After three years of development, UK-based brand Carbon Wasp has released the Truffle, a new 120mm XC / trail bike. The UK-based brand started several years ago making components and frames for other brands with parts they have developed featuring in the Tour de France and winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
The Truffle began its development three years ago, and the time since was spent figuring out the carbon lay-up schedule and setting up supply chains. Each frame is made using pre-preg carbon fibre sourced in the UK, with manufacturing completed in Leeds, and the frames are painted locally to Carbon Wasp. To build a complete frame Carbon Wasp uses three parts with a fully carbon front triangle, rear swingarm and carbon linkages; this is claimed to increase stiffness and lower the weight of the bike.
The Truffle is built with fully sealed cartridge bearings, threaded bottom bracket and is fully on-trend with downtube storage.
 | It's amazing to launch the Truffle after years of development and testing. We wanted to create a bike that can do anything, a real "go-to" bike for all trail conditions. The Truffle is light and predictable for climbing, agile for singletrack and robust for technical descents. We basically made the bike that we want to ride, a bike that would be at home on the XC race circuit or razzing around the local woods.— Adrian Smith, Chief Designer and Owner of Carbon Wasp |
While the Truffle is designed as an XC/trail bike the bike features a reach of 480mm in a size large with a head angle of 65.5 degrees and a seat tube angle of 76 degrees. To keep things simple, for its first bike Carbon Wasp designed the Truffle around a single-pivot with flex rear stays. They say this also reduces weight slightly, provides predictable ride characteristics and the stays only flex less than one degree while being ridden.
The Truffle is available to order from Carbon Wasp now for £2800 with a Cane Creek DB Air shock or for £2400 if you want to source your own shock. Each frame comes in the standard Wasp yellow color but they do offer a single color custom paint option for the same price, as every frame is made to order. You can find out more
here.
It’s a beauty of a bike though.
youtu.be/x1hd2GZQxWs
"Carbon Wasp" is ...not.
Then again I ride a "Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol" that I'll willingly overlook the name on because it was made in the USA.
Surely there are better naming options out there.
I wouldn't choose that yellow, but it's pretty cool that you can get a custom colour at no extra cost.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=X3XYnM13UEQ
www.specsavers.co.uk/stores?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1289567&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoPLDnNTf9wIVF-DtCh2s4wAzEAAYASAAEgIhOvD_BwE
Totally agree about internal cables though-on an aero road bike tucked cables 'might' make sense. On a mountain bike they just make cable swaps/frame bearing replacement/other service more of a PITA