Have you ever heard about carbon MTB? Carbon bikes are now becoming a trending item that everyone is seeking after. Due to its incredibly lightweight, the carbon mountain bike is more popular even than the older models. See the full list below:
- Part 1: The Best Carbon Bikes You May Consider
- Part 2: Why Choosing Carbon Instead of Aluminum
- Part 3: Is Carbon More Durable
- Part 4: Conclusion
Part 1: The Best Carbon Bikes You May Consider
We’ve come to the new year, which means some of us would like to spend more time and effort to find another best collection. It’s a dream to find a bike that is affordable but also balancing with the aspect of quality. Spending more and more time looking at the reviews is just another usual activity.
Speaking about the best bikes, the current trend that’s not showing a sign of a reduction in popularity is carbon bikes. Carbon bikes simply mean the bikes that are designed and made mostly with carbon fiber materials.
Carbon fiber used to be an exclusive item to make carbon MTBs which were previously seen as something more like a luxury. Today, we can find lots of them scattered around the market. More brands have come to enjoy the sip of great opportunities, making the task to find the best carbon mountain bike even harder.
But don’t worry, if you are still stuck in confusion, we’re ready to help by shining your way to the top four best carbon mountain bikes that you can consider. Without further ado, let us talk about the first one, the Intense Sniper Trail Foundation Build.
Intense Sniper Trail Foundation Build – $3,500
If you’re looking for an all-rounder carbon mountain bike, this is the option to go. At a price below four thousand dollars, Sniper Trail is still capable of existing as one of the best options for mountain trail biking. It’s on par with the top dogs in this class, like Santa Cruz Blur, for example. The reason why we include the bike as the first one on the list is because of various reasons.
We’ve seen that many people are changing their way from using cross country bikes into the trails, abandoning the aspect and power to climb and replacing them with more crowds. Instead of 100 mm Fox 32, the bike comes with a 120 mm Fox Step-cast instead. The change in the travel distance will result in more rigidness to fight rougher bumps.
The bike also has wider arms with 27 mm, instead of the usual 23mm. You can also find another difference between the bike and Santa Cruz on the post. Sniper Trail has a dropper post, while Cruz has a more rigid post.
About the weight, both are nearly the same, so there is no need to think much about that. The bike’s weight is heavily dependent on the bikers. Overall, this is a good bike to have, despite several minus points, especially on the performance. It’s not as great as others in terms of climbing capability, but it’s still a nice option for those who want to try a trail bike for the first time.
Santa Cruz Blur C R Build – $3,700
Now, it’s the direct competitor for the carbon mountain bike we’ve just talked about. If Sniper Trail may offer the all-around capabilities, Santa Cruz is a more fitting option for those who are fans of XC racers. The Blur C is Cruz’s cross country version of a bike that has been upgraded on both rear and front suspension. The longer distance travel provides better protection against bumps and obstacles while keeping the handling stay controllable.
Santa Cruz also provides another option, the CC-level carbon. It’s lighter, more expensive but offers the same level of durability and ride quality.
If you buy the package, you’ll receive the build kit that comes with high-performing components. Within the package, you can also find the Fox suspension and performance-level drivetrain. However, although they are not the fanciest options, they will work well enough. With only 27 pounds, we can easily consider the Blur C R as a medium-sized bike. Upon opening the package box, you’ll be given the most optimum option for serious XC-racing actions.
Fezzari Signal Peak Comp – $3,000
Another option on the list is Fezzari Signal Peak Comp. Although the name is not too familiar to our ears, Fezzari has actually been around for a while now. The bike isn’t just okay, but more than decent. It offers great value, at a great price too!
When accessing the buying page, you can choose some options like adding the tubeless setup and having additional frame protection. The options are all there, and you may freely check and choose them.
Another option, however, is also mentionable. There’s an addition for 27,5 inches wheelset, which will replace the original 29ers. The cost? Free of charge! Now, if you want to plan a trip using the bike, you can also have the Thule travel case for an additional price.
Transition Smuggler NX – $4,000
Smuggler is basically a short travel bike, with 120 mm of travel on the back, but still a cross country. Despite a limitation in character, you can still use the Smuggler NX for mountain biking anytime.
Seeing the outer appearance, we may agree that Smuggler is more like an enduro bike. The specs and everything almost look like a racing bike ready to go. However, never use the bike for an actual race, despite the fine pedals that it has. Smuggler is perfect for people who love experimenting with gravity to achieve the best forward momentum.
Part 2: Why Choose Carbon Instead of Aluminum
When it comes to buying an upgrade, a lot of things come to mind. You may choose the less expensive upgrades like adding a new handlebar or seat just to make them more appealing. You can also change your wheels which could cost you a bit much.
Now, what people are looking after when upgrading their bikes is the weight. The lighter the bike is, the better. The thing is, you can do any upgrades you want. But, always remember what the effects that may come up following the upgrades are.
You can do some replacements to make your bike lighter, for example, changing the frames. Most riders would probably buy a new bike rather than doing the upgrade from frames only. But there are some people who are focusing on frames only, and that’s okay.
When it comes to weight saving, our eyes will focus on carbon fiber materials. Carbon fiber frames are indeed heavier than aluminum. It’s hard to measure the significance of the carbon fiber frames’ weight when you compare it face to face with aluminum. We can only compare the bikes, which may give us a slight understanding of this.
Here Is the Best Example
As an example, Santa Cruz Bronson frame may save weight up to 1,5 pounds, while the other brand, Pivot Switchblade, may perform even better with 1.9 pounds weight saving.
Aside from the weight, let us see about the acceleration. Carbon bikes can accelerate snappier because of the stiffness of the torsion, the lighter weight. Even though the effect can be minimal, it still brings more confidence and faster riding time.
As technology continues to develop, we won’t be able to predict how much lifespan will affect your very choice. It’s really hard for these materials to withstand about seven to ten years of usage. They might but in the future.
Carbon fiber is the way to go if you wish to obtain more speed; as long as you keep checking the parts frequently, you can expect more than ten years of lifespan.
Part 3: Is Carbon More Durable
When talking about carbon or aluminum parts to be the frame for mountain bikes, there are so many myths surrounding both materials. The myth has said that carbon fiber is fragile, but this statement remains a myth. Although both of them are surely susceptible to rough damages, carbon tends to be stronger per pound when you compare it face to face with aluminum.
Carbon also has better frame bending tolerance than aluminum. If you somehow run into a rock or wall, the impact on the front side will then be pushed through the fork and head tube. Due to the lex qualities in the carbon fiber, the failure point is higher than in the aluminum bike. If one impact could destroy an aluminum part completely, it’ll take much more stress to break the carbon.
Part 4: Conclusion
Hopefully, this article may help you to decide which carbon bike to buy. You may continue to compare the price, features, and other aspects to consider to make the best buying decision. The bikes above are the best of the best you may hope from a carbon mountain bike. If you have other options in mind, feel free to share them with us in the comment section.
