommendations here are based on the extensive work of the test team, which includes Deputy Editor Tara Seplavy, Senior Test Editor Matt Phillips, Test Editor Dan Chabonov, and Maintenance Editor Gabe Ortiz. Together, they have more than 60 years of ride-testing experience and insight that they bring to every recommendation they make.

For hardtail mountain bikes, Tara Seplavy oversaw these selections based on the team’s collective testing experience, as well as her own extensive knowledge of the category.

Chris Case has been riding and racing all manner of bikes for over 30 years. His first “real” bikes were mountain bikes; his racing days began on the rooted trails of southern New England. Formerly the managing editor of VeloNews magazine, he now guides gravel cycling and bikepacking tours with his company Alter Exploration . His garage is filled with his family’s precious collection of bikes, neatly organized and maintained for daily riding, racing, and adventures. Follow him on Instagram at @chrisjustincase .

Many of these bikes were tested by Bicycling 's team of gear editors, which mapped out rides featuring most of the trail elements that you’ll likely encounter. Bikes were pushed hard on flow trails, up steep climbs, down pucker-worthy rocky descents, and through rock gardens. Editors rode these bikes on the terrain best suited for each bike, as well as terrain entirely unsuitable, to see how far the limits could be pushed.

The bikes that weren’t ridden by Bicycling ’s editors were carefully chosen based on their value, quality of parts, our experience riding similar models, and how the overall package meets the needs of the intended rider.

We also consulted with hardtail devotees and coaches who work with junior riders to assess the best choices for younger and beginner cyclists.

Specialized Rockhopper Elite 29

The Rockhopper has been a mainstay of Specialized’s product line longer than most mountain bikers have been alive. The brand spent decades perfecting the Rockhopper into the well-rounded mountain bike platform it is today. And that experience—paired with learnings from its World Cup-winning high-end bikes—translates into a refined quality on the trail.

“The Rockhopper Elite climbs efficiently, is quite capable on singletrack, and isn’t too nervous when descending,” said test rider Tara Seplavy, Bicycling ’s deputy editor.

That is to say, it does everything decently—a quality many buyers in this price range want and expect from a mountain bike.

While the Rockhopper’s frame lacks a tapered headtube and thru axle rear end, the bike strikes a modern and lightweight appearance. The frame has routing for a dropper seatpost (if you wish to add one), its cables route internally on the front triangle, and it has rack mounts.

The components on the Rockhopper Elite don’t jump out, but they also don’t let you down. The air-sprung RockShox Judy TK fork does not perform to the level of the higher-end Recon fork model (more flex under braking and harsher riding). But it is easy to set up for different weight riders and has a crown-mounted lockout for pavement sections.

Specialized offers a bevy of Rockhopper models between $650 and $1,400. We consider the Comp ($950), Elite ($1,150), and Expert ($1,300) models most suitable for trail riding. Specialized also has 27.5-inch wheel Rockhopper variants in these models to fit shorter-height riders.

Aventon Ramblas

With its torquey mid-drive motor, name-brand components, and $2,700 price tag, Aventon’s Ramblas hardtail looks to flip the script and change the perception of hardtail e-bikes—and it succeeds.

At the heart of the Ramblas is Aventon’s all-new A100 motor. The mid-drive unit features 250 watts of sustained power/750 watts of peak power and 100 Newton/meters of torque. It is cleanly mounted to the Ramblas’ front triangle, low-slung on the frame but with sufficient clearance for riding over rocks and logs.

“The bike felt comfortable, proportional, and balanced from the first rip around the trailhead,” Seplavy said.

The Ramblas is well-appointed for its price. Overall, the components are well-suited for a trail-use mountain bike—1x12 SRAM Eagle drivetrain, 4-piston SRAM brakes, 35mm stanchion RockShox fork, dropper seatpost, and 2.4-inch-wide tires. They are all underpinnings of a solid mid-range trail bike—and for a $2,700 hardtail e-MTB, these features are unmatched in the market.

“After riding the Ramblas and checking out other hardtail e-MTBs over the past several years, I think Aventon just reset the entire category with this bike,” Seplavy said.

Trek Roscoe 7

There is so much to love about this bike that it’s hard to decide where to start. The 12-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain (with a 30T chainring and 10-51T cassette) provides a massive range, with gearing low enough to ease the pain of climbing steep hills. Its 29-inch wheels (27.5-inch on XS size) carry speed while maintaining maneuverability on technical trails, and the 2.6-inch tubeless-ready tires offer great traction and a plush ride.

The 140mm travel RockShox Recon SL SoloAir fork has plenty of travel for getting rowdy and can be locked out for added efficiency, such as when climbing a paved road. And speaking of rowdy, a dropper post is a very cool addition and adds to the Roscoe's versatility.

Salsa Rangefinder 29 Deore

The Salsa Rangefinder is one of the least expensive bikes in this test and one of the heaviest. Neither significantly takes away from its abilities on the trail.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the Rangefinder’s performance in most situations,” Seplavy said.

The Rangefinder’s extra heft comes from its oversized aluminum frame, heavy 120mm SR Suntour XCM fork, extra-wide range cassette, and 29x2.6-inch Maxxis tires. These parts, though, also make the Salsa more confident and capable on the trail than the bike’s weight might suggest.

On dirt, the Rangefinder lumbers along. It’s also not light or race-oriented. As Seplavy put it: “The Salsa is not a ‘go fast and take chances’ style bike.”

The Rangefinder's slightly upright positioning, steep seat angle, and low gearing allow you to sit and spin up climbs, despite the bike’s weight.

The Rangefinder is capable, though not fully confident when descending. The wide Maxxis Rekon tires and thru axle fork provide extra grip over roots and precision when picking a line through rocky sections of trail. But the Tektro Gemini brakes with 160mm rotors are insufficient at higher speeds or when the gradient pitches steeply downward. The fork’s lack of damping adjustment also made the fork ping-pong off of rocks when they came in quick succession.

Salsa provides options for riders seeking a Shimano-equipped Rangefinder or one with plus-sized wheels. It offers three other Rangefinder models between $900 and $1,500. Each model has 27.5+ or 29-inch wheel variants. There are Shimano Deore 10 -, 11 -, and 12-speed drivetrain Rangefinder models.

Eastern Bikes Alpaka 29

The Alpaka boasts features that try to emulate a high-end experience at an entry-level price. The aluminum frame is paired with a 100mm travel spring coil fork with a mechanical lockout feature. Stopping power comes from 160mm hydraulic disc brakes with adjustable reach levers.

The 9-speed X-Gear drivetrain is compatible with Shimano and SRAM aftermarket parts. But the 11-34-tooth cassette matched with a 32-tooth chainring up front will limit your ability to climb the steepest pitches.

While the bike‘s quick release hubs are not as secure or fashionable as thru axle wheels, they get the job done at the price. And though the Kenda 2.2-inch tires provide ample traction, the frame is designed to accommodate up to 2.4-inch rubber if you need more cushion and grip.

The cockpit comprises Eastern-branded contact points along with a Velo saddle and grips, completing the package with a touch of comfort not often seen at this price.

Giant Talon 29 1

The Giant Talon 1 is the biggest sleeper in our testing. The Talon’s frame doesn’t have an aggressive trail bike silhouette. It does not look oversized and burly. The plain black paint and blue logo also help to subdue the Giant. Appearances and first looks are often deceiving.

