Test victory for Bike Ahead The Frame: This is why the superlight bike beats the competition
Jan Timmermann
· 06.12.2024
Lightweight construction fans will find it hard to ignore Bike Ahead. When the carbon specialists recently presented their first own hardtail frame called The Frame, the excitement was great. BIKE was the first MTB medium in the world to have the chance to test the new superbike. But first things first: The man behind Bike Ahead is Christian Gemperlein, engineer for plastics technology and head of All Ahead Composites GmbH. Gemperlein developed an ultra-lightweight wheel with just six carbon spokes as part of his degree dissertation. The parts were well received and over time Bike Ahead developed into a premium manufacturer with almost 50 employees.
In addition to the legendary "Biturbo", Gemperlein and his team in Veitshöchheim near Würzburg now produce other wheelsets, saddles, seat posts and cockpits. All parts are characterised by minimalist weights and are produced by hand in small series in their own country. Other manufacturers, such as Last Bikes and Stoll, have long been utilising this expertise and have their frames manufactured by Bike Ahead. Now the Bavarians are venturing onto the market for the first time with their very own frame. We had the chance to test Christian Gemperlein's personal bike.
Details about the Bike Ahead The Frame Hardtail
- Area of application: Cross Country / Marathon
- Suspension travel: 100 mm
- Frame material: Carbon
- Wheel size: 29"
- Price complete bike (custom body): 8850 Euro
- Price frameset: 1978,99 Euro
- Weight: 8.3 kilos
- Warranty: 2 years
An MTB frame from Europe and a custom build
Christian Gemperlein is convinced of the qualitative and sustainable advantages of production in Europe. Unlike the other parts in the Bike Ahead portfolio, however, The Frame is not produced in Germany, but in the Carbon Team halls in Portugal. Gemperlein supports the company as a technology partner with all kinds of knowledge about the material carbon. The Frame is produced there as a one-piece monocoque according to Bike Ahead's specifications and then sent to Germany.
Bike Ahead in Veitshöchheim is again responsible for finishing and finishing itself, because The Frame should look and feel just as high-quality as the other parts of the brand. The carbon is not painted. This puts the fibre look in the foreground and keeps the frame nice and light. Our ultra-precise laboratory scales stop at 911.7 grams. This means that the chassis of The Frame weighs only a little more than a medium-sized cauliflower. At € 1978.99, the price for the frameset at Bike Ahead remains on the ground - at least when compared to other high-end race frames, some of which cost up to € 4000.
Gemperlein would not be a qualified engineer if the first frame under his own label did not also fulfil numerous test standards. For example, The Frame is certified for category three (XC MTB) according to the TRI test of the EFBE Institute. The boss personally provided his private hardtail for the BIKE test. It goes without saying that The Frame is fitted with all kinds of high-end components from Bike Ahead that will make weight weenies and number nerds green with envy. The asymmetrical Three Zero XC carbon rims should only weigh 1380 grams when spoked on DT Swiss 240S hubs - with an inner width of 30 millimetres, mind you.
The Bike Ahead cockpit unit The Unit ICR weighs in at just 205 grams. A GPS holder weighing a minimal nine grams can be added as an option. Despite the lightweight construction approach, the hardtail does not have to do without a dropper post. The DT Swiss D 232 One only offers 60 millimetres of travel, but fits seamlessly into the concept. Another Bike Ahead innovation sits on the dropper post: The Hypersaddle, which weighs just 76 grams in the wide version. The lightweight perfection goes right down to the smallest detail: The Frame is supplied with hollow titanium bottle cage bolts. Each one bears the Bike Ahead logo and weighs a homeopathic 1.06 grams.
As a stark contrast to the many carbon fibres on the Ahead The Frame bike, Gemperlein has equipped his bike with a Cane Creek eeWings titanium crank including an oval chainring. A Cannondale Lefty Ocho Carbon with 100 millimetres of suspension travel takes care of the guiding work. The company boss relies on proven technology for the brakes. The Hope Race X2 brakes are not from the latest British collection and are combined on the custom bike with brake discs from Carbon-Ti with carbon spider. Gemperlein has even found tuning potential in the classic, lightweight Sram XX1 Eagle AXS rear derailleur: Its weight is further reduced by carbon components from Hopp. The unique hardtail is rounded off in the truest sense of the word with wide Maxxis tyres.
Features of the Bike Ahead The Frame
- Fork: Cannondale Lefty Ocho Carbon
- Gear system: Sram XX1 Eagle AXS, 1 x 12
- Gear ratio / bandwidth: 34, 10-52 / 520 %
- Brakes: Hope Race X2 180/160 mm
- dropper post / stroke: DT Swiss D 232 One / 60 mm
- Wheels: Bike Ahead Three Zero XC
- Tyres: Maxxis Rekon Race MaxxSpeed Exo TR / Aspen Exo TR; 29 x 2.40"
Price question
Anyone expecting an exorbitant price in view of the many exclusive tuning parts of the Bike Ahead The Frame, which weighs just 8.34 kilos, is only partly right. Although the individual parts of the custom racer come to around 8850 euros, the frame set for 1979 euros is not only the lightest, but also by far the cheapest in comparison. Compared to the Pinarello Dogma frameset, which is twice as expensive and 300 grams heavier, this seems like a bargain. Bike Ahead is not yet selling complete bikes, but there are indications that this could change in the near future.
