Carbon Copy Components shatters 500g barrier with groundbreaking new frame
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cc:'s new Air-O frame is said to weigh just 450g thanks to revolutionary internal pressurization technology.(Image credit: James Huang)
A discreet Schrader valve mounted on the top tube just aft of the head tube is the only visual cue that the frame is pressurized.(Image credit: James Huang)
The Air-O frame is designed to run at 300psi and is charged using a standard suspension pump.(Image credit: James Huang)
Carbon Copy Components ('cc:') - the carbon fibre parts and accessories company founded last year by Cyclingnews technical editor James Huang - has announced the development of a revolutionary carbon road frame that promises to put an end to the weight weenie wars once and for all. Claimed frame weight for the new Air-O is a jaw dropping 450g (0.99lb) - for a large size.
Rather than jump on the currently fashionable aero bandwagon, the new Air-O (say "aero") eschews drag reduction goals entirely in favour of the proven light-and-stiff formula for faster climbing and more efficient power transfer.
And in keeping with cc:'s original edict, the frame design is an utterly familiar-looking combination of massively oversized tubes here and frightfully spindly ones there that is wholly lifted from shapes already produced by the likes of Cervélo, Canyon, Specialized and the like for the ultimate blend of lateral stiffness and vertical compliance.
So if the tube shapes aren't exactly new, how does cc: achieve such an insane weight figure, you ask? The answer is in the frame's very name: it's air.
One of carbon fibre's inherent structural limitations is that it works best only when loaded in tension. In other words, while the fibres themselves are incredibly strong when pulled and highly resistant to bending, they're conversely very susceptible to compression and so conventional frames generally have to use excess material to deal with ancillary issues such as impact strength and crumpling under clamp-type loads.
The Air-O's patented 'BlowOut' technology, on the other hand, incorporates a trick fully sealed internal architecture that is pressurized via the built-in Schrader valve.
Once inflated up to the recommended 300psi operating pressure (a conventional suspension pump is included), all of the fibres in the system are thus acting solely in tension and reinforced pneumatically from the inside so much less material is needed as compared to conventional frames to achieve the same levels of stiffness, strength and durability.
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In essence, the Air-O admittedly isn't all that different from conventional bladder-moulded frames, either - it's just that the bladder is now designed as an integral part of the structure and isn't removed after the carbon has cured. According to cc:, the frame can also be ridden without any pressure at all in the event of an emergency but stiffness and impact will both fall by 80 percent.
Ultimate weight weenies will undoubtedly note that the frame could theoretically also be pressurized with helium - or even hydrogen - to further negate the effects of gravity though the use of either will void the warranty and it should go without saying that the latter is just plain dangerous (remember the Hindenberg?).
While the recommended pressure is maintained, cc: decrees the Air-O to have no rider weight restrictions whatsoever and also covers the frame under the same no-questions-asked lifetime replacement policy applied to the rest of the company's carbon fibre componentry - so whether you crash while racing in a criterium or slam the bike into your garage, you can get a replacement at no cost, aside from shipping.
Ironically, since the new technology can't yet be applied to forks the matching 350g Air-O unit nearly doubles the weight of the chassis but faithfully adheres to the 'stiff' theme with oversized carbon legs and a tapered steerer. Cc: is already testing BlowOut-equipped fork prototypes for inclusion in the 2011 version, however, with target weights falling near 200g, again with no rider weight limit.
Air-O framesets are available now direct on the cc: web site but not surprisingly, that level of technology won't come cheap. Retail price is a whopping US$8,000 (roughly US$10 per gram) but that will at least also include cc:'s own press-fit bottom bracket and integrated headset - both with industry-exclusive carbon fibre bearings - plus a matching carbon fibre seatpost, two carbon bottle cages, and even a replaceable carbon fibre derailleur hanger.
