The history and development of the Carbon Fiber bicycle...

Google Tech Talks
March 22, 2007

ABSTRACT

This presentation will be about 20-30 minutes, discussing Kestrel's initial development and design of the first carbon fiber bicycles, as well as what the future holds. It will be followed by Q&A, allowing time for attendees to get an up close look at Kestrel's bikes and carbon products at the end.

Speaker: Preston Sandusky, Co-owner and Engineer at Kestrel Bicycles Credits: Speaker:Preston Sandusky

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• google
• howto
• history
• development
• carbon
• fiber

[timtak1]

It would be nice to be able to download the slides.

Kestrel bikes are inexpensive too. I thought that they must be an OEM bike maker - that just puts the bits together - from their prices, but in fact they lead the design of the things.

[timtak1]

The Graftek carbon fiber tubes were actually an aluminum-carbon fiber hybrid.

[innismor11]

2:42 I had one of those early (pre-Kestral all-carbon) bikes, one with carbon tubes glued into aluminum lugs. Built by Vitus under the Peugeot name (mine was), crica 1985. Following came my all-carbon Peugeot circa 1987. Memories. The advances since are significant, of course, no step bigger than Kestral's first all-carbon in 1986. Today, I enjoy soaking the sun on long rides with my Cervelo R3 soaking up all the bumps.

[neelonghunglow]

Great information!..Your presentation could have been better, however, I enjoyed it overall.

[1stPlaceDirector]

The first carbon fiber bike (w/ metal lugs) was the Exxon Graftek G-1, that was used by the 1976 Olympic team and later sold to the public.

[spurcheck]

the first carbon firber bike was made by Peugeot

sorry

[bikegirl2]

@1stPlaceDirector you are talking shit!

[thehouserocker]

The guys that started Kestrel actually worked at Graphite Technoligies who were makers of carbon fiber frames and then went on to form Aegis, so his argument of Kestrel being pioneers of carbon fiber frames is kind of a hard pill to swallow. If you look at the first bike slide, the "Kestrel 4000" it very much looks like a Graphite Technilogies frame that was used for the first Trek 5000 carbon frame, Profile,Basso, and many others.

[thehouserocker]

The guys that started Kestrel actually worked at Graphite Technoligies who were makers of carbon fiber frames and then went on to form Aegis, so his argument of Kestrel being pioneers of carbon fiber frames is kind of a hard pill to swallow. If you look at the first bike slide, the "Kestrel 4000" it very much looks like a Graphite Technilogies frame that was used for the first Trek 5000 carbon frame, Profile,Basso, and many others.

[billyposter]

what glue is used to stick the tubes together??

[Doversreturn]

no the technology to do that came out of he british area.