“Once on the trail, the Talon 1 surprised me with its capabilities. It rides like a bike that should cost a couple of hundred dollars more,” Seplavy said.

The Giant’s good ride feel comes down to its fork. The house-brand 100mm travel SXC-32-2 RL fork features 32mm aluminum stanchions, an alloy steerer, and an air spring. These shave weight off the bike while improving stiffness and steering precision. The fork’s rebound adjustment and air spring help you tune the fork for your weight and local trails—a big plus for a bike at this price.

The Tektro M275 brakes on the Talon 1, however, were underwhelming. They slowed the bike down but lacked modulation and a good feel at the lever. The Deore 10-speed drivetrain shifted smoothly but was over-geared for steeper hills compared to the other bikes tested.

Giant offers three models in the Talon range, with the Talon 1 as the most expensive and best equipped for trail riding. For a more premium Giant hardtail trail bike, check out the Fathom 29 models . Starting at $1,500, the Fathoms have longer travel forks, tubeless tires, and dropper posts.

Liv Lurra 2 27.5

The Lurra 2 is Liv’s latest creation for the value-minded hardtail fan.

Designed for performance-minded trail riders who want to rip singletrack, the Lurra offers dedicated frame geometry for the XS and S frame sizes which boast 27.5-inch wheels. Up front, the 130mm Giant fork and 2.6-inch Maxxis tubeless tires offer grip and comfort for roots, rocks, and ruts, and the Giant Contact 100mm dropper seatpost is a nice touch, allowing you to get low and ride with more control. Equipped with a Shimano Deore drivetrain and Tektro disc brakes, the pair offer dependability rather than flash.

The Lurra is generously adorned with multiple water bottle mounts: a set underneath the top tube allows for secure mounting of a small gear pack to fill with snacks or tools or other small items, while a trio on the downtube and another set underneath the downtube allow for multiple mounting positions of two water bottles.

Zize Yonder

While most brands make bikes rated for riders up to 200 or 250 pounds, Zize exclusively focuses on bikes for heavyweight riders. With its chromoly frame and fork, heavy-duty wheels, and Clark's hydraulic disc brakes, the Yonder accommodates riders up to 550 pounds.

The Yonder also features a 100mm wide bottom bracket shell and 3-inch wide 26-inch WTB tires for added rider stability. The bike has a dependable Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain, but the gear range is not low enough for optimal riding up steep hills. Though the Yonder is expensive, consider this bike if you're a heavier rider looking to get into off-road riding.

Specialized Riprock

The Riprock 24 is an excellent bike for kids who want to take their riding skills off-road. Designed to accommodate riders between 3-foot-11 and 4-foot-8, this bike comes with 24-inch wheels, a 1x9-speed MicroShift group, and hydraulic disc brakes.

While many mountain bikes for kids use a suspension fork, the Riprock 24 features an aluminum rigid fork. Most bikes at this price use heavy suspension forks that don't work for lightweight riders, but the Specialized’s rigid fork saves weight and looks great. This makes the Riprock 24 well-equipped for young riders' trail riding adventures. Offered in four colors, this bike is also available with 20-inch wheels for riders between 3-foot-5 and 4-foot-4.

Cervélo ZHT-5 GX

Yes, you’re reading that right: Cervélo makes mountain bikes. Though the brand may be more famous as the bike sponsor of the Tour de France-winning Visma-Lease a Bike race team, Cervélo has created this podium-worthy ride for ripping on the dirt.

Sporting a 907-gram (claimed) carbon frame, 69-degree head angle, and long reach top tubes, the ZHT-5 is made for speed. This SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed equipped model also comes standard with a 100mm travel RockShox Sid SL Select fork, e.thirteen TRS Race tubeless wheels, and a RaceFace cockpit.

Expert Chris Case On When to Go Full Suspension Versus Hardtail And Whether to Choose Aluminum Or Carbon.

Is full suspension better than a hardtail.

It depends on the application and terrain. Of course, there are certain types of riding when a full suspension bike is going to provide a faster, safer, and more enjoyable experience—for example, on rockier, more technical downhills. 

Conversely, some situations and locations are better suited to hardtails, for instance, in places where non-technical trails are abundant. If bikepacking is your thing, hardtails can be easier to load up with gear since the opening of the main triangle is easier to fill with a frame bag. But that’s not to say a full-suspension rig won’t work for bikepacking.

Much of the time it’s either personal preference or budget.

Aluminum or carbon?

There are pros and cons to every frame material. Carbon is typically lighter, can dampen more vibrations, and so forth, but if you’re hard on your equipment or crash often, the chances of causing irreparable damage to a carbon frame are higher than with metal frames.

Aluminum is often heavier, and some will say it offers a stiffer, less comfortable ride. But when you factor in saddle choice, tire size and pressure, and the comfort of other touchpoints, it’s hard to isolate the variable of the frame as the only factor on how a bike feels.

I prefer riding metal bikes (titanium) because we have enough disposable stuff in this world already. And carbon is ultimately disposable. Eventually, there will come a time when it is either outdated or broken, and you can either dispose of it or hang it on your wall. I look forward to the day when I can give my titanium bike to my daughter for her to ride.

What do the pros ride?

It used to be that XC racers wanted the lightest machine possible, which was often the hardtail model. Now, however, though many of them still care about weight, there are incredibly light full-suspension race bikes, and having suspension is helpful on the manufactured and natural courses that pros tend to race on (at World Cups, for example).

Chris Case, former managing editor of VeloNews magazine, has been riding, racing, and adventuring by bike for nearly 30 years. His cycling pursuits have taken him to destinations across the U.S. and Europe, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Israel, and beyond. He has stood on the podium at several cyclocross national championships, and is a silver medalist at master’s cyclocross worlds. Today he guides adventurous gravel cycling and bikepacking tours through his company, Alter Exploration.

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.  

DCB PT29 Trek Stache Style Carbon MTB Plus Frame 29er, 29+, or 27.5+

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Ready to build up the most versatile and do it all hardtail that can adapt to any situation? Or to upgrade your alu Stache frame without the price tag?  No better place to start than with a quality and affordable carbon frame. This PT29 Stache Style frame from DIY Carbon BIkes is top of the line for versatility.

This frame has optional dropouts to give riders three options for tire sizes. In the far slot the frame will do 29x3.0 29er plus tires, in the front slot the frame will support 29x2.2-2.5 or 27.5x2.8-3.0.

This frame offers the capability of a full suspension trail bike in a simple hardtail package, plus the extra benefits of 29+ or 27.5+ tires The wide 3" tires grip relentlessly, amplifying all the benefits of 29ers, while remarkably short chainstays deliver a fun, lively ride.

Built with triple enforced T800 Carbon, a 31.8 seat tube for wider posts and dropper posts, and equipped with a stiff and stable BB92 bottom bracket, this frame is for those that want a do-it-all hardtail with the option to switch things up.

This frame is designed in the style of the Trek Slash, but with a bit more slack geometry.

Price is total shipped and includes frame and free global shipping!

Product Specs:

Material:  100% High-Quality Toray T800 Carbon Fiber.

Heaadset: Any IS 42/52 headset

Rear Thru Axle:  12mm x 175 up to 180mm with 1.5mm thread pitch. 

