This 4.9kg Evolve Cima Bike Undercuts Western Brands by Thousands

Welcome to Velo’s China Cycle coverage, where we share our favorite things we’ve found at the 2026 show. Bikes, components, accessories, and more: if we think it’s cool, you’ll see it. See the rest of our China Cycle coverage.

There’s no shortage of lightweight bikes scattered across the show floor at China Cycle, but 4.9kg (10.8 pounds) is deep down the rabbit hole of hill-climb specialty bikes. It’s the kind of number that might have meant cutting the drops off the bars in the past. Today, it’s achievable without any radical tricks, and what’s more, Chinese brands are offering it at a price that deeply undercuts Western competition.

Elite Wheels is a sister brand to the somewhat well-known Chinese brand Evolve. Both brands share a factory, and the two are often paired. Although I already reported on the Elite Wheels Drive Mono 65D, the brand wanted to show something else that isn’t quite ready for sale.

The Elite Wheels Drive 40D is an existing wheelset with good but not special specs. The Elite Wheels Ultra 40D is a new variation that apparently pushes the boundaries and manages a 990g quoted weight. The real magic, though, is the price. Elite Wheels isn’t quite ready to commit, but the expected price is $2,000. That undercuts the Zipp 202 NSW by more than half, and it’s a lighter wheelset.

That wheelset is actually so light that it lets Evolve manage a 4.9kg build weight on the Evolve Cima. That’s remarkable because the Cima is a 650g frame (unpainted in size medium) that’s light, but hardly in the running for the overall lightest bike. Getting it to that final number is a lot about the wheels, but it’s helped along the way by a Dura-Ace groupset, a Cybrei 24 carbon crankset, a house-brand Kreuza handlebar (305g for 400mm x 100mm), and a full carbon saddle.

Again, though, the real news here is the price. The Cima is a $2,500 frameset that’s sold as a chassis (handlebar, frameset, and seatpost) for $2,500, including the upgraded one-piece handlebar. The wheels are, as stated, an estimated $2,000, and from there, it’s a matter of adding up the extra pieces. You can expect to build this for about $8,800, and it’s about a kilogram lighter than the comparable $14,000 Specialized Aethos 2.

For more information, visit the Elite Wheels or Evolve Bicycles websites.