Cycling

Early History of Composites

Early History of Composites

• 1960: Spacelander by Benjamin Bowden (USA), first (glass fibre) composite (electric) bicycle (fig.1)
• 1969: Carlton Flyer (UK), first carbon fibre composite bicycle, CFRP tubes and aluminium lugs (fig.2)
• 1986: Greg Lemond wins Tour de France with Look K86, CFRP tubes and aluminium lugs
• 1986: First “full carbon” bicycles (Colnago, Italy, 1989 et Kestrel and Trek, USA, 1989)
• 1999: Lance Armstrong wins Tour de France with Trek 5500
• 1992: Lotus 108 track bike (UK), first aerofoil-type monocoque bike (fig.3)

Recent Development

Recent Developments

• Composites’ “freedom of design” allows aerodynamically optimized bicycles, leading to new world records for 1hour track cycling: Victor Campenaerts (Belgium, 2019) (fig.4)
• Reshoring: bringing production back to Europe/USA (for instance Reinfor4ced in Belgium, fig.5), by
  • Replacing thermoset by thermoplastic matrix composites >> faster production
  • Automated and robotized manufacturing
• Use of biobased fibres to reduce environmental impact and enhance vibration damping
  (first: Museeuw bikes, Belgium, 2008)
• Carbon fibre composites in helmets (track racing, time trials, mountain biking and BMX racing)
  and in shoes

PARA-CYCLING

• Paralympic cyclists extensively use carbon fibre composites in their three-wheeled bikes, recently also flax fibre composites have been used (fig.6)
• Carbon fibre composites (CFRP) are used in road racing events:
  • standard racing bicycles with minor modifications
  • Handcycle has three wheels and riders use the strength of their arms (fig.7)
  • Tricycles for riders with locomotor dysfunction and balance issues
  • Tandems are used by athletes who are blind or vision impaired and compete with a sighted pilot (fig.8)
• In para-track cycling, either adapted standard racing bikes or tandems are used

Gallery

Gallery