Wheel-size:  29er plus, 29er, or 27.5 plus

Front Fork:  29er plus recommends a rigid fork or 100-120mm. 29er recommends 120mm-130mm, 27.5 plus recommends 130-140mm. 

Bottom Bracket:  BB92

Weight:  1140g (M)

Finish:  Matte UD matte, (Red or white paint +$100)

Braking System:  160mm rotor on the rear

Head-tube:  1-1/8 1-1/2 (Headset included)

Seat-post Size:  31.6

Clamp size:  36.4 

Spacing:  148x12 BOOST Thru Axle

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Trek Finds Carbon Frames Produce Nearly 3 Times the CO2 of Alloy in its First Sustainability Report

Cool Features

Best carbon road bikes: Our pick of the best racing and endurance road bikes

Carbon road bikes combine meticulous weight saving, geometry tweaking and aerodynamic sculpting to rule the road

Best carbon fibre race bikes

Best carbon fibre endurance bikes, carbon road bikes explained.

Carbon fibre is a bit of a wonder material because it can be moulded into just about any shape, and tuned to be stiff in one plane and flexible in another. With these properties, it's heavily used throughout the bike industry and we see it in everything from frames down to brake levers. There are advocates of bikes made from steel, titanium and aluminium, but the best road bikes are most commonly made from carbon fibre. For evidence, look no further than the bikes ridden in the WorldTour .

Best road bikes Best aero road bikes Best lightweight bikes Best aluminium road bikes Best road e-bikes

There is no shortage of remarkable bikes made from aluminium, steel and titanium, but with its stiffness, strength and malleability, carbon fibre reigns supreme in road bike technology. Once a reserve for top tier racing bikes, advances in carbon production and technology has resulted in carbon being utilised across every cycling discipline from the best lightweight bikes to full suspension mountain bikes and surpassing the performance possible with metal tubes. 

Scroll down for a pick of our favourite carbon road bikes that are available today and an overview of what to look for when choosing a carbon road bike .

Specialized Tarmac Disc Expert

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

We're up to the SL6 version of the Specialized Tarmac, and the current frameset has lost a bit of weight and the tubing profiles are a bit boxier. The chainstays have been dropped drastically, and the back of the seat tube and seat post are now flat, a well-tested way to introduce compliance to the rear end.

Introduced a few iterations ago, the new Tarmac is based around what Specialized calls Rider-First Engineering, each frame size is built with a specific geometry, layup and tube shapes, meaning gone are the days of the ultra-stiff XS and noodly XL frames. Also gone are the gender-specific geometries, the only difference between the men's and women's versions are the touchpoints and cranks.

Specialized tell us the frame is more aero too, claiming the new Tarmac is 45-seconds faster over 45km compared to 'other lightweight bikes in the same category'. Only available with disc brakes for 2020, this has allowed the brand to balloon the max tire clearance to 30mm. The Expert spec comes with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset, Roval C38 carbon wheels finished in with S-Works Turbo 120TPI rubber and one of our favourite paint jobs of the bunch.

Raced by: Bora-Hansgrohe , Deceuninck-QuickStep , Boels Dolmans

Trek Emonda SL 6 Disc

The Emonda is Trek's lightweight carbon road frame, and the top-end SLR version is one of the lightest framesets you can buy. While the SL version doesn't get the 600-series carbon and ultralight paint of the SLR trim, it's no slouch on the scale. Only available in the brands H2 more relaxed fit, the Disc version of the frame is made using the brand's second-tier OCLV 500 carbon.

At the back, the Emonda uses a seat mast and cap, which adds some vertical compliance, however, it does limit your minimum and maximum saddle height. Tipping the scales at around 8.6kg, depending on the size, it's not the lightest bike on the market but considering the price, it is well specced.

• Richie Porte's Trek Emonda – Gallery
• Sandy Floren's Trek Emonda gravel-lite race bike - Gallery

The latest version of the Emonda SL is noticeably stiffer and leads to a lively road feel, the stable BB creates a tight pedalling feel. Trek still hasn't applied its ISO-speed technology to the Emonda, and with the additional stiffness in the frame, some feedback from the road makes it through to your body, especially through the handlebars.

The Emonda SL is also specced with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Bontrager Paradigm Disc tubeless-ready wheels; we feel it demonstrates decent value for money.

Raced by: Trek-Segafredo , Trek-Segafredo Women

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc

Launched just ahead of the 2019 Tour de France , Cannondale 's latest SuperSix Evo comes complete with a first for the frame – a sloping top tube. But it's not just the death of the flat top tube, Cannondale has swapped to Kammtail tube shapes for a claimed 30 watt saving (at 48kph) over its predecessor and the brand says the new SuperSix is between nine and 40 watts faster than a range of its competitors. The frame also gets a flat-backed seat post and seat tube, and the dropped chainstays which are becoming increasingly common among carbon race bikes.

Capable of taking 30mm tyres (28mm rim brake), the new frame is claimed to weigh 886g in a size 56, painted. The rim version of the bike uses the standard open quick release dropout, however, the disc version is shod with Mavic's speed release thru-axle system which pairs an open dropout with a threaded counterpart to speed up wheel changes.

• Cannondale SuperSix EVO review
• Lachlan Morton's Cannondale Supersix Evo - Gallery

Cannondale has also opted for an integrated bar and stem and sees the brands in-house KNOT components providing the seat post and wheelset. As you'd expect for a bike in this price bracket, the 45mm deep road wheels are carbon fibre and tubeless-ready, and a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset provides the gearing. The new SuperSix EVO also comes with a Power2Max NG Eco power meter installed in the HologramSiSL2 cranks, though you'll have to pay a fee on top of the retail price to activate it.

Raced by: EF Pro Cycling

Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc

Giant's TCR has long been a no-nonsense performer, and the brand as a whole demonstrates top value for money. Designed around the brand's compact road geometry, the frame is built using Giant's Advanced Composite Technology, and moulded in a modified monocoque construction — meaning the front and rear triangles are moulded separately and then bonded together.

The TCR has always been known for its snappy ride quality and that's due in large part to its compact rear end. At the front, the TCR gets Giant's chunky Overdrive steerer which combine with the front and rear thru-axles and stiff carbon fork mean no steering input is lost to flex.

• A closer look at the new Giant TCR - Simon Geschke's 6.4kg bike
• Greg Van Avermaet's golden Giant TCR Disc - Gallery

Depending on where you live, the Advanced Pro Disc comes with either a Shimano Ultegra or SRAM Force eTap AXS drivetrain, but, regardless of your region, the wheels and tyres are tubeless-ready out of the box, meaning they come with valves and rim strips installed and Giant even gives you enough sealant to get rolling.

The Giant TCR has recently been updated, so the current model TCR is soon to be deemed 'old-hat', but that should mean discounts are readily available on what is still an excellent bike. 

Raced by: CCC Team , CCC-Liv

Canyon Aeroad 7.0

German direct-to-consumer brand Canyon has redefined the level of bike that you can get for your money, and the Aeroad 7.0 is proof. The frame and fork are made from a slightly lower grade of carbon than the SLX version that the Movistar Team rides, but beyond that it's identical. Aero tubing isn't prone to flexing, and the Aeroad offers a stiff ride, but it's still not as bone-rattling as some wind-cheating frames on the market.

For the £2,450 / $3,000 / AU$3,950 price tag, you get a Shimano 105 groupset, which offers fantastic shifting performance and reliability with 11 gears at the back. The base model of the Aeroad is only available with rim brakes; however, you still get direct-mount calipers, which are a reasonable trade-off to save a bit of cash.

