The Bestest Frame Material
Keith Bontrager's self-described rant on choosing frame materials. Not very technical, but a good discussion of the issue. Engineers will like it. Bicycle Manufacturing Reports
Three full reports on components: wheels, drive systems, and frames. Each gives an overview of the material options and the manufacturing processes. Some pages in PDF format.
Carbon Frame Technical White Paper
Text-only reprint from Cyclist comparing carbon composites to other frame materials. Good description of frame design issues; a few minor inaccuracies about composites. Composite Bicycle Frame Design Project
Final report of an undergraduate project to design a composite frame. Criteria for material selection and solid models of the frame, but no design details. Homebuilt Composite Frame
Damon Rinard shows how he built a carbon composite frame in his garage. Step-by-step details and pictures. Also read about his new frame project. Intro to Composites
Introduces composites as they are used in bicycle frames. One of the more accurate articles I've come across. By Scot Nicol, reprinted with permission from VeloNews. Quality
Keith Bontrager's essay on the meaning of quality, especially as it applies to mountain bikes. Distinguishes engineering quality from common definitions. See also part 2. Science of Cycling
Covers the technical aspects of bicycle design and manufacture. The Frames & Materials section compares various materials, including composites. Targeted to a middle school audience. Sports News Archive
Archive of composite news items related to sports and sports equipment. Stiffness
Keith Bontrager explains the concept in a five part series. He relates how stiff a bike feels to the technical definition of stiffness. Aardvark Cycles
Components for your mountain bike. Lots of carbon and carbon/Kevlar components; braids are visible in pictures. Calfee Design
Manufacturer of carbon tube frames. Site gives brief descriptions of manufacturing process and materials under the Construction section. Some pictures. Cat Cheetah Carbon Bikes
Swiss manufacturer of aerodynamic, high-performance composite frames. Pictures, specs, some technical info, and of course ordering information. Ken's Bike Shop
Discount components organized by brand. Navigation is somewhat slow, and it takes a lot of clicks to get to individual parts. I've linked directly to a Kevlar saddle. LP Composites
Manufacturer of composite bars, posts, and ends. Not much detail on the manufacturing process (RTM), but there are good pictures of the products. Spynergy
Composite road and mountain bike wheels. Be sure to check out the PBO FAQ for Spox wheels, which are made with carbon hubs and Vectran spokes. Transport Technologies
Transtech mountain bikes and framesets made from a carbon-Kevlar hybrid composite. Brief site with general descriptions, pictures, and contact info. ZIPP Speed Weaponry
Manufacturer of composite bikes and components. Lots of pictures and fairly detailed descriptions of their products.
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