One of the standout bikes from last year’s London Bike Show was a prototype carbon fibre road bike with integrated mudguards. It was the creation of Stebles Bikes and really turned some heads, and it’s now available to buy, with preorders for the bold bike currently being taken.
It’ll be on display at the London Bike Show – along with these six stunning road bikes – but here’s a quick first look.
The bike is made entirely from carbon fibre and manufactured in the UK, a rare thing indeed. Stebles founder Mark Stebles has teamed up with an F1 designer to create the bike and make his dream a reality. There have been various attempts at establishing carbon manufacturing here in the UK, with Hope and Filament probably the two best examples right now, and it’s definitely exciting to see another name to add to this short list.
What really sets the bike apart is the integrated mudguard front and rear (or fenders for our American readers) that are moulded into the frame and fork. The mudguards blend seamlessly into the frame, with a pair of supporting struts sprouting off the fork and a single pair on the rear mudguard. Stebles says the mudguards exhibit no flex or rattle since they’re a rigid component of the frame and fork.
The mudguards have deeper sides, especially around the rear wheel where there’s almost a complete fairing, and that’s intended to prevent spray coming off the tyres.
– Carbon bikes made in the UK – the man who wants to make British carbon big
The mudguard design also better shields the front derailleur, chain and lower headset bearing. The seat tube bottle cage is moulded directly into the frame as well.
“The unique design of frame and forks covers the wheels to protect the rider from tyre spray while shielding the most vulnerable part of the chain where it picks up the most debris from tyre spray. The cover shapes form a structural frame to support the wheels eliminating the need for a traditional tubular frame,” says Mark Stebles.
One cunning feature is a small door above the bottom bracket that can be used to store a minipump, spare tube, CO2 canister and other ride essentials. It’s similar to the SwatBox on Specialized mountain bikes, which have a trapdoor in the large carbon fibre downtube for storing kit just like this. I’ve never seen it on a road bike before though.
The bike is designed around 28mm tyres with disc brakes, and all cables are internally routed. Reflective frame decals help you to stand out at night.
The bike will cost £5,999.97 and it’s currently taking pre-orders for £99.99. Complete bikes will be built with Shimano Ultegra 11-speed mechanical groupsets and brakes with Hunt Aero Disc wheels. Customised builds will be available.
Each bike will come with a custom bike stand, so no leaning it against the wall in storage. A five-year unlimited servicing plan at markscyclesrepairs.com is including with each bike.
More info at www.steblesbikes.com
– 10 of the best mudguard-compatible carbon fibre road bikes
I can’t recall seeing anything like this before, but do correct me if it has been done before. If you’re heading to the London Bike Show be sure to check it out and see what you think of it.
42 thoughts on “Stebles Bikes: Carbon fibre bike with integrated mudguards now available to buy, and on display at London Bike Show”
hmmmm
Thats not easy on the eye at all!
Intriguing idea, but I’m not
Intriguing idea, but I’m not sure that I like the looks.
That is so ugly…looks like
That is so ugly…looks like a crash between a traditional Dutch bike and a road bike
I’d love to see their market
I’d love to see their market research on this. 6k for something this ugly and with fixed mudguards which was wanted by no one ever? You could get a pretty decent carbon race bike for 6k and some raceblades for £50 and then use them whenever it’s raining – it’s easy to set them up so they don’t rattle either.
Archetypal solution in search of a problem.
Nice idea, but as mudguards
Nice idea, but as mudguards can snap I think that I would rather have one with separate mudguards that I can replace rather than one that is going to ruin the frame if it breaks
Seems a bit impractical, no?
Seems a bit impractical, no? CFRP integrated mudgaurds? Not the most impact resistant material; seems like one unfortunate incident, like rear-ending a car for instance, and it’s back to the repair shop for the whole bike because your mudgaurd’s shattered. Maybe those portions of the bike are mainly Kevlar?
“Quick Robin, to the BATBIKE!
“Quick Robin, to the BATBIKE!” ::der-dle der-dle der-dler-derr::
mingmong wrote:
“Holy Sabotage, Batman! The batbike has been stolen and replaced with this Joker-Penguin-Riddler acid experiment!’
Holy mother of god that thing
Holy mother of god that thing’s hideous
.
Surprised they didn’t go full
Surprised they didn’t go full fairing.
Would have been less offensive to the eye.
I’d rather get wet.
I’d rather get wet.
Some ideas are just bad ideas
Some ideas are just bad ideas.
No matter how good it works, that is an ugly piece of design.
bornagainst wrote:
And bad ideas related to bicycles have a home: http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/
This is perhaps a future classic, in its own way.
