Construction of a bicycle requires knowledge of metallurgy, mechanics, technical design, tradition and innovation. Over the years, cycling houses, alo
Construction of a bicycle requires knowledge of metallurgy, mechanics, technical design, tradition and innovation. Over the years, cycling houses, along with designers, have experienced several materials solutions to propose new and alternative bicycles.
Let’s see some.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a widespread plant in Indonesia, the Philippines and South Asia. In these countries, bamboo is very popular and appreciated for scaffolding. Its tensile strength and elasticity properties make it ideal for the construction of the bike frame.
The bamboo tubes specially treated and connected together with carbon fiber conjugations could become the future of the bicycle.
Wood
Wooden bicycles were the first to appear on the scene, they are, say, the ancestors of modern bikes. Even today, some elements of the bike are sometimes made of wood, such as handlebars and circles. This material has excellent tensile strength and absorbs beautifully the vibrations. Through specific thermal and chemical treatments it is also possible to overcome the problem of aging.
Magnesium
Magnesium has excellent technical characteristics: it has a lower aluminum density and a carbon fiber resistance, it is also capable of damping vibrations perfectly.
The magnesium problem lies in its processing difficulty. Appropriate machines is needed and not all cycling homes can afford it.
Beryllium
Much less dense than aluminum and very rejuvenated, beryllium is a rare and difficult to produce metal, which makes it unattractive to the industry.
Some experimental bicycle frames were actually made, they were definitely durable and lightweight, but exaggerated.
Duralcan
That is, ceramic aluminum, this is an aluminum alloy combined with ceramic elements. These elements added to the aluminum make it possible to create a harder and lighter frame than simple aluminum.