Carbon is a very special material: initially overrated as a panacea in bicycle construction, many were soon disappointed and disillusioned: Too expensive, too sensitive, too uncomfortable. And at the end of the life cycle: problematic waste. For everyday, trekking and touring cyclists, the new super material was as good as dead. Almost. Because the developers at Simplon on Lake Constance in Austria have been working continuously with the composite material carbon since 1994. Back then, a racing bike and an MTB with a carbon frame were launched on the market under the name "Vision". Since then, however, the Nanolight mudguard speed bike and the Silk Carbon balloon tyre model, which is fully suitable for everyday use, have also attracted attention.
Carbon has always been at home in the road bike sector. This is where the potent composite material met competent and well-funded developers. A few years ago, companies such as Trek and Specialized, for whom sporting success is particularly closely linked to sales success, initiated the so-called comfort racing bike: this was intended to give athletes enough bite left for the final sprint even after the wild cobblestone passages of Flanders race courses. Simplon was also involved in this evolutionary stage in cycling right from the start. This led the Vorarlberg-based company to develop its Inissio comfort racer.
Vertical flex for riding comfort and horizontal stiffness for riding stability: only a composite material such as carbon can provide both through precisely coordinated fibre placement - exactly where it is needed. High lateral stiffness is essential in order to withstand lateral forces caused by the rider's weight shifting, pedalling or uneven road surfaces. This can also be achieved by aligning the fibres accordingly. Different process techniques allow the Simplon designers to saturate the fibre strands evenly and without bubbles with resin, to reduce the resin content to a necessary minimum or to increase the strength of the binding resin using nanoparticles. The optimum fibre arrangement in each case follows the force curve in the frame and fork calculated by the design software. Flowing tube transitions are important here so as not to interrupt the force progression in the frame.
The adaptation of disc brakes on racing bikes represents another important technological leap forward: A minor rule change in the approval of racing bikes by the International Cycling Union (UCI) was enough to trigger a technical revolution. The clearly superior disc brake can now also be used in professional cycling. Almost all manufacturers fit the powerful, weatherproof brake systems to their racing bikes. This adaptation process is currently in full swing and there are still arguments about the necessary disc sizes and materials. However, even super-light disc carbon wheels such as the set from DT Swiss fitted here are already available for sinfully expensive money (surcharge in the Simplon kit: 1000 euros). With 630 grams at the front and 845 grams at the rear, explosive acceleration is unavoidable. The Inissio is a rocket when accelerating and at top speed, but runs smoothly and safely.
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 4/2015. You can read the entire issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order the issue in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
