Light, lighter, Hopp Carbon Parts: how tuning works

What happens when you start sawing derailleur cages out of carbon plates during your A-levels? A few years later, you build a Sram XX1 Eagle rear derailleur, which is lightened by a whopping 60 grams thanks to sophisticated tuning. We are talking about the Berlin company Hopp Carbon Parts. Incidentally, they can also make carbon ear studs.

For tuning freaks, there is currently almost no way around Hopp Carbon Parts. The portfolio includes super-lightweight parts, naturally refined and lightened with carbon, such as a Sram XX1 Eagle rear derailleur. Or a stylish CFRP cover for the Direttissima brakes from Trickstuff, or a frame insert made of the same material for the Scott Scale. There is even something for the ladies: a type of pearl earrings in which the ear studs are simply not set with actual mother-of-pearl, but with carbon pearls.

With all our strength since 2016

The man behind the lightweight construction company is Christoph Hopp, who lives in Berlin. At the end of 2016, Hopp decided that, thanks to increasing demand, he would no longer work on the CFRP parts on a part-time basis, but would instead focus all his energy on tuning projects. Hopp earned his spurs in cycle racing and "cycling has been an important part of my life since my youth", the 34-year-old continues.

Hopp was already making carbon derailleur cages and winding his own chain guides from rovings - a type of carbon yarn - when he was at school. "Things really took off when a frame broke four years ago," says Hopp. The autodidact had repaired this frame himself and, not without a twinkle in his eye, he notes that the frame is still in service today. After this repair, Hopp "still had so much material left over that I started building logout levers from it."

The basis: self-taught with support

Autodidact Hopp on his skills: "Many people are surprised that I never learned what I do. But I can reassure them. There were of course points where I didn't know what to do. In such cases, I have a handful of friends who work in the field and support me."

And where can you buy Hopp's lightweight parts? "At the moment, my parts can be ordered directly from me - via facebook or email. So it is also possible to respond to special requests. And a website is under construction. But there is also a cooperation with r2-bike. They have a selection of the most popular parts," says Hopp about the current distribution model.

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