just read this in msn.
they are experimenting with clear plastic to make a bike frame. could be stronger and lighter than any bike made.

https://innovationforendurance.msn.co...ling/256393567

I wonder, if it is so light and cheap, why they don't make car and truck windows out of it already?

Cost, I'd assume.

The bicycle market can afford absurdly expensive materials, most of the automotive market cannot.

my brifters, BB, crank/chainrings weigh a lot more than my frame. i think this just a crass, transparent () marketing ploy to drum up business.

Nuttin' new. They've had clear bikes in China for years.

How cool would it be to put lights in the frame.

.....or gerbils to run through the tubes.

"Ulrich and his colleagues believe that the Clarity Bike could be a giant leap forward in bicycle frame engineering and production, taking advantage of the material's impact resistance, light weight, and gentle flexibility that, "usually would only be expected on an old Italian steel bicycle frame."

Translation: It's a noodle.

I want one!!!

I do recall seeing a carbon fiber frame in a dealer catalog that had LEDs embedded in the resin.
Sorry, dont remember which.

So the problem with this is that polymers, over long periods of time, undergoes phase separation, and crystallization as its molecules realign themselves over the period decades. If you take rubber for instance, it becomes crusty and cracks. But I'm not an expert on this. There are probably additives they add to the polymer blend that calcifies the resulting material. But I can see how polymers can make a break into the market as racing bikes, provided they can provide the right weight and flex that riders prefer.


btw. I think there is a push to putting more polymeric materials into automobiles these days. Some metal parts only need to be so strong, but they carry extra weight. Getting rid of these metal parts and replacing them with plastic helps shave off gas consumption, and bring up that mpg.

Is this a good time to mention that carbon fiber is actually a contraction and the full description is actually "carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer" ? Polymer also being synonymous with "plastic" or "thermoplastic" in most cases.

On the other hand - bakelite and styrofoam are both polymers and will probably be around longer than I will!

Bakelite lasts forever... as long as you don't drop it!

Cyclist on a bike you can see is almost invisible as it is.

See? Me 'n bakelite have a lot in common! I don't deal with impacts too well either - and it gets worse as I get older!

hey, I get it that there are various types of polymer, but all polymers are essentially the same. I'm just giving my two cents about what I know. The reason why they call it carbon fiber and not polymeric bicycle is because carbon fiber is by far the strongest additive that contributes to the strength of the frame. These fibers are one step below diamonds, but they're fibers after all, hence why they have different stress ratings at different angles. You're talking about having no skeleton to support the frame, just a pure polymeric blend. If they're able to make something as strong as they claim, then kudos to them. But I'm going to have to see some proof before being convinced to actually ride one. And for the record, plastic, synthetic rubber, glass... They're all polymers... I mean I have no doubt that there's a special recipe out there that can be turned into a strong bike that will last decades, and be cheap to manufacture.

And it would be pretty awesome if they can integrate some sort of lighting into the frame. Stick a couple of LED's in the frame and some AA batteries in the seat stem, and be good for a couple of months. That would be pretty cool. Have the lights blink in series in a circle to save some power, and get you noticed.

That's not clear. It just has an effective camouflage paint job except, of course, for the after market kid seat. I painted a bike like that once but I forgot where I parked it and now I can't find it.

Like this?



The instructions on how to build it are here.

Amazing!

that's pretty neat. but looks a lot of work, and wires.