Carbon Wasp's Truffle is a 120mm Carbon XC Bike Handmade in the UK

May 13, 2022
by Ed Spratt  
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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.

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bigquotesIt'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

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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.

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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.

Author Info:
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Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,112 articles

83 Comments
  • 65 5
 "Handmade in the UK", interesting. In the world of cars that means "bodged together in a shed, will disintegrate faster than you can fix it".
  • 1 0
 We'll just have to wait and see
  • 57 5
 Hope bikes are made in the UK and people literally lick shop windows when they see one
  • 18 0
 Wireless shifting by Lucas Electronics
  • 9 0
 Coming from an LR4 owner... yeah you're right.
  • 4 13
flag newbermuda (May 13, 2022 at 12:46) (Below Threshold)
 looks very similar to an open mold frame you can get online…hmmmm
  • 6 1
 I have had really bad luck with a frame carbon wasp made for me. Definitely was bodged in a shed and broke multiple times before I gave up on it.
  • 6 0
 @asf: used to work with vintage race cars and the common saying was "Edison invented the light, Lucas the blackout"
  • 1 0
 BABIYOS would be such a proper name. Build A Bike In Your Own Shed
  • 4 0
 @nofu: window lickers do that.
  • 3 0
 @Nygaard that reminds me of the old line: Why didn’t the English get into making computers? Because they couldn’t figure out how to make them leak oil.


It’s a beauty of a bike though.
  • 2 0
 @whambat: I laughed at that line and will use it accordingly.
  • 1 0
 @whambat: uh hello - Amstrad!
  • 2 0
 @hambobet: do Amstrad’s leak oil?
  • 51 5
 All bikes are handmade. If there’s a different process where someone is using their feet, I’d love to see it.
  • 5 5
 I think the differentiator is whether there is significant automation involved. For instance, most aluminum mass produced frames have a lot of robotic welding, and GG's carbon frame is heat molded by a press.
  • 6 1
 @hamncheez: All modern carbon frames go through a heated pressurized process. @sportstuff I have the same pet peeve with "handmade shoes" yeah every single shoe out there has a lot of hand done processes, and most are all "handmade"
  • 1 1
 @NorCalNomad: There point is the "in the UK" part, not just the handmade.
  • 5 1
 @hamncheez: yeah, arguably “mass produced in the UK” would be more impressive.
  • 1 0
 All bikes are not handmade.

youtu.be/x1hd2GZQxWs
  • 19 2
 Wow! No arbitrary design features or weird angles. Super clean look, perfect geometry, sweet color. I am loving this bike!
  • 2 2
 Only problem is the sh1t name “carbon wasp”,…I ask you!
  • 32 0
 @HF3: you could rearrange the lettering yourself and have a bike made by 'Bacon Wraps'
  • 14 0
 White Anglo Saxon Protestants approve of this bike
  • 5 0
 These guys know there stuff about carbon. I took my Santa Cruz in for a carbon repair and they were fantastic. Got to have a walk through the workshop and got see some frames in various states of manufacture. They look absolutely fantastic in the flesh you can see they are quality. Really cool company and very friendly and helpful. Hope on the other hand, are just over the hill from my house and I couldn't get any sense from them at all on anything I've enquired about, yet everyone drools over them
  • 7 0
 Looks awesome...a bit of info is missing though: 1) how long is the seattube? 2) what shock size does it accept? 3) can you run a 130mm fork?
  • 2 0
 Shock size would be useful, especially when selling it without one. Not to mention the bushing size.
  • 5 0
 "Truffle" is a fun name for a bike.