Hideous
I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt that
.
.
Bet it’s a bugger to ride in
Bet it’s a bugger to ride in crosswinds.
It might, just might, look
It might, just might, look better painted than as raw carbon. Can’t help but think its a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist. Much like carbon fibre mudguards which look bling but aren’t actually much lighter than standard guards and are less easy to fettle.
Given the choice between this and the 3T Strada (for e.g.) I know I’d rather go fast and get wet, and I have ‘guards on all my bikes
I would be interested to see
I would be interested to see what happens when a stick flicks up into the spokes. Most normal mudguards will have a detachable/breakable stay.
I am also not a fan of the lugs.
Milkfloat wrote:
First thing I though of when I saw this, then, had to check what year it was, as showing CF hasn’t been a thing for a long time (reminds me of the late 90’s before paint took over), making it look incredibly dated.
Integrated mudguards, but
Integrated mudguards, but separate lugs and tubes?
Wot no rear mudflap? That won
Wot no rear mudflap? That won’t do.
We’re missing the point here.
We’re missing the point here. It’s better to miss the marketing brief by a mile than by a small margin. Mr Stebles deserves his rightful place in the pantheon of bad bike design heroes. I mean just look at the fully integrated carbon fibre bottle cage. Though, logically a fully weatherproofed bike should also have a fully enclosed integrated chain case of course. One for the suggestions box.
About those lugs…. they remind me of vacuum cleaner attachments. I feel like you could perhaps dismantle it for travel, or quickly replace the front end with a full suspension fork.
Very special indeed.
Not every day you see a £6k
Not every day you see a £6k bike badly photographed against a bedsheet.
OMG!
OMG!
Those mudguards are terribly looking, and that carbon frame exactly looks like noname chinese carbon frames
This bike’s a real beauty and
This bike’s a real beauty and a perfect audaxing machine to boot. Well done builder. I can see thie being only the beginning before many other companies jump on the bandwagon with their own designs.
Only problem I can see is this won’t be much of an international tourer as I like to remove my mudguards to fit in the box but for commutes and national audaxes this is a winner.
Bicycles are supposed to be
Bicycles are supposed to be beautiful and they invariably are, even rusty old wrecks from the 19th century have the most incurable charm.
This is not a bike. It is the most ugly piece of junk I have ever seen with 2 wheels. I don’t know how much someone was paid to design it, but however much it was it was to much. Hopefully it will disappear without trace and nobody will be forced to endure such ugliness ever again – the very thought of encountering one in real life makes me feel like throwing up.
gopping and totally
gopping and totally misunderstands the problems it’s supposed to resolve and also fails to understand (or simply ignores) the very obvious downsides some of which are mentioned above.
The type of people to buy this will be the ones that jizzed over a DeLorean.
Maybe in 40 years time they might get some of their money back if it hasn’t melted whilst sitting in the sun whilst hung up because no self respecting human being would ever be seen dead riding that, shirely?
Ta-Da !
I am picturing a scene where, after months of work in secret, the designer / builder revealed his / their creation to family and friends*.
Must have been a “Unique” reaction !
*Especially if they have invested in the project.
Krazyfrenchkanuck wrote:
I imagine the scene to be like the one in The Simpsons where Homer reveals “The Homer, the car built for Homer”
Joe Totale wrote:
I imagine the scene to be like the one in The Simpsons where Homer reveals “The Homer, the car built for Homer”— Krazyfrenchkanuck
Exactly !
What?
What ?
No integrated saddle bags or lights ? And what about fins ?
At least Pee Wee Herman’s had these !
probably won’t be fun
probably won’t be fun cleaning it after a wet winter ride… wonder how much of a faff it is taking a wheel out?
Do you get bar tape included
Do you get bar tape included at that price?
It looks like a bike that
It looks like a bike that would have been ridden in The Future, in a film made in about 1958…
This looks like what Count
This looks like what Count Dracula would ride… at night of course..
So I guess the only way to
So I guess the only way to replace a broken bottle cage is to buy a new bike.
As good as it is, a Ultegra
As good as it is, a Ultegra mechanical groupset is a little mean for a £6000 bike. Most other bikes for that kind of price come with a top of the range electronic groupset.
Joe Totale wrote:
Most other bikes aren’t made in the UK though, which is probably a factor in the price
Don’t worry – it looks way
Don’t worry – it looks way better in white: http://road.cc/content/tech-news/179223-stebles-bikes-launch-crowdfunding-unique-carbon-bike-integrated-mudguards
henryb wrote:
Lol
If batman had a bicycle…
If batman had a bicycle…
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