An article in today’s business section of the NY Times by John Markoff mentions Cervelo, Giant, FSA, Calfee Designs, et al. It’s mostly about the business-side of the rise of carbon fiber bikes and bike parts at the recent Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. Nothing new here, but interesting nonetheless to see this stuff in the NY Times.
You have to log on at nytimes.com. Do a search for the author. I would have put the full link in, but I get it delivered the old-fashioned way: on my doorstep.
The owner/CEO/head engineer of Zoltek has been trying to get carbon fibre into EVERYTHING. A client of mine is acquainted with him and says he will speak of nothing else. That being said, he must have really done one heck of a sales push into Taiwan, and they have, in turn, responded with even more carbon.
Carbon fibre is even showing up in structural engineering, as evidenced by the order of carbon fibre wrap for elevator chords, parking lot columns, and the like. I see carbon fibre getting as common as aluminium one day.
Just yesterday I was pricing baseball caps for my club team and I found this:
http://www.ace-fittedcapsandhats.com/Fashion-25443.htm
Can you believe carbon fiber in a baseball cap? But after seeing a carbon fiber toilet seat, I guess the applications for carbon fiber are only limited by one’s immagination.
In the sailboat racing world carbon is showing up in all sorts of places; sails, hulls, masts, interior parts (see the links for carbon and carbon/kevlar toilets) and some people are testing carbon rope.
Carbon Head
Philippe Kahn and Pegasus Racing, Racing Sailboats Worldwide : Transpac / Pacific Cup / Melges Worlds / Olympic Finn / Offsho…