"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.
  • 4 0
 why are companies making XC/XCM bikes with only one fuxking bottle cage mount? 120mm travel and nice geo but not suitable for all day marathon races with only one bottle mount! so frustrating
  • 5 0
 Why does everyone who uses the Flight saddle point the nose at the ground?! I have always wondered this...
  • 2 0
 Because they flex like crazy so when you sit on it it's kind of normal?
  • 1 0
 I think I had the same saddle and pedals 20 years ago. I'm guessing there might be something more to these guys, but I'm just kinda stuck wondering why they choose those parts. I'm not even gonna comment on the saddle angle. Well, I guess I just did.
  • 5 0
 But the real question is does it shuffle?
  • 5 0
 New geo spec: SADDLE ANGLE: -45º
  • 2 0
 Carbon Wasp used to make custom TT bar extensions moulded to peoples arms. I heard repeated times from people who used them that the quality was exceptional. This guy knows his carbon. Happy to see him make this frame.
  • 1 0
 Carbon Wasp? Nice looking bike, but Im curious to the discussions about naming it and how they came up with that? Thats like making a new bike from Ti and calling the company, splashed on the side of the bike in big letters "Titanium Rhinoceros".
Surely there are better naming options out there.
  • 3 1
 I think this looks really cool, and is free from the supply chain woes of Eastern Asia. Its also not insanely expensive, about $3400 USD, assuming they ship here.
  • 8 4
 chainstay and link suspension - carbonda fm936
  • 2 0
 As a proud and stoked owner of an FM936 I can assure you, this is not the same bike. I wish my 936 could fit a DB CC...
  • 1 0
 @EarninTurns: I had a DB inline on a XC bike, it was pretty impressive!
  • 2 0
 A third ISCG boss would be nice for a proper under-bash. Similar geo. to my TB4, but lighter, NICE.
  • 3 0
 Where's the weight buddy? I'm missing it here and on the site in the link.
  • 2 3
 Why would you want that on an XC bike?
  • 3 0
 @Clink1983: To avoid rock smashes against a spider mounted power meter.
  • 1 1
 @dick-pound: that's a good point. I was genuinely curious, with modern 1x drivetrains I don't/didn't know if rock strikes are really a thing with XC bikes.
  • 3 0
 lol, 65 degree head tube angle on an XC bikes, that's raaaaad
  • 2 0
 Short stem, 65.5° of head angle therefore aggressive XC / downcountry / trail bike. Nice geometry.
  • 2 1
 This could be my next bike. I'm just a bit afraid of the final price in EU though. Now with UK banished itself the price in EU will be the base price + duty + vat wright?
  • 2 1
 Base price - 20% (UK VAT), + 19% (German VAT) plus any duty, but I *think* that’s zero as it’s made in Europe (geographically) plus delivery. Might even be cheaper for you…
  • 1 0
 At first I thought 'oh a spur clone', but its got a slacker HTA? Seems fun for rooting around in the mud.
  • 9 8
 just like ur mum!
  • 2 0
 looks almost identical to an NS synonym
  • 1 0
 @Jshemuel: still slacker than that too!
  • 3 0
 10/10, looks super fun!
  • 1 0
 something about the color just doesn't do it for me. For a new bike launch it seems a little boring.
  • 1 0
 Agreed, though too much hype is dangerous for an unproven product. Might be their marketing tactic: release a solid bike, get rider feedback, etc. Plus, they need to match their ability to produce the bike with the demand.
  • 5 0
 "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."
I wouldn't choose that yellow, but it's pretty cool that you can get a custom colour at no extra cost.
  • 1 0
 @commental: I agree. Custom Colors are great, but I wouldn't have picked that yellow.
  • 3 0
 Frame weight?
  • 3 1
 Rear triangle looks like a catalog piece
  • 5 1
 absolutely, same hardware as the FM936. I'd call this an edited open mold rear triangle.
  • 3 0
 @juanny: carbonda, NS used same company for their XC/DC frame
  • 2 1
 missed opportunity to call the color "truffle butter yellow"....Mmmm
  • 1 0
 That's a great price for a locally produced full carbon frame. Good work!
  • 1 0
 Looks like a tasty truffle. Clean design-solid geometry numbers.
  • 1 0
 I would buy that just because of the ridiculous name
  • 1 0
 Love Carbon Wasp, glad this is finally out in the wild!
  • 1 0
 seems waspy...
  • 6 8
 Looks suspiciously like the Vitus Rapide FS (open mold frame from china sold by a few companies) Had one it cracked the chainstay after 6 months light use
  • 5 1
 Follow them on Instagram and you can see their whole mold making and everything. This is definitely not an open frame from China.
  • 4 1
 It looks quite different to me
  • 2 3
 Truffle Bikes Wasp or whatever this is called is easily as ludicrous a name as the Rose Bonero.
  • 3 0
 But the correct name of the bike is all over this article
  • 1 0
 Interesting
  • 1 1
 Looks like an Izzo in yellow... Not that's not lovely!
  • 1 3
 Nothing like not blending your tube sections into your head tube making the junction either heavier or weaker with cf....
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