Wow, didn’t see this coming. There are still plenty of full suspension mountain bikes made in aluminum. The problem is they are usually the lowest, heaviest in the range, or downhill grade monster bikes. Very few if anything in between for us XC types. There are reasons to want a truly lightweight aluminum, read, non-carbon bike frame. They are usually cheaper, they should be anyway, I’d say more durable, and could likely last a lifetime with no worries about fatigue to the carbon or cracks hiding beneath paint.
Carbon frames have become the standard because they are lighter than metal, and can be formed into virtually any shape to best support the suspension bits. And it just sounds cool, “carbon fiber” does have that cache that aluminum does not.
So Specialized dropped the Chisel FS today. And I’m blown away if I’m honest. It looks like the carbon Epic 8, and is LIGHT! It’s a full 1000 grams, that’s over 2 pounds lighter than the Trek aluminum Top Fuel. This is a seriously cool bike. And at $3500 or so for the top spec, is a few thousand less than the carbon version.
There’s just so much to like about this bike. I’ve been wanting to explore metal bikes for XC racing again. When I started, carbon wasn’t even a thing, and having a lightweight custom steel racing frame was considered state of the art. Aluminum was the choice for super light bikes, Easton being the main supplier of high tech alloy tubes.
If it was me, I’d throw one of these aluminum frames under a World Cup pro just to prove it’s a worthy alternative to the plastic bikes on the market, even their own. And for NICA school age racers? No problem. They don’t have to have mom and dad shell out $7K for a full carbon bike. Half that, and you only gain a few pounds of weight.
Nice job Specialized. Now will any others follow suit?
Carbon frames have become the standard because they are lighter than metal, and can be formed into virtually any shape to best support the suspension bits. And it just sounds cool, “carbon fiber” does have that cache that aluminum does not.
So Specialized dropped the Chisel FS today. And I’m blown away if I’m honest. It looks like the carbon Epic 8, and is LIGHT! It’s a full 1000 grams, that’s over 2 pounds lighter than the Trek aluminum Top Fuel. This is a seriously cool bike. And at $3500 or so for the top spec, is a few thousand less than the carbon version.
There’s just so much to like about this bike. I’ve been wanting to explore metal bikes for XC racing again. When I started, carbon wasn’t even a thing, and having a lightweight custom steel racing frame was considered state of the art. Aluminum was the choice for super light bikes, Easton being the main supplier of high tech alloy tubes.
If it was me, I’d throw one of these aluminum frames under a World Cup pro just to prove it’s a worthy alternative to the plastic bikes on the market, even their own. And for NICA school age racers? No problem. They don’t have to have mom and dad shell out $7K for a full carbon bike. Half that, and you only gain a few pounds of weight.
Nice job Specialized. Now will any others follow suit?
