For many avid bicycle riders, the precise frame is of the absolute importance. The components they are made with decides a lot about how the bike will perform. Bikes have had a lengthy journey from their wooden framed relatives. These days, many bicycle owners testify that the carbon bicycle frame is the clear champion.
There are many factors to consider prior to purchasing a bicycle. What use you will get out of it, the type of terrain you usually ride on, and how long you plan on keeping the bike are all questions you should be able to answer prior to buying. With bike frames, each material is very different. Carbon fiber frames can offer top notch performance with incredible durability.
Since it is a composite material, carbon fiber is the strongest bicycle frame on the market today. Even though they are very expensive when compared to other frames they are worth it in the end. Carbon bike frames are virtually indestructible and can handle immense pedaling forces.
Absorbing shock is another important variable in good bikes. When it comes to shock absorbing, Carbon fiber is, hands down, the best material around. On even the roughest terrains, riders will notice a difference. The bike will also be able to take much more tear and wear the more it can absorb shock.
If you plan on keeping your bicycle for a while, choosing one that will stand the test of time is very important. Carbon is a completely non-corrosive material. This means that the frame will not deteriorate even when subjected to the harshest of weather. This is a very good quality for bikes that are stored outside or owned by people who live and ride by the ocean.
A bicycle’s weight, for many, is a major deciding factor prior to purchasing. Riding in areas where the terrain can mean lifting the bike would be simpler with the less heavy frame. Lighter frames also allow for much more stiffness which is a more exceptional ride and big factor for many. It also allows for a much quicker bike which is important for owners who intend on racing with it. Carbon fiber allows for some of the lightest framed bicycles on today’s market.
Since carbon is easily malleable. Bike frames made from them can be shaped, during production, into virtually any design. This means they can be tailor made to fit a specific buyers needs. Racing bikes can be shaped more aerodynamically and bikes that will be used for terrain riding can be made thicker around joint areas to withstand higher pressure.
Prior to purchasing a new bicycle think carefully and long about the kind of frame you want. Base your decision off of what type of use you intend to get out the your new bicycle. Though it is a lot more costly, if you wish to get the better purchase for the money, Carbon is the best bet. Its fortitude, shock absorbency, non-corrosiveness, lightness, and pliability make it a top notch material for bikes.
More and more bike owners insist that carbon bicycle frames reigning supreme as the first and only choice. Get the ultimate inside scoop now in our comprehensive online overview of the best carbon bicycle frame on the market.
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May 30 2010 | bicycle | No Comments »
A brief overview of carbon bike frame development reveals a direct descendant of US aerospace engineering activities that took place starting in the 1970s. Work on the space shuttle and the development of stealth fighter and bomber aircraft back then mainly powered this activity. Today, a carbon bike made from carbon fiber materials has a number of notable positive ride characteristics.
In the 1970s, aerospace engineers began considering ways in which they might make military aircraft lighter and more “invisible” to radar. Carbon fiber isn’t a metal, meaning that radar waves (radar stands for “Radio Detection and Ranging”) tended to not bounce off of it is readily as it does metal of all types. This was a great discovery, and meant that aircraft could be stealthier against such radar.
This gave engineers the idea to start substituting carbon fiber from metal in many different applications, most especially those involving aircraft. When it’s properly laid up or molded, carbon fiber is able to be shaped into many different forms. Aerospace engineers and others looked at this with excitement, because certain shapes slip through radar easier than others.
Carbon fiber also has a great many properties, all of which contribute to its structural rigidity and extreme durability, in many cases. This meant that its light weight and durable nature made it a perfect candidate for use as a material on the space shuttle. Lighter weight meant less use of expensive fuels for the shuttle, in other words.
These same aerospace engineers eventually migrated to entrepreneurial activities in many cases as well. This means that they struck out on their own, forming their own aerospace companies or other businesses that created goods made from carbon fiber. One of these was bike frames. Carbon proved to be durable, extremely light in weight and easily molded into such frames, with the right equipment.
Back in the 80s, however, many professional and hard-core enthusiast bicyclists were wedded to the idea of steel for their bike frames. Even Greg LeMond, who won the Tour de France three times, resisted the idea of a non-metallic frame. Eventually, however carbon fiber’s durability, strength and smooth riding characteristics won over not only him but many other cyclists as well.
Today, almost no professional road cyclist out there rides anything other than a carbon fiber bike. Lance Armstrong, eight-time winner of the Tour de France, rides a specially-made carbon fiber bike that costs in excess of $15,000 but weighs relatively little. Its handling and ride characteristics are without compare. Today, these characteristics have trickled all the way down to the average rider’s bike.
A carbon bike frame will probably never be as inexpensive as a frame made with aluminum or steel (titanium bike frames cost about the same as carbon fiber), but the cost has come down significantly over the years. Many bikes today come out of factories in mainland China and Taiwan, where high-quality bikes and bike frames are produced in great number. This results in a less-expensive frame, overall.
There is a big difference when it comes to weight with certain bike frames and carbon bike frame is the lightest material out for bikes. We have many different carbon bike frames that can help you perform better tricks like the pros.
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May 28 2010 | bicycle | No Comments »