Glacier carbon

Carbon fibre is, quite frankly, the best material to make a bicycle with.  We know that there are die hard fans of Titanium, Scandium and the old school steel, but nothing can beat the unlimited configurations that carbon can provide.  This is because carbon is not a single entity, but the coming together of millions of fibres to make a whole unit.  These fibres can be shaped, formed and placed in any configuration to allow the designer to account for the multiple forces exerted on a frame at any given time.

In the past, Glacier bikes offered two different core models for our frame sets.  We offered the Team Ice/Black Ice Frame Set, an internally lugged carbon frame that featured the eye catching PentaGlide top tube and AeroDiamond down tube.  We also offered the Ice Storm, our monocoque frame that used the time honoured tear drop shape tubing.  Both frames were exceptional.  The Team Ice was as beautiful to look at as it was to ride and the Ice Storm had a comfort level second to none.  For 2008, we wanted to take the best of both worlds and combine them into one core frame set that would represent the entire line up for Glacier Bikes.

Welcome the Ice Storm2.

Ice Storm2 is a monocoque carbon frame that is the culmination of all the best features we have offered in the past, with a few improvements.  Our bikes are still made in our ISO9001 certified factory, which also shares a JISQ9100 Assurance System Certification from the aerospace industry.  Our frames still use top quality Mitsubishi TR50-15L carbon, a high strain modulus fibre (see our section on Glacier’s Carbon).  We are still one of the only manufacturers to offer the Frozen Plasma finish to the carbon, but this year we have added a sleek paint scheme in Snow White with Ice Blue accents.  The new features of the Ice Storm2 include:

  • Improved AeroDiamond™ down tube - instead of having a basic round tube with internal reinforcements, our tube shaping allows for use to make a super strong tube that resists flex in key directions, while keeping carbon usage and weight to a minimum.
  • WarpingDiamond™ top tube - by tweaking the benefits of the AeroDiamond™ for the unique forces on the top tube, we have again found an area of weight savings with the side effect of a uniquely eye pleasing design.
  • D-stays - Named because of their shape, our seat stays and chain stays have been modified to ensure side flex is kept to a minimum.
  • Full Carbon Drop-outs, front and rear - by moulding the drop-outs in carbon, we are able to eliminate the common weak spot of carbon bikes where traditional aluminium drop outs had to be epoxied into rolled carbon tubes.  It also increases the elimination of high frequency bumps, making for a more comfortable ride.
  • Hooked rear dropouts - lighten and stiffen the rear end when compared to traditional aluminium.
  • Beefed up bottom bracket - By beefing up the BB area and smoothing out the transition from the BB to the down tube, seat tube and chain-stays, we were able to increase stiffness without added weight.
  • Compact frame design - Effective sloping of the top tube reduces the size of the front and rear triangles, there by reducing weight and increasing lateral rigidity.  This means that the frame will accelerate faster due to lower energy loss through flex.  Combining this with the vertical compliance offered by our tube shaping gives for a more controlled yet forgiving ride.  We offer a large range of sizes to ensure that every body type (male or female) will get the ideal fit.
  • Full Shimano™ or Campy™ build kits – no cheap parts hidden in the brakes, cassette or bottom bracket
  • Drop in Cane Creek™ integrated headset – no tools required should the bearings need replacing.
  • Replaceable derailleur hanger – in the event of a crash, the hanger takes the brunt of the impact
  • Full carbon forks – legs, steer-tube, race and drop-outs; all carbon
  • Extra wheel clearance – for those riders who want to install a larger than 23C wheel
  • Limited lifetime warranty on all frames and forks

As riders ourselves, we were frustrated in the past by how many top of the line bike frames were not offered with average price components. Because of this, we decided to offer the same high quality frame throughout our line up. So, even if the desire is for the top of the line Record™ equipped bike, but the budget dictates you ride race quality Ultegra™, you can be assured that you are riding the same high quality monocoque carbon frame. The Dura Ace™, Record™ and Chorus™ equipped frames are paired with nothing but the best components. The Ultegra™ equipped machine is the perfect balance between price and performance.

The Ice Storm2 does have a unique distinction from its ancestors.  It has received DIN Plus certification, the highest level of certification for outstanding quality the bike industry can offer.  The DIN plus certification test is the toughest lab test available and demonstrates the strength and resilience of the Ice Storm2.

With the value of the Ice Storm2 you would be hard pressed to find a better bike at any price—every detail has been purposely chosen to make the Ice Storm2 the bike to own for anyone serious about riding the best.

Glacier Carbon

For the technically inclined, our carbon has a density of 1.82g/cm, a strength rating of 4900 MPa and a modulus rating of 35 msi. We use a fibre diameter of 7 microns at a 15K fibre count.  What does all this mean?  It means that our frames share the same strength and density values as many high end T-700 carbon road bikes, but due to the high modulus rating, our bikes will last longer as they can withstand flex better; they are less brittle. 

Riders today are looking for the ultimate balance in ride comfort and response. Some companies sacrifice ride comfort for the rigid response of aluminum or “high fiber count” carbon frames (typically 24K). Others sacrifice the instant response rigidity demanded by road racers and discerning cyclists for the better rider comfort of steel or “low fiber count” carbon frames (typically 12K). Through frame design, ideal tube shapes, our unique approach of using a fiber count of 15K, we provided the ideal balance between rigidity and comfort.

Our carbon bike frames use unidirectional (UD) layers of carbon, where all the filaments in each layer are oriented in the same direction. The layers are then oriented in different directions to each other. This allows us to make a frame that flexes where you want it to and be stiff where you need it to be. We use pre-impregnated carbon sheets, placed manually, then molded. This technology, which is current in the aviation industry, uses the smallest quantity of resin and therefore gives the best strength/weight ratio. Finally, the last layer of carbon consists of the multidirectional Frozen Plasma sheet, which servers as homogeneous support for all the other layers and gives Glacier its gorgeous appearance.