In 1981 at the Argentine GP, the McLaren Formula 1 team forever changed the world of motorsport with its iconic MP4/1 race car — the first F1 car to employ a full carbon fiber monocoque body. 

Now, more than 40 years and countless innovations later, the material is ubiquitous not just in the F1 paddock but in nearly every other aspect of motorsports and beyond, from racing to consumer car design. The material quickly caught hold worldwide, becoming the medium of choice in everything from aircraft to bicycles. McLaren has continued to push the envelope of what is possible in carbon, using it as the core material for the brand’s supercars, F1 cars, and nearly everything else. 

So, when McLaren set out to build a pair of electric mountain bikes, carbon was naturally the material of choice.