In the bicycle sector it seems that a war of diets has been unleashed. The different manufacturers have launched a race to see who is able to develop the lightest picture of its category.
Having a bicycle with a picture of less than 1 kilo of weight seems a thing of the past. Now the new barriers are below 700 grams. The last brand to present its picture bet for 'skinny' (never better) is
Canyon, which has developed a carbon picture for its model
Ultimate CF Evo of only 665 grams of weight.
Certainly, the weight is an element to consider when measuring the performance that a bicycle can offer in competition. However, that a picture weighs 50 grams or so is not always decisive. Above all, taking into account that the price difference can be very significant and that there are other components in which it can be invested to lighten the weight of the bike assembly, such as wheels or connecting rods.
Now, if we talk about light pictures, where is the limit? Perhaps in a short time we see pictures below 500 grams and even below 300 grams. It sounds like science fiction, but the reality is that there is already technology that allows you to manufacture a bicycle box with a lower weight than that of a fried potato bag.
In July 2016 Dassi Bikes presented the first picture manufactured with graphene in the world. Well, it was really a picture that contained a minimum of 1% graphene.
Graphene is a material up to 300 times more resistant than steel and with a density similar to that of carbon. But it has the peculiarity that it is extraordinarily light (up to 6 times lighter than aluminum). In addition, its thickness is only 1 atom.
The picture in question weighed 750 grams, which is no revolution in the sector. However, it was actually a prototype. Dassi was experiencing with graphene manufacturing technology. As explained by the company, in the not too distant future it will be possible to develop 350 grams of weight conditions with conditions of stiffness and resistance superior to those of the carbon paintings.
There are two limitations for the manufacture of graphene pictures. The first is its price. A gram of graphene costs more than a gram of gold. The second is that it is a complicated material to work because it is extraordinarily thin. Stuart Abbot, founder and president of Dassi, believes that the future goes through combining graphene and carbon fiber resins to create increasingly light pictures ... up to 350 grams!
And what is graphene?
Graphene is a material called to revolutionize the industry. It is a layer of carbon atoms arranged flat. Hence only has an atom of thickness. It was discovered in 2004 by two scientists from the graphite of the mines of the pencils and the discovery earned them the Nobel Prize in 2010.
It is a material with surprising properties. Its molecular structure is up to 300 times stronger than that of steel, with a lightness 6 times greater than that of aluminum. In addition, it is flexible, transparent and an excellent electric conductor.
Graphene has great potential as manufacturing material in different industrial fields, from cars to the aerospace sector.
In the cycling industry, there are already marks that are betting on graphene as a bet on the future. The Italian manufacturer Vittoria, for example, has invested 45 million euros in recent years in investigations and prototypes of components manufactured with graphene.
Vittoria says that he has been able to elaborate a new compound for wheels from graphene, rubber and carbon. According to the Italian company, these tires have less rolling resistance, greater durability and better grip. In addition, these wheels are 15 percent lighter and 18 percent more impact resistant.
Will the next great revolution of the cycling industry be graphene?