While the majority of the bike is fitted with Canyon's own components, the wheels are Reynolds AR58 deep-dish carbon wheels . For the money, the Aeroad is damn hard to beat.

Raced by: Movistar Team

The third iteration of the S5 is claimed to be faster, stronger, and stiffer than its predecessor. At the front, the ultra-stiff front integrated bar and stem is more akin to the spoiler on a racing car than the front end of a bike. Combined with the proprietary external steerer tube that's designed to cheat the wind, Cervelo says as a system this creates a 17g reduction in drag when compared to a standard setup. With the cables routed completely inside the bike, you’re going to want the S5 with an electronic or wireless drivetrain, as replacing the fully internal gear and shift cables and housing will be time-consuming, at best.

Only available with disc brakes, the new frame has room for up to 30mm rubber and sees 12mm thru-axles using the quarter-turn RAT system developed by Focus, which is owned by the same parent company. With improved stiffness throughout, the robust front end makes for pinpoint cornering and allows you to push the limit through the corners. The downside is it can be a bit harsh through your hands.

• Tiesj Benoot's Cervelo R5 - Gallery

Cervelo is a brand well known for its aero bikes , and the new S5 is claimed to be around 5.5-watts quicker than its predecessor, which combined with increases in stiffness throughout make it sharp and always wanting to surge forward.

It's not cheap, but for your investment, you get a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and a set of DT Swiss ARC 1459 62 Disc carbon wheels.

Raced by: Team Sunweb

Scott Foil 10 Disc

The Scott Foil has come quite a long way from its origins, which were often touted as way too stiff, but ultra-responsive with zero flex or vibration dampening. In 2016, Scott completely revamped the frame and added discs in 2017, changing the layup to combat road buzz and dropping the seat stays for vertical compliance.

It's still a stiff and agile frame but lacks some of the snap of the original — not necessarily a bad thing because it makes the bike considerably more manageable, especially four hours into an all-day epic.

Available in both rim and disc versions, Scott graduated from Kammtail to aero tubing and even includes a carbon fairing to shield the disc brake caliper from the wind. The top-end RC versions of the bike come with a one-piece integrated Syncros bar and stem, which is why we like the Foil 10 Disc. Using the brands HMF carbon, it comes with a standard bar and stem and is kitted out with a Shimano Di2 Drivetrain and Syncros Carbon wheels. All that said, we’re not so sure about the brown paint job.

Race by: Mitchelton-Scott , Mitchelton-Scott women

Pinarello Dogma F12 Disk

Say what you will about Pinarello's Dogma but it has won seven of the last 10 Tour de France's. The latest iteration of the Italian brand's aero racer is the Dogma F12, and it's the first race bike from Pinarello to come with discs from the outset. It's quite a big deal given in 2017 Fausto Pinarello famously declared he wasn't convinced high-performance bikes needed disc brakes. The rim brake version also swaps from a single bolt to direct mount brakes.

At first glance, the F12 doesn't look all that different from the F10; there are quite a few claimed improvements to aerodynamics and stiffness throughout the frame. The fork has been revamped to better combat twisting forces from the disc brake caliper, and the frames themselves are said to be 10 per cent lighter than the F10 (unpainted). Pinarello has also made refinements to its asymmetric frame design and changed to a higher grade carbon, said to amount to a 10 per cent increase in stiffness.

• Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight
• Rohan Dennis' Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight - Gallery

Now with the ability to take 30mm tyres, the F12 is designed around the Most (Pinarello's component brand) Talon bar and stem combo, which is available in 16-stem length and bar width combinations. Pinarello is making the Dogma F12 in 13 frame sizes, however, they are so expensive, most retailers seem to only be offering framesets at the time of writing.

Raced by: Team Ineos

BMC Teammachine SLR02 Disc One

The BMC Teammachine is one of our favourite race bikes (in fact this writer owns one), and the latest iteration exemplifies the brand's prowess for engineering. As one of the first brands to adopt the dropped chainstays, the Teammachine finds a stellar balance, offering snappy power transfer, seemingly laser-guided handling while dampening a large portion of the vibration before they make it through to your touchpoints.

The big issue we have is the price tag for the range-topping SLR01 version. However SLR02 is about half the price, but still maintains the same geometry and the majority of BMC's hallmark ride characteristics. The frame itself is made with the brand's second-tier carbon, which adds a bit of weight, and doesn't absorb quite the same level of vibration.

Even at the second level of the frame, there are four specs, but it's hard to pass up the Teammachine SLR02 Disc One, complete with SRAM's shiny new Force AXS eTap wireless groupset. The bike is specced with BMC's Integrated Cockpit System, which uses a BMC stem, but standard bars, allowing for a bit of added adjustability, customisation and ease of servicing.

Raced by: NTT Pro Cycling

Ridley Helium SLX Ultegra Di2

A Ridley product manager once told me that the design ethos for its bikes come directly from its sponsored race teams. He explained the design and performance elements are balanced against what will make race mechanics want to pull their hair out and the Helium SLX exemplifies this rational. It's not the stiffest or the lightest bike on the market but the cable routing is simple and while the majority of the finishing kit comes from 4ZA, Ridley's in-house components brand, there's no proprietary anything.

The Helium SLX might not be the stiffest frame out there but it's still robust were it needs to be. Made with a mix of 60/40/30-ton high modulus carbon, Ridley subtlety transitions from round to boxy tubing in areas like the down tube and BB and even the strongest sprinters will struggle to bend the tubing under pedalling.

At the back pencil-thin seat stays soften big hits and the layup does well to absorb vibration. The geometry is racy, but not so stretched out and aggressive that the weekend warrior can't find a comfortable position.

This particular model takes the top end frame, and bolts on the latest Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain and finishing kit comes from 4ZA. Ridley sends these bikes out with Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels, with the assumption being if you're buying a bike like this you probably already own a nice wheelset and may not want to pay for another. However, in Australia, Ridley bikes are only sold as framesets, and the local distributor allows customers to customise everything from drivetrain and wheels to a fully bespoke paint job.

Raced By: Lotto Soudal

Bianchi Oltre XR4

Raced by the Jumbo-Visma team, Bianchi 's Oltre XR4 is an eye-catching ride, especially in the trademark celeste paint job. But, it's what's hidden inside the carbon that sets this bike apart. The CV Countervail carbon architecture, which is also used by NASA, incorporates a viscoelastic resin to better dampen road vibrations coming up through the frame, which the brand says also increases stiffness. There is no doubt the frame is stiff under pedalling forces, but you can feel the difference the countervail tech makes when it comes to comfort.

The main focus of the Oltre XR4 is to slice through the wind so it's no surprise to see the cables fully hidden, with Vision's 5D ACR one-piece cockpit wrangling everything into the frame. With these properties, the Italian outfit has also made the geometry fairly unforgiving and you'll need to be flexible to find a comfortable position.

Don't mistake the Oltre XR4 for an aero bike that's just meant to go straight, it handles with cat-like reflexes. The price tag is pretty heavy and depending on where you live it may only be offered as a frameset.

Raced by: Team Jumbo-Visma

Specialized Roubaix Expert

The Specialized Roubaix was the first commercially available endurance road bike when it was launched back in 2004. With a slightly more relaxed geometry and taller head tube, early versions of the Roubaix featured Zertz inserts, said to absorb road buzz — their effectiveness is still up for debate.