- Bike Ahead The Frame frame: 912 grams / 1978.99 euros
- Cannondale Scalpel HT Lab71 frame: 1035 grams / no individual sale
- Pinarello Dogma HT frame: 1215 grams / 5000 euros
- Storck Rebel Platinum frame: 1160 grams / 2499 euros
The superlight hardtail in a practical test
In direct comparison to the many super sports cars of the Race hardtail category the riding position on the Bike Ahead The Frame is much more tame. Thanks to the stem handlebar unit, which is only 55 millimetres short but still 740 millimetres wide, it sits more compactly and comfortably than on the competing rails. Racers will want to choose a longer cockpit in favour of the pressure on the front in order to stay on the ideal line on technical climbs. The fact that The Frame is the lightest hardtail to pass our test procedure for a long time doesn't just have advantages on steep ramps. Together with the compact head unit and the short 424 millimetre chainstays, the bike is extremely reactive on trail climbs. For precise climbs in the red pulse range, a dynamic rider is needed to rein in the flyweight. Help comes from the wide Maxxis tyres, which provide excellent traction.
When accelerating, the Ahead The Frame bike dashes forwards quickly. The acceleration of the in-house wheels is significantly better than that of the Pinarello. Nominally it goes with Cannondale and Storck The Frame is even quicker off the mark, but these also specify narrower and lighter tyres. With a dream value for the total weight, The Frame can be moved from A to B with ease. Sprinting and on flat, flowing trails is a lot of fun. At 68.5 degrees, the steering angle is slightly steeper than on other current race bikes. The Frame would theoretically also allow a suspension fork with 120 instead of 100 millimetres of travel. This would allow the head angle to be slackened by around one degree. In the test set-up, the black bike weaves agilely through corners, can be lobbed over roots as if nothing had happened and requires only minimal physical effort to get onto the rear wheel or into the air.
Thanks to its direct handling, the Bike Ahead harbours great riding fun potential for a race bike. However, it feels less like a serious sports car in this configuration. It also fits into the picture that the Lefty on Gemperlein's bike can be locked at the fork crown, but not from the handlebars. On the downhill, the one-legged bike puts in its usual strong performance. The fork impresses with its sensitive but controlled response behaviour and smoothes out bumps as well as a short-stroke XC softener can. When things get steep downhill, the dropper post is a real game changer despite its tiny adjustment range. Without any space problems when shifting weight, a hardtail with a dropper post can be steered downhill with greater control.
Even though the Hope brakes on the custom bike are from an older series, they are still powerful for a race brake: a touch more potent than the Shimano XT on the Storck and the XTR on the Pinarello and also more competent than the Sram Level on the Cannondale. In practice, the chassis feels more compliant than the others and is not quite as harsh in technical passages. The lower stiffness is also confirmed by the test bench in our test laboratory. This didn't cause any problems in our ride test, but heavy riders should keep the stiffness in mind. The Ahead bike earns praise for its quiet background noise. Without cracking and creaking, it is much easier to trust a super-light bike. The seating comfort is mediocre.
From the test lab
Measured values
- Total weight: 8.34 kg (without pedals)
- Frame weight: 911.7 g
- Weight of wheels: 3678 g
- Acceleration of running wheels: 2952 kg x cm²
- Frame stiffness front / rear: 5.4 / 17.7 N/mm
- Seat comfort: 6.89 mm
We determine the weight of the complete bike without pedals in the BIKE test lab. The wheel weight is per set with tyres, cassette and brake discs. The following applies to wheel inertia: the lower the measured value, the easier it is to accelerate.
Review of the Bike Ahead The Frame hardtail
- Uphill riding behaviour (15 %): 2.25
- Play instinct (8 %): 1.00
- Downhill riding behaviour (12 %): 2.25
- Downhill chassis (10 %): 0.75
Driving behaviour grade (45%): 1.69
- Weight without pedals (12 %): 0.50
- Inertia impellers (6 %): 2.00
- Seating comfort (12 %): 2.50
Laboratory grade (30 %): 1.60
- Equipment quality (5 %): 1.00
- Usability/added value (5 %): 3,50
- Transport volume bottle cage (5 %): 0.50
- Saddle retractability (5 %): 3,50
- Quality/processing (5 %): 0.50
Equipment grade: 1.80
Overall grade: 1.69
Conclusion
Bike Ahead head Gemperlein has built himself a dream carbon hardtail. With so much attention to detail, technology nerds find it hard to stay emotionally strong. Off-road, The Frame impresses with its light-footedness and reactive handling. Almost borderline light and in a compact custom set-up, there are more superior bases for racers. On the other hand, the riding fun is high, the frame comes from Europe and the noble tuning jewel costs less than the high-end competition from the Far East. Test victory for Bike Ahead! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE test editor
Pro
- super light
- Direct, fun handling
- Made in Europe
- Frame price comparatively fair
- Exclusive custom body
Contra
- Short cockpit on the test bike lacks pressure at the front
- Lower rigidity
Jan Timmermann
Editor
