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The Ultra Light Tri Bike   Bookmark and Share
images by Nick Salazar   •   Apr 5, 2011   •   hits 87,297

Our Lighten Up series has finally reached its conclusion: an all-out racing machine that's both aerodynamic and crazy light. Our 12-pound beauty is ready for competing both on flat and hilly courses, without making compromises. Enjoy the gallery and our final build writeup.


A fully-stealth carbon bike is always a beauty to behold, especially one as light as this.

Our custom saddle is super light, and saved about a pound versus going with traditional hardware.

Just about everything on this machine is made of carbon fiber, right down to the Fibre-Lyte top cap.

The frame's nude 3k weave is gorgeous, and saves weight versus a heavy paint job.

Even the brakes from THM are made in nude 3k. They're not merely wrapped in carbon - they are made entirely of the stuff.

The only bits of color on the bike are in the KMC X10SL Gold chain and the Stratics SL cassette, which were both chosen for - you guessed it - their light weight.

Our custom aerobars use Zipp VukaShift extensions and custom hardware to achieve an unbelievably low weight for tri bars - just 505g complete with shifters and brakes.

The frontal profile here is minimal and very mean-looking.

The Exocet frameset is svelte yet still highly functional - two sets of bottle bosses mean you don't have to sacrifice on hydration.

What should we name this machine? What's stealth and skinny? Maybe like James Bond on a diet ... let's call it 003.



The BB30 bottom bracket provides ample stiffness and very low weight.

The 3k weave is always a treat to look at.

THM's Scapula SP fork and Fibula brakeset were the perfect finishing touches on this machine. They are also finished in nude 3k, weigh next to nothing, and perform flawlessly.

The rear triangle is smooth and very slick-looking.

We zip-tied cables in place wherever possible to keep a clean aerodynamic profile.

The cables perhaps look a touch messy from the side, but it keeps them hidden from the wind.

The ENVE wheels were left with logos intact - something about the spinning logos (when the bike is in motion) just looked too cool to give up, and their weight is negligible.

This baby could practically float in air.




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