The Roubaix has come quite a long way since then, now featuring the Future Shock. Designed in collaboration with McLaren, the Future Shock is now in its 2.0 version and features a hydraulic piston inside the head tube which provides 20mm of travel, now with a dial to adjust the compression and rebound damping.

• Alison Tetrick's Specialized S-Works Roubaix for Super Sweetwater gravel race - Gallery

The cheaper models of the Roubaix (Comp and below) get a Future Shock 1.5, which is the same unit minus the adjustable damper. Specialized has also added a new D-shaped seat post at the back, complete with a drop-in clamp to maximise flex and create a more balanced ride quality front to back.

It's not as snappy as the Tarmac when you push on the pedals, but it does an excellent job of smoothing out square edges on the road. According to Specialized, the new Roubaix is more Aero than the Tarmac SL6 and lighter than a Venge. Like the Tarmac, it only comes with disc brakes and a unisex geometry, with the only difference between the men's and women's bikes being the touchpoints.

Ridley Fenix SL Disc

On paper, the Fenix SL looks like your typical Fondo bike, with sure-footed endurance geometry. In practice, the frame is on the stiffer end of the spectrum and makes for a ride quality that's anything but boring. There is precisely zero unwanted flex in the fork or laterally in the frame, a characteristic that's relatively commonplace in this category of road bikes. With dropped seat stays, the bike isn't harsh, however, we're not sure we'd describe it as a comfortable ride.

We'd argue among a field of endurance bikes, most of which look like they've been hit with the ugly stick, the Fenix SL, even with its chunky slightly aero tubing, is a pretty good looking bike.

It's not particularly light on the scale, but the Fenix is an endurance roadie that isn't willing to trade comfort for boring or sluggish ride quality.

Trek Domane SL 7

The third generation of the Trek Domane carries the dual front and rear IsoSpeed technology. The top-end SLR models borrow the Madone's top tube mounted adjustable pivot, while the rest retain the standard inbuilt flex point. Trek say the new Domane is more aero than its predecessor, with Trek claiming it's a full minute per hour faster than the previous version - although at what power output, we cannot be sure. 

Trek has fully committed the Domane to disc brakes and the result is that it can accept up to 38mm tyres, or 35mm with a fender. At the front, there is a nifty cable guide mounted under the stem; it's not quite as clean as the internally routed options, but not having to run cables and housing through handlebars and stem make maintenance and changes to bike fit considerably easier.

The Domane also features a clever down tube storage box that allows for tools and a spare tube to be stored in the frame inside a plush tool roll. The full Ultegra SL6 version pictured is built around Trek's H2 Endurance Fit, however, if you spring for the Project One SLR, the slightly more aggressive H1.5 is available. Trek has also ditched the gender-specific geometries, with the only difference between the gendered bikes being the touchpoints and paint jobs.

BMC Roadmachine 01 Four

At first glance, the BMC Roadmachine looks identical to the Teammachine racer, but closer inspection reveals a higher stack, shorter reach, softer ride and room for fat tyres. Even with the more relaxed geometry the Roadmachine still retains much of is racier cousin's efficiency and snap when pressure is applied to the pedals, but with slightly more forgiving steering characteristics.

The frame is made using the TCC (Tuned Compliance Concept) Endurance lay-up, which BMC says is designed to take the edge off rough roads. BMC has also employed what it calls Angle Compliance technology, which is marketing-speak for flex built into the fork, seat stays and seat post. The Roadmachine is where BMC first employed its integrated cockpit design, so it's no surprise to see it here and we love the addition of mounts for a top tube food/storage box so your pre-knock Haribo can be at hand at all times.

There is enough room in the frame for 33mm tyres so even though 'road' is in the name, nothing is stopping you from taking the Roadmachine past where the pavement ends. At the front, the new asymmetric fork is said to be ten per cent stiffer, while the back features the brand's dropped seat stays. The trouble, however, is the BMC sized price tag.

Giant Defy Advanced Pro 0

Since it was introduced in 2009, Giant's Defy has consistently been the brand's top-selling bike — it was also the first road bike to be offered exclusively in disc brakes. With only minor refinements to the geometry over the years, every other aspect of the bike has been improved from the D-Fuse seat post and handlebar to the oversized and tapered OverDrive 2 steerer tube.

The Defy Advanced sees an updated rear end with a slight curve in the seat stays to promote deflection. To balance out the plush rear end, Giant has adapted the D-Fuse technology for the front of the bike. The tops are now D-shaped like the seat post and Giant says the amount of flex can be customised by rotating the bar in the stem.

With these comfort features the remainder of the front triangle is robust with Giant employing its beefy Megadrive down tube and PowerCore BB shell, similar to what's seen on its race bikes. For a period in time, the Defy was the lightest frameset in Giant's range, but now made from the brand's second-tier carbon, it has gained a bit of weight.

Bianchi Infinito CV

While Bianchi's Infinito CV offers a more relaxed and upright riding position, it's anything but boring. The handling is sharp, but the bike is a tad more reluctant to change line than the racy Oltre XR4 or Specialissima climbing bike.

Bianchi has borrowed a good bit of the geometry from its racing bikes, but added ~20mm of stack and subtracted ~10mm from the reach (depending on the size), shifting a bit of weight away from the front wheel, but maintaining the steep angles.

Bianchi has also borrowed a bit of the aero tubing from the Oltre, and the frame gets the Brand's Countervail carbon, which uses a viscoelastic resin to insulate your body from road noise - aka vibrations. We'd argue the effect is a bit less noticeable on an endurance platform because, by design, there is more comfort built into the frame.

Even with the frame designed with more comfort in mind, it's not flexy. With beefy tube shapes and a large bottom bracket shell, there is no power lost out of the saddle or climbing. Specced with a Shimano Ultegra groupset, Bianchi has also opted for 160mm rotors meaning there is oodles of braking power accessible with a single finger.

Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105

Cannondale's Synapse was made stiffer last year, with engineers honing in on the head tube and bottom bracket. It's disc-specific with thru-axles, has improved cable routing, more tyre clearance and a geometry that offers more uniform ride characteristics across the range.

In previous years the Synapse had been a touch flexy under power, but Cannondale has nipped that in the bud and the brand tells us the new frame has the same head tube stiffness as the SuperSix EVO. It has a slightly longer and lower position than the Roubaix or Domane, and thus, its handling characteristics are a bit more aggressive. To keep things comfortable, Cannondale has built the bike with its SAVE micro-suspension, which is just a fancy way of saying that the flex points are built into the rear triangle, seat post, and fork.

Even with a Shimano 105 spec, the Synapse comes with Cannondale's lightweight HollowGram SL crankset and is the first model to come exclusively with disc brakes. The frame will take up to a 32mm tyre and there are even hidden fender mounts on the rear seat stays.

How carbon road bikes are made

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Carbon fibre is a bit of a wonder material because it can be moulded into just about any shape, and tuned to be stiff in one plane and flexible in another. With these properties, it's heavily used throughout the bike industry and we see it in everything from frames down to brake levers.

There are vast differences in the quality of carbon road bikes and components, and this ultimately comes down to the layup. Most carbon road bikes are made using pre-preg carbon fibre sheets; basically, the fabric is pumped full of uncured resin and shipped on massive rolls which are cut into the individual pieces that will be moulded into a bike.

