Reap Bikes, a UK-based manufacturer of carbon fiber bikes, has launched a new vehicle with a full monocoque frame and improved aerodynamics and stiffness.
The Vekta aero-road bike is made using a specific lay-up process and 80% ultra-high modulus Toray M40J unidirectional carbon fiber which the company says is a higher percentage and grade than most manufacturers use.
Reap says that the bike made using carbon composite molds rather than machined alloy molds, avoiding the differential in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). ‘An alloy mould expands with temperature at a greater rate than the carbon fiber product inside it, losing some fidelity, a press release said. ‘Our carbon composite tools have a lifecycle of around 300 frames, versus 3000 for the alloy tools used in mass production, but we know that the difference in outcome easily justifies the cost and effort.’
This story uses material from Reap Bikes, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
