HANDMADE CARBON FIBER TIME TRIAL BICYCLE
Here is a handmade (Carbon Fiber) racing bicycle project I started around 2011, about 5-6 years ago. I just finished high school, ended working as a co-op student for Cervelo Cycles, and wanted to make myself busy with a project before starting my ID studies in university. This project took me a while, but it was fun and I became a better designer for it. I could not capture and document everything professionally as it was my first time, but I hope you will still enjoy viewing this project.
Sculpting tube shapes out of pink foam
Here I am making the head tube. I use two circular templates at both ends of my foam block, then I cut it using a hot wire which melts and cuts through the foam like hot knife through butter.
After cutting it slides right out.
Before wrapping it in Carbon Fiber
After wrapping it in Carbon Fiber
Melted the foam out using Acetone / Paint Thinner
Down tube before wrapping in Carbon Fiber
After wrapping in CF, I cover it with electrical tape to increase pressure thus squeezing the excess resin out. Finally, I poke some holes in the tape to let the excess resin out. That way the final product will become stronger, and lighter.
Finally I let it cook under the sun
Just peeling off the tape
Here is what came out
Melt out the foam with Acetone.
:) After sanding
Chain Stay
Here are all the tubes for my bike
Cutting the tubes and fitting the together
I shouldn't be doing this in my room!!!!
Setting up my Jig
Here is the Bottom Bracket wrapped in Carbon Fiber and set in the Jig
Taping the tubes together, assembling the whole thing in the Jig
Adjustment, precision.
Reinforcing the tubes with Cotton fiber (structural filler) and resin
Gluing Seat Stays to Seat Tube
Let it dry
And there she is!
Sand the excess filler around the joints
Reinforcing the Bottom Bracket
Blending the tubes together
Wrapping the joints in Carbon Fiber for strength in 0 - 45 - 90 angle considering the direction of force coming into each tube.
After reinforcing the joints with CF, I sanded them down and applied air craft filler (Micro balloon filler)
Few late nights in the workshop
Painting it after filler, primer, and tons of sanding. At this stage I have finished painting and clear coat.
And there it is! Here is the bike cleaned up, assembled together and ready for a test run!
It rides great, feels stiff and responsive...overall it is an amazing bicycle. Throughout the project I made a lot of mistakes, and there were challenges but it taught me a lot. This project taught me to have patience, and hard work and dedication is always rewarded. Believe in the process, and it will all come together at the end! Thanks for viewing my project :)
