California-based US bicycle company Masi Bikes has released new frames and forks, reinforced by TeXtreme carbon fibre fabrics. By incorporating TeXtreme into its designs, Masi was reportedly able to reduce the frame weight by 110g while improving stiffness.
“The goal wasn’t to just make the frame lighter, we also wanted to make it a bit smoother without giving up any drivetrain stiffness,” said Masi’s James Winchester. “By using TeXtreme, we succeeded in making a frame that gives us what we want from it. Since TeXtreme is so thin we could work with several plies to get the same thickness or less, resulting in significant improvements.”
TeXtreme is billed as a next-generation state-of-the-art carbon fibre material now being used throughout the bicycle industry. TeXtreme technology is based on using spread tows instead of traditional round tows to create ultra-light weight, high-performance products. Companies utilizing the TeXtreme Technology reportedly achieve significant results in minimizing weight while increasing rigidity, strength, etc., in comparison to other carbon fibre materials.
TeXtreme technology is able to maximize the benefits of thin ply principles where research studies have shown ‘the maximum strength until breakage is more than twice as high when comparing with conventional carbon fibre fabrics.’
Founded in 1950, Masi Bikes was established in Italy by Faliero Masi, but is now based in California. Masi Bikes are sold through authorized distributors and dealers located across the US, Italy and the rest of the world.
In addition to the bicycle industry, TeXtreme can be found in Formula 1, America’s Cup, NASCAR and Le Mans racing, golf clubs, surfboards, tennis racquets, table tennis blades, rowing shells, skis, snowboards and ice hockey sticks, as well as various industrial and advanced aerospace applications.
TeXtreme Spread Tow reinforcements are billed as the ultimate choice for making ultra-light composites. TeXtreme Technology is flexible and tow-size independent, which ‘enables development of optimized reinforcement solutions tailor-made for specific application needs’. Utilization of TeXtreme Spread Tow carbon fabrics and carbon UD tapes by manufacturers of advanced aerospace, industrial and sports products can result in 20-30% lighter composite parts. These can be produced with ‘improved mechanical properties and superior surface smoothness’.
TeXtreme is a registered trademark owned by Oxeon AB. Founded in 2003, Oxeon has established itself as a market leader in spread tow reinforcements with its products marketed under the TeXtreme brand name.
www.masibikes.com
www.textreme.com