Many brands use the same manufacturing facilities in Asia to produce all but their most premium bikes, and while certain details and processes may vary from brand to brand, the main bullet points of creating a carbon road bike frame are the same.

Sheets of pre-preg carbon fibre are hand laid into or around a mould and placed into a heated press, which is assisted by air bladders. Solid forms compact the layers of carbon together; spreading the resin through the frame, removing gaps and voids, and squishing out the excess. Then the frame is put into what equates to a giant pottery kiln where the resin is cured, and then the frames are sanded and painted.

The layup of a carbon road bike is essentially a really difficult 3D jigsaw puzzle with upwards of 400 individual pieces and the order in which they are put together will ultimately define the ride characteristics. Depending on the orientation of the fibres, using the same mass and modulus of carbon can yield a rigid structure or one that is noodly and flexible.

Woven vs Unidirectional

There are two main types of carbon, woven and unidirectional.

As you can probably guess, woven carbon sees the fibres knitted into a fabric, crisscrossing each other, allowing the material to be stiff in more than one plane. Woven carbon is used in areas where there are lots of different directional forces coming through the frame like the head tube and the bottom bracket and also around holes that have been drilled into the frame, like cable ports and bottle cage mounts.

On the other hand, with unidirectional carbon, all the fibres run parallel. This is what's used throughout the majority of the frame because sheets of unidirectional carbon can be laid on top of one another to combat specific directional forces.

The modulus refers to the stiffness of the individual fibres. Higher modulus carbon is accomplished by refining each fibre to make it smoother and thinner allowing for higher tensile strength. While high modulus carbon is stiff, it's also brittle, and a bike made of exclusively high modulus carbon would likely break on the first impact, whether that be from road debris or a crash. Lower modulus carbon isn’t as stiff, but it is also less delicate.

No matter the frame, it will be made from a mix of different modulus carbon, strategically placed throughout for the best possible performance and strength.

A french term meaning single shell, a monocoque is a structural system where loads are supported through an object's external skin, like an egg — or a bicycle.

When the term is applied to bicycles, it's a fancy way of saying the entire frame is moulded in one piece. True monocoque frames are becoming increasingly rare, and in most cases, the front and rear triangles are manufactured in two separate pieces and then bonded together. When you see a brand using a term like semi-monocoque or modular monocoque, this is how the frame is made.

What to look for in a carbon road bike

Our general advice when looking to buy a road bike is to spend as much as you can on the frame and worry less about the components bolted onto it. It's easy to upgrade wheels, handlebars and groupsets, but you're stuck with the frame.

We've split our favourite carbon road bikes into two categories, race bikes and endurance bikes. While you’ll likely see a crossover in terms of technology and features, these bikes are designed to do separate things, and the geometry will vary to help in achieving these goals.

Race bikes are designed to go fast, which can sometimes come at the expense of things like comfort. A race bike's geometry will have steep angles for fast steering and facilitate a long reach and low stack to achieve an aerodynamic position. To get the most out of a race bike, you need to be pretty flexible.

Endurance bikes feature a more upright geometry, slacker angles and plenty of built-in comfort technology. As things have progressed, quite a lot of new technology gets its start on endurance bikes before it's then adapted onto a brand's race bikes. You’ll often see pro teams don endurance bikes for the cobbled classics, not only for the additional comfort but for the slower handling that makes maintaining control through the bumpy and slippery cobbled sections slightly less herculean.

A lot of these bikes will feature aerodynamic cues, but if you're looking for out and out speed, our guide to the best aero road bikes will provide the fastest, most aerodynamic bikes available.

Disc brakes have been utilised for years in just about every other cycling discipline other than road bikes because of their superior performance in all conditions and the additional tyre clearance they allow. The brakes and rotors themselves may weigh a bit more than calipers, but they also allow for light rims because there is no brake track needed.

Most road bikes are available in both rim and disc varieties, but unless you've got a stable of the very best road wheels in your garage, we'd recommend seriously considering discs brakes. With this, most disc-equipped road bikes have swapped to 12mm thru-axles, not only for a more secure wheel to frame connection, but the end to end lateral stiffness is vastly improved.

Integrated cockpit

With most bike brands now having an in-house or partner components brand, quite a few high-end bikes come with one-piece bar and stem combos. They have a definite cool factor while allowing for cables to be fully hidden from the wind which makes them aero and they are a bit lighter than their standard bar and stem.

But changing cables can be an absolute nightmare, and even with brands offering plenty of handlebar widths and stem lengths, if you can't find the numbers that match your specific fit needs or a bar shape you like, you are out of luck.

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Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing. 

Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine. 

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Heybike HERO review: The biggest, chunkiest carbon fiber fat tire e-bike you’ve ever seen

One of the beautiful things about the state of the electric bicycle industry currently being in the equivalent of the 1920s car market is that you’ve got around a hundred different e-bike companies all trying new and crazy things with sometimes wildly divergent design concepts. The recently-announced Heybike HERO is the purest embodiment of that idea, showcasing what happens when a company says “Let’s build a super lightweight carbon fiber frame but also stuff it full of suspension and heavy, high-power components.”

Want to see this thicc boy in action? The bike, I mean. Then check out my riding and testing video below. Then keep reading for my full thoughts on the Heybike HERO!

Heybike HERO video review

Heybike HERO tech specs

• Motor:  1,000W peak-rated rear hub motor (mid-drive version also available)
• Top speed:  31 mph (50 km/h)
• Range:  Claimed up to 60 miles (up to 100 km)
• Battery:  48V 18Ah (864 Wh)
• Weight : 75 lb (34 kg)
• Load capacity:  Claimed 400 lb (181 kg)
• Frame:  Carbon fiber full-suspension frame
• Tires : 26×4″ fat tires
• Brakes:  Dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes
• Extras:  Color display, front LED light, front and rear suspension, kickstand, internally routed cables, removable battery

So much to take in

There’s a lot to take in when you first lay eyes on the Heybike HERO.

At first glance, it looks like a lot of step-through fat tire adventure e-bikes we’ve seen. But a closer look reveals hidden rear suspension in the form of horst link suspension. You almost don’t notice it at first because the shock is nicely designed to be tucked up into the frame behind the seat tube.

Then of course there’s the fact that the frame has a number of strange angles, throwing off the visuals. Those are made possible by the construction of carbon fiber. Good luck trying to get a funky frame like this with just hydroformed aluminum.

There’s a somewhat out of place moto-style headlight up front, mounted to the same place on the fork where a front fender is conspicuously absent. There’s also no rear fender, though that’s quite common with full-suspension e-bikes.

It may look like there’s a mid-drive motor, but that’s just a ruse. The Heybike HERO does in fact come in a 750W mid-drive variant, but we’re testing the 1,000W hub driver version. That means the mid-drive-lookin’ box down by the pedals is just an empty cavity, or may hold the controller and rat’s nest of wires, at most.

A surprisingly high-digit 9-speed transmission in the form of a Shimano Altus derailleur is tucked up next to one side of that chunky rear hub motor, and a 180mm disc rotor sits on the other side of the motor. A pair of dual-piston hydraulic calipers provide the stopping power.

Ok, but how does it ride?

So those are the specs and the loadout, but what is it like to hop and twist the throttle?

