Picture 1) GT's Thermoplastic Carbon Fiber Frame for its LTS full suspension design. This design used the process of wrapping carbon fiber around an expandable bladder "tube". Several tubes would be placed in a mold to create each part of the frame. The mold would then be heated, the "tubes" inflated to push the carbon against the mold walls, the mold then cooled and the frame removed from the mold. Picture 2) Early styling concepts that would use multiple "tubes" to achieve all frame sections. Some frame sections would require doubling up. Picture 3) Full size appearance models were created from wood and aluminum then painted for review of looks and feasibility. Picture 4) After models were made the design team had an "ah-ha" moment after looking at a handlebar that used the same process and included aluminum rings at the ends to keep bar ends from crushing the carbon fiber. This lead to a final design where one "tube" ran all the way around, threading through CNC'd lugs.
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