Evolve Cima Hits 4.9kg at $8,800, Undercutting Western Rivals by Thousands
Updated
Updated · Outside Magazine · May 13
Evolve Cima Hits 4.9kg at $8,800, Undercutting Western Rivals by Thousands
2 articles · Updated · Outside Magazine · May 13
$8,800 is the estimated build cost for Evolve’s 4.9kg Cima, a hill-climb-focused road bike shown at China Cycle that comes in roughly $5,200 below a comparable Specialized Aethos 2.
A new Elite Wheels Ultra 40D wheelset drives much of that weight saving: the unreleased wheels are quoted at 990g and expected to cost about $2,000, less than half the price of Zipp’s 202 NSW while also being lighter.
The rest of the build uses a 650g unpainted medium Cima frame, a Dura-Ace groupset, Cybrei 24 carbon crankset, Kreuza one-piece handlebar and a full-carbon saddle.
The package highlights how Chinese brands are pushing ultra-light bikes beyond niche showpieces, pairing sub-5kg builds with pricing that sharply undercuts established Western competitors.
A new 4.9kg Chinese bike is thousands cheaper than rivals. Is the era of the $14,000 superbike over?
Chinese brands now match Western bike tech for half the price. What does the future of the cycling industry look like?