In my opinion it is NOT carbon, it's a glass type of material. What? Fiberglass bikes? Sort of, yes. Certainly not a typical carbon fiber layup, certainly different materials used in my opinion.
Wrong. Giant has 3 levels - all carbon composite:
Composite technology | Technology - Giant Bicycles | Canada
ADVANCED SL COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY
Giant's Professional-grade raw cabon material is woven in our own composite factory to creat the most cutting-edge frames available today. These frames feature the most advanced engineering and construction methods:
MATERIALS: Professional-grade grade raw carbon with the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio available today.
RESIN: Professional-grade formula with Carbon Nanotube Technology (CNT), a microscopic polymer added to Giant's custom blended resin*. Like miniature buttresses, CNT strengthens the layers of composite. Frames featuring CNT are 14 percent more impact-resistant than those without it.
FUSION PROCESS: This complex process involves hand weaving the toptube and seattube together, then re-molding the area under heat and high pressure to unify the junction, resulting in a lighter, stronger frame than those with traditional molding.
CONTINUOUS FIBER TECHNOLOGY: This manufacturing process allows Giant to construct the front triangle of Advanced SL bicycles* with larger, and therefore fewer, sections of composite material. With fewer pieces and junctions, the frames are up to 100 grams lighter and significantly stronger.
*Found on select 2014 framesets
ADVANCED COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY
Giant's High Performance-grade raw carbon fiber is used to produce custom composite material in our own composite factory. Extremely lightweight, stiff and compliant, these handcrafted frames feature the following materials and processes:
MATERIALS: High Performance-grade raw carbon material features an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio.
RESIN: High Performance formula provides excellent void minimization (bubbles) while maintaining outstanding strength. And vibration absorbing particles are added to help disperse road shock.
MODIFIED MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION: The front triangle (downtube, headtube, toptube, seattube) is assembled and molded as one continuous piece. This front half is then joined to the rear chainstays and seatstays in a secondary process. This process eliminates the outermost woven composite sheet to reduce weight without affecting ride quality, strength or stiffness.GIANT COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY
Performance-grade raw carbon fiber is used to create the material for these lightweight, stiff and compliant framesets. Blending performance and value, this technology features the following materials and construction processes:
MATERIALS: Performance-grade raw carbon features best-in-class stiffness-to-weight ratios.
RESIN: Performance formula provides void minimization (bubbles) while maintaining optimal strength.
MODIFIED MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION: The front triangle (downtube, headtube, toptube, seattube) is assembled and molded as one continuous piece. This front half is then joined to the rear chainstays and seatstays in a secondary process. Modified Monocoque Construction eliminates the outermost woven composite sheet to reduce weight without affecting ride quality, strength or stiffness.
GIANT COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY
Performance-grade raw carbon fiber is used to create the material for these lightweight, stiff and compliant framesets. Blending performance and value, this technology features the following materials and construction processes:
MATERIALS: Performance-grade raw carbon features best-in-class stiffness-to-weight ratios.
RESIN: Performance formula provides void minimization (bubbles) while maintaining optimal strength.
MODIFIED MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION: The front triangle (downtube, headtube, toptube, seattube) is assembled and molded as one continuous piece. This front half is then joined to the rear chainstays and seatstays in a secondary process. Modified Monocoque Construction eliminates the outermost woven composite sheet to reduce weight without affecting ride quality, strength or stiffness.
