Anyone involved in bicycle racing knows that the difference between winning and losing can sometimes come down to a few pounds. That’s why pro bicyclists sometimes go to great lengths to slim down their bikes by modifying everything from handle bars to smaller parts like the seatpost.
With that in mind, German-based PG-Bikes has introduced the Blackbraid, a performance bicycle made entirely of lightweight carbon fiber that tips the scales at just under 11 pounds. Though carbon fiber materials has become somewhat of a staple for designing fuel-efficient vehicles and aircraft, the Blackbraid uses a technique in which individual strands of fiber are woven together in a pattern resembling braids. The tube is then solidified by injecting resin along the tube to form a rigid structure that’s “as stable as metal while weighing less than aluminum.”
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Along with the bike’s unique frame material, the overall design is streamlined to use as little of it as necessary. For instance, the rear triangle features a single chainstay on one side and a single rod seatstay on the other in place of the standard fork design.
It’s not on sale yet, but owning one won’t be cheap with a production model expected to cost as much as $20,000. Obviously with a price that’s not so light on the wallet, the Blackbraid will be most desirable to the kind of hardcore bike enthusiast who’ll probably be looking to trim it down even more.
(via PG Bikes)
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