30 years of carbon hardtails: Magma M1 (1994) & Bike Ahead The Frame (2024) in comparison
Jan Timmermann
· 06.12.2024
Carbon has long since established itself as the top material for lightweight mountain bikes. Particularly among sporty race hardtails, the focus today is on sophisticated layup designs, load-specific use of materials and the right amount of elasticity, i.e. flex, in order to achieve the best possible balance between comfort, load capacity and minimum weight.
At first glance, the development of an MTB hardtail may seem like a simple task compared to its full-suspension counterparts. In reality, however, the construction of a lightweight, stable, comfortable and durable carbon hardtail chassis is a real engineering masterpiece - especially when you consider how it all began.
When the mountain bike scene experienced its first big boom in the nineties, bikes made of carbon fibre were still downright exotic. The public only knew carbon fibre from Formula One or aerospace. At the same time, the promises of the material sounded like music to the ears of bike manufacturers: freedom in the realisation of realistic designs, minimum weight with maximum stiffness.
Carbon bikes: from pioneers to experts
However, the euphoria surrounding carbon mountain bikes 30 years ago was also accompanied by scepticism. Images of broken handlebars, destroyed frames and cracked seat posts did not fail to have an effect. After all, even back then bikers were already plunging down daring slopes on their sports equipment and competing at an extremely high level. The fear of dangerous hobby bikes was real. Even in the nineties, the basic material was anything but bad. What was missing for the construction of MTB components was the experience to use them optimally. The early days of carbon mountain bikes were characterised by adventurous experiments and sobering failures. But there were also individual projects that stood out and proved to be the true pioneers of today's carbon bikes. The most exciting of these was called the Magma M1 from 1994.
One person who was inspired by the radical Magma M1 was Christian Gemperlein. The original bike still hangs in his office today. Fascinated by the possibilities that carbon offered in the development of bicycles, the Franconian initially studied plastics technology and founded the company Bike Ahead Composites in 2010. Today, Gemperlein has established himself as an expert in carbon bikes and, together with his team, produces Numerous light MTB parts in GermanyVeitshöchheim near Würzburg, to be precise. Manufacturers of high-quality carbon frames have been relying on his expertise for years, such as Stoll or Last. The manufactory produces wheels, saddles, seat posts, handlebar-stem units and, most recently, a hardtail frame under its own brand. 30 years after Gemperlein was enchanted by the Magma M1, he launches his first own mountain bike on the market: The Bike Ahead The Frame, vintage 2024.
The comparison: Magma M1 (1994) & Bike Ahead The Frame (2024)
Of course, the Magma M1 from the nineties is very clearly visually different from the latest race hardtails made of carbon fibre. Nevertheless, there are certain details on the bike from back then that are standard today. The Magma M1 was ahead of its time. The comparison with the brand-new Ahead The Frame bike shows what has happened to mountain bikes in 30 years of carbon technology:
The frame
The world had never seen a mountain bike chassis like the Magma M1 in 1994. Pitch black, voluminous and futuristic, it was clearly different from anything that had gone before. When the Magma M1 was introduced, aluminium was still the measure of all things in MTB frame construction. Carbon seemed alien, like the magic material of aliens. With its full-length centre tube, the Magma M1 closely resembles the first mountain bike ever built in the seventies: the Breezer 1 from Joe Breeze. The design promised rigidity and stability.
To prevent the chain from jamming on the Magma M1, the chainstay has been raised high. Surprisingly, the M1 was already manufactured in a genuine monocoque construction. The iconic frame weighs in at 1600 grams. What sounds like a lot for a carbon hardtail frame today was a record back then and was at odds with the massive look. Thirty years later, the Bike Ahead The Frame frame from 2024 still relies on a monocoque construction and, with weights from 795 grams (BIKE measurement in frame size L: 911.7 grams), weighs only around half of the great-grandfather generation. So far, Bike Ahead has only sold The Frame as a frameset. However, this is likely to change soon. Both frame generations rely on integrated cable routing.
The fork
At the beginning of the nineties, suspension forks were just starting their unstoppable triumphal march. Back then, the Magma M1 was fitted with a Pace RC. The British company's fork was state of the art at the time. Technically, all the refinements were utilised: A milled fork crown met carbon fibre fork tubes and a brake bridge for rim brakes, which sat at the rear instead of the front. By today's standards, the 50 millimetres of suspension travel seem ludicrously short. The function of the elastomers would probably also cause horror among most bikers today.
