Daniela Ryf, who won the Kona Ironman World Championship this weekend on Hawaii, USA, was riding a custom made IA FRD reinforced by TeXtreme from Felt Bicycles, an American bicycle manufacturer.

On the men’s side, Andreas Raelert, riding the new C:68 TT bike reinforced by TeXtreme from Cube Bikes, finished on a strong second place.

Stiffness and strength

Bikes with composite parts reinforced by TeXtreme carbon fibre materials have over the recent years been successfully used to win stages and races in competitions such as Tour de France, Kona Ironman, Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta and several World Championships, the company reports.

“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 was lighter, as stiff, while actually increasing the impact durability,” explained Jeff Soucek, Director of R&D of Felt Bicycles, on the company’s usage of TeXtreme.

“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.”

Spreading Tows technology

The TeXtreme technology is based on spreading tows (yarns) into very thin tapes which enable reinforcements in woven structure, as well as unidirectional tapes with mechanical performance, and 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 No.1 collaboration partner for achieving ultra light products. The continuous success in the races further strengthens this position,” said Andreas Martsman, VP – Marketing & Sales of Oxeon AB.

Applications

TeXtreme carbon fibre fabrics have been used in frames, wheels, saddles, shoes for some time and can is found in various brands and models for road, TT/TRI, cyclo-cross, track and MTB.

Alongside the use of TeXtreme in bicycles, other users can be found in Formula 1, 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.

www.textreme.com