JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #37 - December 2007 - 52

USERS’ PLATFORM Applications All-composite mass-produced bicycle wheel Composites can be used to lower the weight of sports & leisure equipment, and bicycling is one of the fields that make the most of it. Bicycle-wheel specialist Mavic has developed an all-composite bicycle wheel that can be mass-produced. It took two years to go from prototype to marketing. C. GLASSEY, MARKETING MANAGER, CARBON PROCESS P. RENARD, EXPERT, MAVIC s a bicycle-wheel specialist, Mavic has the motivation to capitalize on its composite know-how. The company already demonstrates this in its top-of-the line products, but would like to use it more widely. wheels can vary from three eurocents to €4.77. The lighter the wheel, the higher the price. A global carbon market estimate for the bicycle segment shows an annual consumption of 350 metric tons (MT) for forks, 300 MT for frames, and 100 MT for wheels. The “essential” part of a bicycle is its frame, which transfers load. The function of a fork is to guide direction, of course, but also to damp road vibrations. The third most important component of a bicycle consists of the wheels. More information Established in 1889, Mavic is a French manufacturer of complete wheels, rims, components, and speedometers for sport bicycles. Today, Mavic applies its hundred years of experience to pushing the envelope. Nearly 300 employees work at four main European sites, using their passion for sport bicycles to help the “yellow brand” advance. Design and marketing are handled at the Design Centre in Annecy, France; the rims are manufactured at the historic Saint-Trivier site near Lyon, France; and machining and assembly are done at the Rumilly site (France) and in Romania. The Cosmic Carbone Ultimate wheels are manufactured at Rumilly. wheels, due to their large diameter. A number of small bicycle makers are already proposing ultra-light wheels all in composite. Some rare and expensive ones even have composite rims and spokes. Until now, there has been no equivalent industrial solution. Composites in bicycling The cycling world sets great store by any weight reduction, which can only improve performance. Since January 1, 2000, however, a bicycle must weigh at least 6.8 kg in order to comply with International Cycling Union (UCI) standards. This is to keep teams from being caught in an upward spiral of spending. It also guarantees safety and allows racers to compete on equal ground. Today, nearly all bicycle parts come in a composite version, from the frame to the handlebars, seat post, fork, brakes, derailleur, crank set, wheels, and more. Stiffness can be increased and the weight lowered by using carbon when the standard materials used are aluminium, titanium, or magnesium. Image is paramount in sports & leisure, and carbon is a dream material. There is a customer base of cycling enthusiasts who are “wacky” about weight, and for whom price considerations take second place. The price per gram for a pair of Composites and the wheel In general, any weight saving on a bicycle’s rotating parts helps considerably to improve performance (except perhaps during very long stretches on flat ground). According to the physical principle of the moment of inertia, which needs to be reduced, the result will be most significant on the Mavic, a pioneer Mavic is one of the pioneers in the use of composites for wheels. It has an impressive track record: according to the latest figures, 30 medals in all at the 2004 Olympic Games, including ten gold ones, and 16 medals at the 2006 World Championships, including six One of the first prototype JEC Composites Magazine / No37 December 2007

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #37 - December 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #37 - December 2007