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4/27/11

Nanotechnology bicycle


According to Wikipedia bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number about one billion worldwide, twice as many as automobiles. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions. They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for such uses as children's toys, adult fitness, military and police applications, courier services and bicycle racing.

The basic shape and configuration of a typical upright bicycle has changed little since the first chain-driven model was developed around 1885. The main components are: Transmission, Braking, Wheels, Frames, Forks etc. In course of time, many details have been improved, especially since the advent of modern materials and computer-aided design. These have allowed for a proliferation of specialized designs for particular types of cycling. Now nanotechnology has also entered in the bicycle manufacture.

Nanotechnology bicycle

Dexter Johnson, who is an IEEE technical blogger writing for Nanoclast says that he has information on nanotube reinforced bicycle from three different manufacturers namely, Spanish-based BH Bicycles, Swiss-based BMC and Italian-based Pinarello.

Delta 7 Sports sells Arantix Mountain Bike which is a nanotech cycle. In this cycle he typical solid-cylinder tubing has been replaced by an airy, see-through lattice woven from a carbon-fiber composite and bundled in Kevlar string. The resulting gossamer web may look delicate, but pound for pound this quirky construction—called IsoTruss—is stronger than steel, aluminum, and titanium. It’s even stronger than solid carbon composites, the current front-runners among ultra light bike frames. Like other carbon-fiber frames, this one is baked: Long, thin strands of carbon atoms, organized in a hexagonal pattern and coated with epoxy resin, are put in an oven at 255 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours of curing. Unlike other carbon-fiber frames, though, the Arantix could withstand direct shrapnel hit. The lattice structure isolates damage to a single element instead of shattering under pressure.
BH G4 bike claims that they are using carbon nanotubes as a filler material between the carbon fibers and bicycle is stronger or lighter than conventional one.
BMC claims it is using carbon nanotubes in exactly the same way as BH. But BMC does manage to say that the material matrix that is developed using these carbon nanotubes is 20% stronger for practically the same weight.

Pinarello claims that it is using exclusive carbon with a special Nanoalloy that prevents sudden breakage absorb impacts and prevent the propagation of cracks as they occur.

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