China has all the time been a key element within the bike trade, however lately, there was a swell constructing as Chinese language-based manufacturers have began to interrupt the Western mainstream. evolve® is a model new Chinese language biking model making a strong debut on the worldwide stage with its sights firmly set on breaking the premium European markets.
evolve® makes its debut with the CIMA, a light-weight, aerodynamic, and rigorously examined highway frameset that demonstrates evolve®’s prowess in technical innovation and daring ambition.
evolve® could also be a brand new title to many European cyclists, however its co-founders are already well-established veterans within the bike trade. Tony Tong can be the founder and product engineer of Elitewheels and Mian Chan is the founder and designer of the crank model Cybrei, with each manufacturers already making inroads into Europe over the previous few years. evolve® is headquartered in Xiamen, China’s carbon fibre manufacturing hub, bringing in-house design and manufacturing beneath one roof.
Its mission? Ship a world-class journey expertise by meticulous design, premium supplies, and no-compromise testing. evolve® debuts with the CIMA, a light-weight aero frameset that boasts some spectacular specs, let’s dig into the small print.
CIMA: Light-weight, Aerodynamic, and Able to Race
The title CIMA, Italian for “summit”, is a nod to the legendary Cima Coppi — the title given to the best level within the Giro d’Italia. The frameset is a light-weight aero allrounder which places it within the crosshairs of bikes like Specialised’s Tarmac SL8.
Unsurprisingly for a motorbike named after a mountain classification, this frameset is engineered to be as gentle as attainable. evolve® claims the CIMA weighs simply 650g unpainted (dimension M), which is lighter than many flagship all-rounder frames from legacy Western manufacturers.
On the latest China Cycle Present 2025 in Shanghai, evolve® made headlines with a whole CIMA construct tipping the scales at simply 4.95kg. That includes a Dura-Ace groupset and thoroughly chosen light-weight elements from Elitewheels and Cybrei, it showcased what’s attainable when cutting-edge supplies and elite engineering meet efficiency obsession. Even with extra typical builds, the CIMA comfortably stays beneath the UCI’s 6.8kg weight restrict — a powerful indication of its real-world race readiness.
Regardless of its featherweight standing, the CIMA ought to ship stiffness the place it counts. The frameset is constructed from a mixture of TORAYCA T1100, T800 and M40 carbon fibre. evolve® has additionally used a particular resin system which is claimed to extend the carbon building rigidity by 12 %. The underside bracket stiffness, measured at 29.4 N/mm, ensures speedy energy switch and razor-sharp responsiveness.
Aerodynamics had been additionally a key consideration when designing the body profile. The front-facing space of the body has been considerably lowered to only 635.35mm², making it one of many smallest in its class of highway bikes. evolve® has additionally developed an aero-integrated handlebar to pair with the CIMA, extra on that later.
evolve® hasn’t forgotten in regards to the small particulars both, residence mechanics might be happy to see the body specced with a BSA threaded backside bracket and a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger. The frameset additionally comes specced with CeramicSpeed SLT headset bearings and a carbon seatpost.
And whereas it will not be an vital consideration for many of us, the frameset is UCI Permitted; CE Licensed ought to you might want to race it.
Match is paramount in efficiency biking, and evolve® takes rider-centric design critically. The CIMA is available in six body sizes, accommodating riders from 146cm to 202cm, and gives two fork offsets and three backside bracket drops to take care of constant dealing with throughout all sizes.
Lab confirmed
evolve® has been positive to again its claims with actual efficiency information. The CIMA underwent 21 in-house lab checks, exceeding ISO requirements in key areas similar to seatpost fatigue, the place it endured 1440N hundreds over 10,000 cycles.
The frameset was additionally independently examined by Zedler Institute, in Germany, who’re specialist in state-of-the-art bicycle and EPAC/e-bike testing know-how and runs its personal accredited lab. The CIMA handed the institute’s Superior customary testing, giving it elite-level validation few light-weight frames can declare.
When it comes to aero beneficial properties, the evolve® staff examined the CIMA on the Silverstone Sports activities Engineering Hub (SSEH) within the UK, a trusted web site for F1 and Olympic-grade biking R&D centre and a facility Cyclingnews has used for our personal impartial lab testing.
The outcomes? At 45km/h, the CIMA is claimed to save lots of a mean of 4.74 watts in comparison with a number one worldwide competitor, backed by a decrease CdA — a metric obsessive racers will immediately recognise.
Greater than a frameset, evolve® launches Kreuza
To enrich the CIMA, evolve® has launched Kreuza, a brand new accent line constructed on the identical rules of light-weight efficiency and ergonomic precision. The flagship Apex handlebar has a svelt NACA aerodynamic design, with a quoted weight of simply 305g (painted, 380×110mm) it is available in 18 dimension choices starting from 360mm to 400mm vast and stem lengths between 90cm and 140cm — permitting riders to tailor their cockpit for good match and management.
evolve® will provide the Kreuza handlebar as an non-obligatory further with the CIMA body plus there is a Kreuza pc mount and bar tape to complete off your cockpit.
The CIMA is obtainable in 4 refined but eye-catching colourways. The CIMA is obtainable in 4 refined but eye-catching colourways. The CIMA Artist – Mist and CIMA Pace – Streams have gray and silver designs with hazy logos and flowing strains throughout the body. The CIMA Artist – Emerge is a deep inexperienced with nature-inspired detailing across the headtube and fork. Lastly, there’s the CIMA Pace – Nirvana which at first look seems to be plain black however on nearer inspection has some splatter designs across the decrease fork and rear triangle.
Graphic parts are saved to a minimal, additional enhancing the premium aesthetic of the framesets.
With the launch of the CIMA, evolve® has made an actual assertion of intent. From supplies and match to aero beneficial properties and rigorous testing, evolve® seeks to ship “efficiency with objective”.
Study extra at https://www.evolvebicycles.com and keep tuned through https://www.instagram.com/evolvebicycles/
