Why no light, carbon, hardtail MTBs?

[Globalti]

Jumped on the good old MTB last night for a blast around the houses with my son. After a few weeks riding only the carbon road bike it felt so heavy, slow and unrewarding, and this is a Titanium hardtail with a light XC air suspension fork, so not a heavy build by any means.

Thinking about it later it struck me that most recent MTB development has been in the direction of downhill riding - bikes have become heavier with great disc brakes, wide comfortable bars, stiff long-travel forks and even *shudder* rear suspension.

Lots of R&D money has been spent developing superb, smooth-riding carbon road frames, which weigh less than anything ever before, but how much effort has gone into developing really fast, comfortable, lightweight XC MTBs? Does such a thing exist? Am I missing something?

 

[mr Mag00]

they all do them
Scott, Trek and Specialized amongst others make some great looking and ridable HT XC carbon frames

 

[02GF74]

there are - specialized and saracen do them.

 

[Globalti]

How much would one of those weigh? More importantly, how much does the frame weigh and then the fork? On my Ti bike the fork is disproportionately heavy compared with the frame.

 

[dan_bo]

Have you not seen that ludicrous 16lb exoskeleton MTB RR?

It looks as though it would shatter as soon as you sneezed near it....

 

[fossyant]

RR - if you don't like your Ti machine, I could take if off your hands for a turnip.

 

[Piemaster]

Have you seen Brants new bike on shedfire? Ti though.

 

[Globalti]

Interesting site! What is this Shedfire?

 

[Piemaster]

Brant Richards new company. Formerly of On One and designer of the Inbred.
He has a reputation for being 'different' and doing things his way. He's been posting on a forum 'Singletrack' I think) on a discussion on the new design, how many other designers will do that?
There was something I read about a while ago that the new bikes will be marketed via Chainreaction

 

[simonali]

Light enough?

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/articles.php?ID=94

 

[02GF74]

both tyres weight more than the frame!!!

he could have saved some more grammes by makin sure the brake cables were the right length, trimming hte gear cable and removing the frame disc mount/

 

[mr Mag00]

a stunning bike

 

[simonali]

both tyres weight more than the frame!!!

That's 597g the pair

 

[Renard]

By the time the frame is beefed up to make it strong enough for the job there is no point IMO.

 

[mr Mag00]

beefed up? in what way does carbon need beefing up?