Bikes with composite parts reinforced by TeXtreme carbon fibre materials have in recent years been successfully used to win stages and races in competitions such as the Tour de France, IRONMAN World Championships, Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta and several other cycling world championships.
Daniela Ryf won the IRONMAN World Championship this past weekend on a Felt IA FRD reinforced by TeXtreme. On the men’s side, Andreas Raelert, rode the new Cube C:68 TT bike reinforced by TeXtreme and finished in a strong second place.
TeXtreme technology is based on spreading tows (yarns) into very thin tapes, which enables reinforcements in [a bike frame’s] woven structure. TeXtreme’s developer, Oxeo, from Sweden adds that unidirectional tapes also offer the possibility for ‘weight savings that are unique compared to conventional reinforcements.’
“The unique material characteristics together with our knowledge in FEA analysis, lay-up optimization as well as the manufacturing and marketing support, position TeXtreme as the number one collaboration partner for achieving ultra light products,” said Andreas Martsman, VP – Marketing & Sales at Oxeon AB. “The continuous success in races further strengthens this position.”
Jeff Soucek, Director of R&D at Felt Bicycles commented on the company’s usage of TeXtreme. “We were looking for reduced weight on our frames, but still needed the same high properties of stiffness and strength. By using TeXtreme we succeeded in making frames that were lighter, as stiff, while actually increasing the impact durability.”
He continued, “Because TeXtreme is so thin we could work with several plies to get the same thickness or less, resulting in significant improvements and a better riding experience.”
TeXtreme carbon fibre fabrics have been used in frames, wheels, saddles and shoes, and can be found in various brands and models for road, TT/triathlon, cyclo-cross, track and MTB.
Alongside the use of TeXtreme in bicycles, other users can be found in Formula 1, the Americas Cup, NASCAR, Le Mans, Indy Car, ice hockey, golf, tennis, surf boards, table tennis, rowing shells, canoes, skis, snowboards, and various industrial and advanced aerospace applications.
TeXtreme is a registered trademark owned by Oxeon AB. Founded in 2003, Oxeon has quickly established itself as a market leader in Spread Tow reinforcements with its products marketed under the brand name TeXtreme. Oxeon notes that Spread Tow UD (Uni-Directional) tapes are ‘much thinner than conventional carbon fibre tapes and have more material packed in the same area which gives better mechanical performance.’
The TeXtreme Spread Tow reinforcements are positioned 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 confirms that ‘20-30% lighter composite parts can be produced with improved mechanical properties and superior surface smoothness.’
