Glacier Technology
At Glacier, we’ve established three guiding principles that influence the product engineering of our frames. First, carbon is the perfect building material to create high end performance masterpieces for the rider looking for an inspired riding experience. Second, our frames need to have a perfect balance of aerodynamics, stiffness, and responsiveness to give our riders the road feel they are looking for in a number of different riding situations. Third, not all carbon material is created equally, so we only use high end high modulus fibre that can also withstand the test of time, thus guaranteeing a better ride for longer.
Design Philosophy
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 beginning, Glacier bikes offered two different core model 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. In 2008, we decided 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 now and in the future.
Frame Design
Glacier offers a full size range for our new compact frame design with geometry specifically chosen to give every Glacier rider the same great Glacier feel. Tall or short, every Glacier rider gets the same great fore-aft balance, making the Storm C capable of responding when called upon, with an all-day ride comfort.
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, for the ZerooC, the last layer of carbon consists of the multidirectional Frozen Plasma sheet, which gives the ZerooC its gorgeous appearance.