Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Composite Education Continues

Steve A is really gittin' down with the carbon info at DFW Point-to-Point. The blog is now linked in the sidebar. Keep checking it for updates as he goes forward with his carbon series.

Here is his outline for the series he promises us. But since we're all riders here, we won't demand it be completed any faster than the riding schedule allows.

6 comments:

Steve A said...

The next installment will be tough - "How Composites Work." I'm struggling with that one a bit on how to keep it accurate, while being easy to grasp and brief all at the same time. That was not made simpler by it being REALLY NICE outside today. That Whareagle thing about aero might require a minor detour in the series to cover properly.

cafiend said...

Aerodynamics are integral but separable. Composites used for lightness or tunable ride quality are working their way into medium-performance or off-road bikes where the aerodynamic aspect is less critical than overall weight or handling or ride quality. In high performance bikes composite materials allow more sophisticated shaping and reinforcement for many qualities including aerodynamics. Every structure will move through the air, thus having an aerodynamic element, but the importance of that will vary depending on the goal of the rider. Address aerodynamics as they come up as part of each subcategory you have already outlined.

Steve A said...

Well, for better or worse, "How they work" got posted, sans aero. Despite what Richard thinks, really there is very little aero that can't also be done with metals. Some of the aluminum work today is amazing. Still, it shall get discussed. Actually, any of your readers that are good at internet research can help with this. What I need help with is finding more details on bicycle loads. One example of a page that links to two others about loads and load standards is at:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/

Coincidentally, there's an interesting article also linked to from that page about building carbon bike frames in your garage.

Doohickie said...

I know a thing or two about composites, having worked in a composites lab during my college years, and having done a little work with them since. Steve is doing a great job of presenting the material in a way that the average guy can understand and still being true to the relevant principles. Well done.

Steve A said...

I have discovered that my engineers are following my posts as well. I think they are trying to decide if the old guy is still the alpha wolf or if it is time to move in for the kill...

cafiend said...

Great stuff, Steve. Keep dominating the pack.