Custom carbon
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Custom carbon
Was going to put this in frame builders. I want answers/opinions, not arguments.
I'm mostly a steel guy. Move into other materials on occasion. Is anyone producing custom crabon? The whole process, from beginning to end, like a steel builder.
I'm mostly a steel guy. Move into other materials on occasion. Is anyone producing custom crabon? The whole process, from beginning to end, like a steel builder.
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Yes, there are several. Calfee and Parlee are the largest. Do a search and you’ll find quite a few. The problem is the custom manufacturing process for carbon is just like steel - tubes are inserted into lug joints. So you end up with something very similar to steel and lose many of the benefits of carbon. This includes the ability to mold into aero designs, cutting back material in unnecessary places to reduce weight, and adjusting material to get a unique ride.
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If I wanted a custom carbon bike, this would be at the top of my list for design and the ability to tune ride quality: Holland Carbon HC Bicycle ? Holland Cycles
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The tubes certainly don't have to be round, but it is probably easiest to do stock shapes like the Holland bike above. In fact, with handlebar stems, I think problems developed with joints in the early round stems.
I would think that we're nearly at a point where one could do a dynamic design of a mold (3d printed, or CNC cut), but it wouldn't be cheap.
Keep in mind that many of the big name bikes are essentially built up of pieces, just the "lugs" are hidden, so there should be some flexibility in the build as long as one could do mostly straight lines.
I would think that we're nearly at a point where one could do a dynamic design of a mold (3d printed, or CNC cut), but it wouldn't be cheap.
Keep in mind that many of the big name bikes are essentially built up of pieces, just the "lugs" are hidden, so there should be some flexibility in the build as long as one could do mostly straight lines.
#6
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International Fabrication make a lugged custom carbon frame.
Independent Fabrication - Custom Bicycles. Handmade in the USA. - Corvid
Independent Fabrication - Custom Bicycles. Handmade in the USA. - Corvid
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If many of the "custom" CF frames use a lug and tube construction, then does Colnago offer full custom options for their lugged C60?
I do see that they offer Nineteen different frame sizes in three general styles, but I don't see notes on full custom, other than a choice of frame sizes and paint jobs.
C60 | Colnago
Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to ask if one had money to burn.
I do see that they offer Nineteen different frame sizes in three general styles, but I don't see notes on full custom, other than a choice of frame sizes and paint jobs.
C60 | Colnago
Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to ask if one had money to burn.
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