Graphene Bicycle?

[bikinchris]

Samsung has claimed an important advance in the manufacturing of grapheme, the strongest material in the world, 300 times stronger than steel:

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-devices/samsung-researchers-celebrate-promising-graphene-breakthrough/d/d-id/1174140?piddl_msgid=209177#msg_209177

Their application is for phones, but a super strong material that can be precisely controlled in manufacture and made to any thickness in one atom increments sounds like it will make it to bike use.

Only question is: How much will the first grapheme bike cost?

[Black Dog]

It will cost less than the combined price of a Pinerello and a Rapha hat. :rolleyes:

[dgauthier]

The article you cite links to the original press release here:

http://global.samsungtomorrow.com/?p=35576

They describe the breakthrough as follows:

"The new method developed by SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) and Sungkyunkwan University synthesizes large-area graphene into a single crystal on a semiconductor."

This is an electronics application rather than a structural material application.

Graphene has a 2 dimensional structure one atom thick. It's hundreds of times stronger than a comparable sheet of steel *one atom thick*. It's stronger than steel the way spider silk is stronger than steel - you can easily destroy a graphene sheet with a poke of your finger.

You might see graphene replace carbon fiber one day, but I think you'd find graphene showing up in the electronics and batteries of electronic shifters long before that happens. Imagine a battery that weighs a couple of ounces that you charge maybe once a year. Of course, your cell phone, tablet and laptop will have high capacity graphene batteries and low power graphene electronics too, lasting weeks on a single charge.

[spacemen3]

Graphene is already found in tennis racquets. I'm sure that when it arrives in bikes it will continue the ridiculous escalation of prices into the Fredosphere. ;)

[William]

Another variant of Unobtainium?;)





William

[Tony T]

….more like transparent aluminum

http://gajitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/scotty.jpg

[johnny_flapjack]

Only question is: How much will the first grapheme bike cost?

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q167/Federicomietta/Austin_Powers_Mike_Myers_as_Dr_Evil.jpg

[miguel]

Dammit
Came here to say this

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q167/Federicomietta/Austin_Powers_Mike_Myers_as_Dr_Evil.jpg

[dustyrider]

The cool part is flexibility. Think of a truly wireless rear mech: combine grapheme with the wireless charging being proposed in the new hearing implants, blue tooth-grapheme shifters, and heyo! Or what about a solar panel acting as an interchangeable one piece body on a universal car chassis...etc.
Certainly someone will want a lighter frame too, but I imagine(hope) we'll figure out someway to incorporate grapheme into a classic steel frame(with preference to country of origin of course) in the end.

[pbarry]

Things will trickle down to bikes eventually. 39 years since this was introduced:

http://www.speedbicycles.ch/showBike.php?enr=235

[professerr]

Things will trickle down to bikes eventually. 39 years since this was introduced:

http://www.speedbicycles.ch/showBike.php?enr=235


"Premiered in 1975 the Graftek was the first widely available carbon fiber framed road bike. Carbon tubes glued into casted and chromed lugs."

That's pretty cool. I had no idea there were carbon fiber bikes that far back.

[dgauthier]

Graphene is already found in tennis racquets. (. . . .)

Yes, I read that too. The whole world is trying to find a way to make graphene commercially feasible, but somehow it's an integral part of some tennis racquet? I call B.S. on that one -- not on you, spacemen3, but on the tennis racquet manufacturer. They are simply lying.