This comparison with the Magma M1 is modelled on the personal bike of Bike Ahead boss Christian Gemperlein. In the head tube of his The Frame is a Cannondale Lefty Ocho Carbon. The two suspension forks are worlds apart in terms of off-road performance. Although the Race RC is still nice to look at, if you want to save yourself a rodeo ride, you should rather rely on the 100 millimetres of travel in the Bike Ahead The Frame. With a maximum stroke of 120 millimetres, the frame allows more than double the former crumple zone.
The wheels
Technically and visually, the Technoflug wheels of the Magma M1 1994 were in a league of their own. With three solid spokes, the wheelset looked as if it had been cast from a single mould. In reality, however, the small 26-inch aluminium rims were bonded to the main carbon part and the spokes were laminated directly into them. Considered practical at the time: A spoke magnet for the wheel computer was also integrated directly into the carbon fibre. The Technoflug weighed around 2000 grams as a set. With their radical design, they provided inspiration for the legendary Bike Ahead Biturbo wheels, which marked the birth of the company. In contrast to the retro wheelset, the Biturbo wheels have six spokes and are around 700 grams lighter despite their 29-inch size.
Christian Gemperlein's personal Bike Ahead The Frame hardtail stands on classically spoked Bike Ahead Three Zero Wheels, which only weigh a minimal 1335 grams in the lightest version (BIKE measurement: 1417 grams). With an inner width of 30 millimetres, their carbon rim is wider than the models on the downhill bikes of the nineties and competently supports modern wide tyres. Naturally, the Three Zero can be set up tubeless. The rim flange is slightly curved and rounded so that the tyre is not damaged in the event of a puncture and the air remains in the system. Unlike other products, the spoke holes are not drilled but laminated. This ensures that the carbon fibres remain undamaged in favour of stability.
The drive
Carbon cranks were already being used in the nineties - including on the Magma M1. However, the FSA cranks from back then were made using a design that is outdated today. The carbon layers were wrapped around a polystyrene core and the crank spider was made of aluminium. The fact that a rapid evolution took place in the crank area seems almost forgotten today. Changes were not only made to the bolt circle diameter of the chainring mount. The compact standard was followed by the classic standard. Over the years, the number of chainrings was reduced from three to two to just one. The Grip Shift gear system of the Magma M1 also looks exotic today. The 3x8 drivetrain was intended to take market share away from Shimano, but met with little success. The US company later became the now world-famous Sram. At the time, the rear derailleur featured injection-moulded plastic parts with carbon imprints.
On modern mountain bikes, cranks made of aluminium or lighter carbon have largely prevailed. However, Christian Gemperlein treats his Ahead The Frame Hardtail bike to Cane Creek eeWings made of titanium. Today, Sram has already taken over large parts of the mountain bike drivetrain market. 1x12 drivetrains have long been standard. On the current version of the carbon hardtail, a Sram XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain changes gears wirelessly via a radio signal. Gemperlein uses carbon parts from Hopp Carbon Parts to tune the original plastic, aluminium and titanium rear derailleur and reduce the weight.
The cockpit
The cockpit also shows how far ahead of its time the Magma M1 was. In the early nineties, hardly any manufacturer dared to design MTB handlebars made of carbon - let alone a handlebar-stem unit. Today, of course, the dimensions seem retro: 140 millimetre stem length and 560 millimetre handlebar width are extremely long and narrow by today's standards. At 300 grams, the weight of the cockpit divider is at least respectable today. The bar ends that were obligatory back then are now almost extinct.
The new Ahead The Frame bike by Christian Gemperlein also relies on a carbon handlebar/stem unit. The shape of the Ahead The Unit bike was inspired by a manta ray and is technically in a completely different league to the part on the Magma M1. With a stem length of 55 millimetres, The Unit weighs just 205 grams and still has full approval for enduro use in accordance with the ASTM 4 standard (also for E-MTBs). An integrated cable routing through the cockpit was not even considered in 1994.
Conclusion
The genetic relationship between the Magma M1 and the new Bike Ahead The Frame hardtail cannot be denied. The proximity of the generations can be recognised in many details. However, they are of course two completely different mountain bikes. Despite the dropper post, 100 millimetre suspension fork and 2.4 inch wide tyres on 29 inch wheels, Bike Ahead's first own hardtail weighs just 8.3 kilos, almost two kilos less than the Magma M1 from 1994. It may be surprising how advanced carbon technology was thirty years ago. But what is even more astonishing is how the use of this material is being taken to the extreme in modern mountain bike construction. According to Bike Ahead company founder Christian Gemperlein, the evolution of carbon bikes is far from over.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
