Is carbon better than aluminum for MTB frames? It depends on how you use it!

Chuck Teixeira is a Senior Advanced Concept Engineer at Specialized where he's been involved in countless projects from mountain to road, and from bikes to components. Prior to joining Specialized in 2011, Chuck spent 28 years at Easton-Bell where he was the director of R&D.

• How did you end up in the bike industry?
• How does the Smartweld tech used on the new Specialized Chisel mountain bike frame work, and what makes it different from traditional aluminum frame welding? Why haven't we seen this on more Specialized mountain bikes? 
• Are mountain bikers still overlooking aluminum in favor of carbon frames?
• How did you and the Roval team come upon the anti pinch flat bead-wall design?
• When it comes to mountain bike rims, is there a clear winner when it comes to material choice, carbon vs. aluminum?
• What are some of your favorite mountain bike products or designs that you've been involved with over the years?
• How have you recovered from the Santa Cruz wildfire that claimed your house in 2020? 
• As someone who has lived and breathed bicycles since the 1980s, is there anything that surprises you today? What are you working on right now that has you stoked?

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