In a word, peppy! That hub motor puts out 100 Nm of torque, which is more than just about any hub motor e-bike we’ve tested. By the time you reach 65 or 70 Nm, you’re into fairly powerful territory. 100 Nm is more than anyone really asks for, but Heybike has no qualms about giving it to us!

Not only does the bike get up to an impressive (and questionably legal) 50-ish km/h, or around 31 mph, but it does it on throttle only. You can of course toss in your own pedaling effort to take advantage of the pedal assist, but unlike most e-bikes that cut the throttle above 20 mph, the Heybike HERO let’s you keep roaring to max speed with your feet firmly planted in the stationary position.

The handling is also better than you’d expect, at least for a 75 lb fat tire e-bike. The suspension feels quite good, though again, I’m going into this with the mindset of a 75 lb fat tire e-bike, most of which handle like a truck.

That four-bar suspension in the rear works quite well, and certainly better than I was anticipating. It’s not going to give higher end e-bikes a run for their money, but it’s a lot better than the cheap stuff or the hardtails, that’s for sure.

That being said, the bike is still a beast. It’s lighter than it should be (the last full-suspension fat tire e-bike I tried weighed nearly 100 lb), but it isn’t a featherweight. I wouldn’t even call it nimble. You’ve still got to plan your turns in advance when you’re riding twisty terrain, and I’d argue that the bike is best kept to more relaxed trails that don’t have a lot of tight hairpins meant to be taken at speed. This is no downhill mountain bike, but rather a fun adventure bike.

The 9-speeds are nice to have, though few people will probably run all the way through them, especially with unlimited throttle on tap. There IS a torque sensor built into the bike, so if you can resist the urge to throttle most of the time, you’ll enjoy having the wider range of gears and the added torque sensor for natural feeling pedal assist performance . But that full-speed throttle sure is nice, especially on a bike with the power and suspension to feel like a light trail bike or motorbike similar to Sur Ron-class rides.

All in all, I’d say the Heybike HERO is a lot of fun. I’ve been having a blast riding this thing, though I’m not sure if the added expensive of the carbon fiber frame warrants the added price, to the tune of US $2,399. The bike is also on Indiegogo right now where it is taking pre-orders. While I normally give a healthy warning about crowdfunding campaigns, in this case, we at least know that Heybike is a tried-and-true company that has been around for years and has delivered tens of thousands of e-bikes to customers. This is NOT some overnight startup.

So the Heybike HERO has definitely been a fun, powerful, and responsive e-bike that I’ve enjoyed playing around on the trails and even for street riding. But you’ve got to be real into that carbon fiber frame and the fun orange visuals on this funky frame to want to pony up the cash for this one.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries , DIY Solar Power,   The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide  and The Electric Bike Manifesto .

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 , the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2 , the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission , and the $3,299 Priority Current . But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

You can send Micah tips at [email protected], or find him on Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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Cannondale Overhauls Their Synapse Neo Road e-Bike, Adds Allroad Option

Cannondale's newest road e-bike receives a lightweight bosch class 3 motor and a carbon frame derived from the synapse road bike..

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The Cannondale Synapse Neo first came to life in 2018 as a fairly simple aluminum e-road and e-gravel bike . It featured a Bosch drive system and a removable battery, but the bike didn’t resemble the non-electric Synapse all-road bike.

This latest generation brings the Synapse Neo into 2024 with more assist, a carbon frame, and an optional range extender. Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the consolidation of the Synapse Neo lineup into one much more expensive build option.

Interestingly, the total lineup varies depending on the market. For now, North America will only receive the road-centric Cannondale Synapse Neo. Other markets (think Europe and the U.K.) will receive the Cannondale Synapse Neo Allroad, which adds a gravel handlebar and gravel-centric knobby tires.

Seven things to know about the Cannondale Synapse Neo

• Two variations are available internationally: the Synapse Neo (road), and the Synapse Neo Allroad (gravel/allroad).
• The Cannondale Synapse Neo features a Cannondale Grade 2 carbon frame.
• Class 3 e-bike offering assist up to 28 miles per hour (45 kph).
• The bike features a 400 Wh battery in the downtube and an optional range extender.
• Max tire clearance is a claimed 700c x 45 mm.
• Synapse Neo is available in five sizes (XS – XL).
• For more: cannondale.com

Synapse Neo details

The new Cannondale Synapse Neo aims to pull much more from the non-electric Synapse than before. That means it gets a similar dropped seat stays and slim fork. Cannondale also says it gets the same “precise handling, confident control, and incredibly smooth ride,” though there are notable changes from the standard bike.

There are two variations of the Synapse Neo. The Synapse Neo is the road bike variation, while the Synapse Neo Allroad is just that, an all-road or gravel option. Cannondale says North America will only receive the road variant at launch

The Synapse Neo receives fully internal cable routing. This comes thanks to the use of the Cannondale C1 Conceal stem ( also used on the SuperSix Evo we reviewed ) as well as the Delta steerer tube. Rather than a standard conical carbon tube that the stem clamps to, the Delta steerer is triangular, allowing for cables to be routed cleanly through the bike’s headset.

The Synapse Neo Allroad 2 uses a standard steerer tube, with the cables running through the side of the frame, rather than through the headset.

Cannondale says the Synapse Neo uses its Series 2 carbon fiber for the frame and fork. With it comes mounts for fenders, a rack, and even a kickstand should you want to use one.

A Bosch Performance Line Sprint drive unit powers each Synapse Neo. This mid-drive unit is one of Bosch’s lightest options. The Performance Line Sprint offers a narrower Q-Factor (width between the cranks) when compared to other Bosch drive units, ensuring your pedals are in roughly the same place as they would be on a non-electric Synapse road bike.

It’s tuned to feel more natural for road riding as well. That means the motor is touted to offer less drag than Bosch’s other drive units as well as slightly less support too. Its max 55 Nm torque is tuned to come on at a higher, more road-riding centric pedaling cadence when compared to Bosch’s more powerful motor.

Nonetheless, the Synapse Neo is a Class 3 bike, meaning it offers assist to 28 miles per hour (45 kph), at least here in North America. Assist is controlled via a top tube-mounted Bosch controller, with a Bosch Kiox 500 display on the handlebar. An accompanying controller just to the left of the handlebar controls assist levels.

These drive units are paired to a Bosch 400 Wh battery built into the down tube, though both bikes are compatible with a 250 Wh range extender. Cannondale does not offer a claimed range number for the bike.

Frankly, the frame looks a whole lot like the Cannondale Tesoro Neo flat bar bike . That option isn’t available in North America, but the similarities are there.

Synapse Neo geometry

The most obvious place where the similarities with the not-for-North America Tesoro Neo come in with this Synapse Neo is the geometry chart. You’re getting a standard 450 mm chainstay length across all sizes, wheelbase lengths that are roughly 50 mm longer size per size than the non-electric Synapse, and stack numbers that are slightly higher too.

What does that mean for the riding experience? The Synapse Neo looks to be a supreme straight-line cruiser. Rider positioning looks to be quite upright to match.

Riders looking for a bike that responds more quickly to steering inputs, pedaling out of the saddle (not accounting for electric assist), and more aggressive rider positioning should take a hard look at Cannondale’s SuperSix Evo Neo. That bike still offers electric assist, but is lighter, stiffer, and places the rider’s body in a longer and lower position.

