CarbonAero 2.0

We know there’s been a lot of speculation about the CarbonAero since we suspended its production earlier this year for retooling and we just want to thank everyone out there for your continued interest in this bike. While retooling has been painful, requiring another outlay of cash, it will give us better control over the production. It has also given designer Rich Pinto the opportunity to make a few changes he had been thinking about. “I wanted to get more even flex along the main tube for better load distribution and the new design does that. The rear end of the new frames main tube also has a larger section (size) for increased stiffness and better power transfer,” Rich said. And, since we could no longer use the super high diameter to wall thickness ratios that the original frames proprietary build allowed, the main tube has a new shape. The result is a carbon frame that is visually very similar to our metal bikes. Other notable changes on the new frame are the integrated head tube and bottom bracket, full carbon dropouts and cable stops. The final component groupo is still being worked out but we can assure you that it will be very nice. Also, the new CarbonAero’s MSRP should be close to $4,500.00, almost $1,000.00 less than the original. Above is a picture of one test frame built up with a SRAM road component package that weighed in at 20 lbs.-12 oz. We’re thinking you should be able to shave another pound off that without trying to hard. Please note that the frame finish for production bikes has yet to be determined. The Bugatti blue paint job on this bike is just an idea we’re looking at for next years team bike. 

Road testing of the CarbonAero 2.0 frame began in early September but its first big challenge came when John Schlitter rode it in the Last Chance 1200km in mid September. He managed to finish the ride in just under 50 hours for a new course record. The Last Chance route started in the flat terrain of eastern Colorado and continued into the mostly rolling countryside of northwest Kansas. John said the bike handled perfectly throughout the ride. “It rolled very well on the flats and I was able to maintain my speeds while going up and over the huge rollers in Kansas.” John also called the ride quality “very good” and added “it’s stiff when applying power for climbs or sprinting but it also has that great vibration dampening you expect with carbon.” Confirmation of the new frame’s climbing abilities came just a few weeks later while John was riding in the Sierra Nevada’s just east of Fresno, CA. “I did some very long steady climbs while holding a good average speed and never went into serious oxygen debt.” John also added that the return trip down the mountain was a real confidence builder. “The bike did exactly what I was expecting, it was rock steady.” I think we can safely say that this new Bacchetta flagship bike does not just continue the Aero’s legacy but takes it up another notch.” Below is John’s test bike kitted out for Last Chance.

Originally posted on bacchettabikes.com on Oct. 13, 2008.