Best carbon hardtail frame

chrishoo5

Hi

I'm thinking about building a superlight carbon hardtail for next summer.
Any favourites for frames? or indeed super light components?

The Big Cheese

Hhhmmmm, a LOT of choice, but I like the Storck from poshbike, lovely frame, maybe not to everyones taste

http://www.poshbikes.com/product.php?id=92

ride_whenever

the scale would be my choice, love the scott bikes. Carbon zaskar is awesome but by no means light.

For parts, sids, stans 355 or olympics, tune hubs, single speed, really light tyres run tubeless, exotic carbon finish kit, ti chain, avid elixir cr carbons or mags, poshbikes foam grips, saddle to your arse's preference, tune cranks or xtr.

If you want gears go for a full set of sram/avid/RS xx parts...

ride_whenever

or buy an off the peg cannondale!

bomberesque

I have an IBIS Tranny. at 1500gr it's not by any means the lightest but it's so planted and strong and still builds up into a (roughly) 8kg singlespeed (maybe 8 1/2 now I have the SID on it)

components I'd look at a SID Team (although there's carbon goodness in the XX range for '10) and stans 355 on American classic hubs (should come in at about 13-1400gr for the set)

I went with SID Team and Easton XCOnes, XTR brakes, carbon cockpit, Ibeam saddle (don't spend much time in it singlespeeding) and 2.1 Schwalbe Nic on the front and 2.1 Maxxis HR XC on the rear with Maxxis light tubes.

supersonic

The Scott Scale and Merida frames are about as light as you get.

toasty

It'd be a Scott or Specialized here, both really do know what they're doing in the carbon market.

If I were buying a full bike it'd be the Specialized for the finishing kit, top end wheels etc. Flawless warranty as well, obviously something pretty important when you're messing about with carbon race bikes.

bomberesque

oooh, for budget no object, have a look (geddit?) at LOOK frames. iirc LOOK are just abot the only company who do their own CF laying up, rather than subbing it to a chinese or taiwanese factory. I've never ridden one but they are about the most XCracey jheyboi looking frames out there, especially with the seatmast

meesterbond

Damnit, you beat me to it...

One of these:



Frankly I don't know, nor care how light it is.. when it looks that good it doesn't matter... and, as mentioned, practically no one knows more about making a bike out of carbon fibre than Look... they practically wrote the book on it.

toasty

The new Zaskars are quite pretty As mentioned above, quite heavy beasts, bit more like a trail bike. Quite a long trail bike though!



Mine's actually back getting warrantied due to a dodgy seat tube on the frame. It seems to be a one off though as I've never heard of it before. I'd be over the moon if they sent one of these new design ones

The Spiderman

Really like the look of the new Whyte 19 carbon.

This one could be a bargain,very light at 1200g but no idea of Commencal`s carbon expertise..

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-bike-frames/commencal-frames/commencal-skin-frame.html

SDK2007

Scott Scale gets my votes

Andy

supersonic wrote:

The Scott Scale and Merida frames are about as light as you get.

Cannondale Flash :P

supersonic

950g?! Pah, that is an anvil ;-)

http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/05 ... 30g-frame/

Andy

Best looking by a country mile though!

supersonic

Tis nice!

Andy

Look at the team one with matching lefty in green and carbon. Pure porn!

supersonic

Lifetime warranty too, and no weight limit. That is good.

I think this looks better though hehe:



Mine doesn't seem to have that cosmetic finish though

BlackSpur

The Spiderman wrote:

Really like the look of the new Whyte 19 carbon.

beat me to it

toasty

supersonic wrote:

Mine doesn't seem to have that cosmetic finish though

Odd isn't it, mine didn't have that pretty top layer either.

xtreem

Scott Scale!
Although that Merida frame is light. :shock:
Even the Scale RC is nowhere near that number with it's 1210 gr / 2.67 lbs.

Cps

Surely this has to trump them all


http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/articl ... %2Farticle


Can run SS and gears -

Must start nagging mail to Santa

supersonic

What does it weigh?

Cps

supersonic wrote:

What does it weigh?

Dunno

Don't care

Its just a great looking bike and I want one

A16UYF

Just thought id add the Giant XTC to the mix, as ive just got an old XTC frame which im currently building up into a light weight rcae hardtail.

As for components i'd go for SRAM anyday

Andy

Nah the XTC is nowhere near the lightest.

Its ridiculous to just state 'sram' for components. To get the lightest set up you will be looking for a mix of several brands. KMC chains are popular light weight choices, Shimano cassettes and cranks are lighter than their sram equivelent and Formula, Hope and Magura make excellent light disc brakes.

bomberesque

andrew156 wrote:

Nah the XTC is nowhere near the lightest.

OP did say he wants a superlight build, but didn't stipulate that lightest = best

If "best"is a mixture of;

weight
looks
stiffness
comfort

then I still vote for the Tranny





you'd have to be dead not to want one

A16UYF

Its ridiculous to just state 'sram' for components. To get the lightest set up you will be looking for a mix of several brands. KMC chains are popular light weight choices, Shimano cassettes and cranks are lighter than their sram equivelent and Formula, Hope and Magura make excellent light disc brakes."

I wasn't just saying that SRAM is worth looking at as no one else has mentioned it and its alot smoother shifting than Shimano. Plus if money is no object then go for the SRAM XX

supersonic

Smoother in your opinion. I don't think it is!

kopite1979

those black zaskars that you 2 boys have are stunning! :shock:

bomberesque

slightly offtopic but I test rode a Mojo today. OMG I appear to have spluffed

sadly mrs B has banned me from bike purchases until we get a house. She says I need to get my priorities right. I told her I already have. She disagreed. I lost (as always)