Plastic Frames The Next Big Thing?

Many types of plastics aren't a good choice as a frame material. Stick weith metal and resin impregnated fibre, even if it is incased in a thermoplastic resin

cyclingforums.comt319127.htmlOpen ↗

cgi.ebay.co.ukITERA PLASTIC BICYCLE AS EXHIBITED IN ALL TOP MUSEUMS W0QQitemZ160045670252QQihZ006QQcategoryZ72574QOpen ↗

The interesting thing is that this prototype frame my friend saw was a road bike. The Asians are working on an actual road bike. This is what is fascinating about this process. Hopefully it will be unveiled soon. It will be neat to see how everything comes together. Do you think the fork will be plastic too?

Phill P said:

I think these plastic frames will end up as only being kids bikes and Japanese commuter folding bikes.

No way a random injection molding could ever have the tensile strength to match the tensile strength and stiffness of HM carbon weave frames.

Original Plastic Bike. [img]img250.imageshack.usiteranh4.jpgOpen ↗[/img]

About ten years ago, French automaker Matra began pressing body panels from thermoplastic-infused fiberglass, so I guess using thermoplastics for lamination can be done.

Unless they've invented something revolutionary though, its purpose would be to give up some lightness for lower manufacturing costs.

I tend to wonder whether the report is flawed: if carbon's really getting more dear then they would not team it up with a manufacturing process which saved pennies but resulted in a frame which was heavier than Al!

If they're not reinforcing it with carbon then we know from the outset it will be far heavier than a good Al or cromo frame.

It would probabaly make a good utility bike if they refined it but road bikes get the highest tech.....and this is a technology used to make toys and interior body panels- parts where light weight and high strength is not the number one priority.

Well, I'm waiting for a latex frame filled with Helium ....... :p

Well, it looks like we skeptics might be wrong on this..............:o

Solvay Advanced Polymers has a new grade of plastic called "Primospire". It's supposed to be stronger than many grades of glass reinforced plastics.

That would make it about as strong for its weight as mild steel, except that an injection molded frame could be made much more efficient than a frame made from welded tubing. It would thus be a good choice for a low end road frame or a hybrid frame.

Polymers similar to Primospire have existed since the 1960s but were not melt-processable. Then, some Mississippi company found a way to extrude it and brought the product to market in 2004. Then, Solvay bought them and developed an injection molding grade of the stuff.

I don't know whether Trek is working with this stuff specifically; maybe there is something even stronger out there. Never say never.