One of the lightest frame and component materials, carbon fiber (also called just carbon) is unique in that it's a fabric, not a metal. This allows gossamer weights, incredible strength and impressive frame/fork compliance (vibration damping) because the fibers can be oriented in myriad ways.
A synthetic material consisting of fibers glued together with epoxy that is very strong for its weight.
A material consisting of thin, strong crystalline filaments of carbon, used as a strengthening material, esp. in resins and ceramics
Carbon fiber (carbon fibre), alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of extremely thin fibers about 0.005–0.010 mm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms.
(Bicycle Rim) A metal or composite ring that is part of the bike wheel and on which the hub with the spokes are attached.
Ryder Hesjedal's Cervelo R5CA
Every rider on Garmin-Cervelo seemed to have a different model of bike. Out of the 4 bikes pictured, it looks like 3 different frame styles (S3, R5CA and R3SL). Ryder has the super light crazy expensive ($US9000+ for frameset alone) R5CA, which came out of the Cervelo Project California. All of the team bikes are carbon fiber, but one way Cervelo saves weight on the R5CA is to leave the frame bare carbon, no paint, just the black Cervelo stickers. You can also see the R5CA uses smaller diameter tubing, and from what I've read, the tubing itself is thinner than other Cervelo tubes.
All of the Garmin-Cervelo bikes have one thing in common-- Mavic Cosmic deep dish carbon fiber rims.
pre-start, Amgen Tour of California stage 8
bellas rim
DEFINATELY need new wheels...and way more carbon fiber....but the lens i was using was cool as hell!