Builds and pricing

The Cannondale Synapse Neo is offered in the U.S. in just one build plainly called the Cannondale Synapse Neo. It uses a Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 electric drivetrain. It’s paired with Cannondale’s Hollowgram R 45 carbon fiber wheelset. Interestingly, the bike receives Vision Metron Aero bars, a drop bar commonly associated with stiffness and performance rather than comfort.

At $8,500 USD, a Synapse Neo road e-bike isn’t cheap. But it offers just about every feature one would want, particularly if you’re looking for a Cannondale road e-bike.

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Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports

• Domestic Catalysts
• Published: 28 June 2013
• Volume 5 , pages 156–163, ( 2013 )

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• V. V. Gur’yanov 1 ,
• V. M. Mukhin 1 &
• A. A. Kurilkin 1  

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The possibility of using furfurol for the production of ash-free high-strength active carbons with spheroidal particles as adsorbents and catalyst supports is substantiated. A single-stage process that incorporates the resinification of furfurol, the molding of a spherical product, and its hardening while allowing the process cycle time and the cost of equipment to be reduced is developed. Derivatographic, X-ray diffraction, mercury porometric, and adsorption studies of the carbonization of the molded spherical product are performed to characterize the development of the primary and porous structures of carbon residues. Ash-free active carbons with spheroidal particles, a full volume of sorbing micro- and mesopores (up to 1.50 cm 3 /g), and a uniquely high mechanical strength (its abrasion rate is three orders of magnitude lower than that of industrial active carbons) are obtained via the vapor-gas activation of a carbonized product. The obtained active carbons are superior to all known foreign and domestic analogues and are promising for the production of catalysts that operate under severe regimes, i.e., in moving and fluidized beds.

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Gur’yanov, V.V., Mukhin, V.M. & Kurilkin, A.A. Developing ash-free high-strength spherical carbon catalyst supports. Catal. Ind. 5 , 156–163 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2070050413020062

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Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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• Conversion Kits
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nvm moscow throttle

• Thread starter Widget2k13
• Start date May 3, 2020

Finding my (electric) wheels

hi everyone, im new to the forum and have come with a question about the ncm moscow, i have owned the bike for over a year now and seen that the moscow plus has a throttle fitted to it, does anyone know if its possible to fit one to the normal moscow and if so where to purchase what i need in the uk as i cannot find anything about it at all. thank you  

Esteemed Pedelecer

Show us a pic of the main controller and it's wring not the handle bar display.  

i will get some pictures tomorrow, i know its a sealed unit and one wire goes to the pedal crank and another goes away inside the frame  

hi, here is a pic of the control box, not sure if it helps, one wire goes to the motor, one to the pedal crank and the others go up to the battery area  

Attachments

All I see is a BB shell with two cables running under it.  

its a sealed unit fixed to the frame, there is no way of getting into it i dont think  

In that case then a throttle can't be retrofitted if there isn't an unused three wire connection.  

The Oxygen ST uses a similar frame which is likely a generic China/Taiwan frame utilised by other companies with different components and motor kits, the Oxygen is throttle capable.  

Widget2k13 said: hi everyone, im new to the forum and have come with a question about the ncm moscow, i have owned the bike for over a year now and seen that the moscow plus has a throttle fitted to it, does anyone know if its possible to fit one to the normal moscow and if so where to purchase what i need in the uk as i cannot find anything about it at all. thank you Click to expand...

Kommunikation zwischen C7 Display und Motorkontroller NCM Venice+ Das-Kit

An lcd won't enable you to fit a throttle, you need a controller with the wired out put for one as well as the PAS out put. One can't be used for the other.  

jokskot said: It is possible to fit a throttle by tapping into the cable linking the display and the controller fitted near the bottom bracket and I have done so . See post 8 in the attached link for circuit schematic & background info.: Kommunikation zwischen C7 Display und Motorkontroller NCM Venice+ Das-Kit Moin, ich habe bereits im dem 'anderen' pedelec und E bike Forum meine Untersuchung und Ergebnisse veröffentlicht, hoffe aber hier zusätzlich noch weitere interessierte Leute zu erreichen. Zunächst einmal ein Dank an Arthus Dent der schon vor über einem Jahr damit angefangen hat und auf dessen... www.pedelecforum.de Google translate will deal with the language if your German is not up to it! You need to put 5 v (from the purple and black wires across the throttle Hall sensor and attach the Hall sensor signal wire to the yellow line. If you have a voltage display on your throttle and it has the range up to at least 60 v, you could also tap into the red wire of the cable to display the battery voltage. Unfortunately all you achieve with this, is having the "walk" function (ie 8 or is it 6? kph) available via the throttle. It should be possible to increase the speed available by resetting the firmware but this is beyond my ability & competence! I have posted (under the same nom de plume as I use here) in the link given above but no usable feedback has been provided. If anyone reading this & can help with this, please post here or send me a pm. Click to expand...

Das-Kit e-Bike Conversion Kit, 48V 500W | Leon Cycle

At a price....!!!! Possibly the motor available in the US has more power, but I suspect the rest is just firmware tuning. You've probably noticed the flash screens you get on switching on, include one that says EU300 or something which I take to be an EU compliant firmware version.  

jokskot said: At a price....!!!! Possibly the motor available in the US has more power, but I suspect the rest is just firmware tuning. You've probably noticed the flash screens you get on switching on, include one that says EU300 or something which I take to be an EU compliant firmware version. Click to expand...

Kosh said: Yes on all counts ! Click to expand...

WheezyRider

Nealh said: An lcd won't enable you to fit a throttle, you need a controller with the wired out put for one as well as the PAS out put. One can't be used for the other. Click to expand...

Kosh said: Hello just out of interest , i bought a Moscow at the end of May and was also looking into fitting a throttle , looks like the answer is no, not without changing the Lcd unit (as far as i can make out) there seems to be no info out there (did find something in German) and any questions to Leon cycle's go unanswered, i got the bike ok (tracking did not work) but am hoping i dont get any problems as i dont think Leon are going to be any help ... awful customer service ! very happy with bike though ... done couple of hundred miles to date (mainly cycle tracks) let me know if you find out anything more re throttle .... thanks Click to expand...

WheezyRider said: Have you been able to get into the setup mode with the DAS KIT LCD? Codes I've seen are 8088 and 8018, depending on the unit. Then you can set the wheel diameter properly. Leon Cycles will not tell you this, I only found it on the web. Click to expand...

jokskot said: I’d be interested to know where you can get the correct 8 pin Julet connector from in China. I was unable to locate one in China, but did find a good supplier in Germany. However fitting a different display is likely to cast £50+ & may not solve the problem of speed available via the throttle. I was luckier than you with Leon and they provided a few pass codes to try. 8018 worked for me, accessed after pressing the + & - keys together for a few seconds. Difficult to describe but pretty intuitive! This allows changing the voltage (if you really want), the wheel diameter and power which essentially limits the current supply. I have found little different between the “turbo” & normal, but “eco” limited the current indicated to 5 bars rather than 6 and made hill-climbing more demanding on the rider. If you change anything remember to press the + & - buttons together to save the changes and return to the standard screen. Has anyone got experience of flashing firmware on microprocessors and could offer me guidance? ( see earlier posts in this thread and posts elsewhere on this site by me) Click to expand...

Electric Bicycle E-bike Waterproof Cable Connector For E-brake Display Throttle | eBay

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