Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites

[Berk]

Thanks!
In a few days I'll have some more interesting photos that I can share with you.

For now only two photos from my bike photographed at the company, with some borrowed Vision wheels from my friend (my former team rides on Vision this season and I had a chance to try them, although I'm not a fan of carbon clinchers, but have to admit that I really like how the bike looks with some wide profile wheels)




Otherwise we are working at the company on all kind of stuff and somehow I'm living my dreams at this moment and I'll give my best also in the future. Already working on some new projects with a bit larger team and I just can't wait to share some more things with you, but for now it's still in development and as soon as I have some more news I'll keep you updated!

Otherwise I'm very busy these days, also finishing my study, just a few exams and I'm finally a mechanical engineer. Although unfortuntaley you don't get any real knowledge from composites from this study (at least from my expereiences) it will at least look a bit better if the director of the company is a mechanical engineer , anyway, I'll see how I'll continue with the education in the future, but to be honest I think that I'll rather give my best to completely concentrate on carbon work and on the company,...have that luck that I can by the age of 21 already work on projects that I really love

[Berk]

I also test a special product for my great friend and former team-mate:

You can read more about those cables here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=123278
It's still just a prototype, but he is working on it, can't wait to see his final resoults. His aim is to make the world lightest cables, and he is on a good way!

[Berk]

I think that I already mentioned, but anyway, If you broke a spoke on Mavic Cosmic Ultimate, Lightweight, Reynolds RZR, Corima MCC,...the spoke can be repaired/replaced! And most important, because a special process we repair/replace the spoke under the right tension, so that after the repair the wheel is also true (!!!)



Replaced spoke and trued wheel, sorry for the bad photo quality:


And another combo, this time a custom combo for Pinarello Dogma, with padding:


Also some repairs are done, for example broken Trek ISP, before and after the repair.



Here just one more photo of a carbon roving, in this roving there are 24000 carbon filaments:


Basicly I use quite a lot of carbon rovings for different specific reinforcements etc.,..also for saddle rails etc.,..the carbon saddle with carbon saddle rails has 52 pieces of carbon (!), with the final weight of cca. 65g for the saddle.

I'm slowly building a smaller team so that I can spend more time with experimenting on new products, already working on an interesting project for a few months, here just one photo from our company, I could call it the R&D corner:

I should have some more news this summer and will keep you updated, already working on a prototype,..

[vdrey]

Are you going to make some wheels?

Edit: I can't grammer

[wpccrunner]

Congrats on almost finishing youre studies. I just graduated and gt my mechanical engineering degree too. Unfortunately I do not have my own company so I am still on the hunt for a job. Id love to join your small team if youre offering

Best of luck, look forward to see what you can produce when you can focus 100% on product development.

[Schmittler]

As usual: Nice work!

[paradawt]

I saw r2bike will sell your products...

Congrats Berk

[bm0p700f]

Berk has the right idea not waiting for some one to give him a job he has made one for himself. Credit to him and his creations.

[tharmor]

Wheels!!

[Berk]

@vdrey & tharmor
A project in process, I'll keep you updated!

@Schmittler & wpccrunner
Thank you! Congratulations wpccrunner! I only have two more exams and really can't wait that I finish with it..

@paradawt
Thanks! Here just one photo of some saddles during the production (not glued yet together, the surface is still rough and the edges aren't yet preciselly trimmed,..) but anyway, here just one photo:

The saddles are now finally in production and the price for a saddle is 285eur - in 132mm and 150mm, UD or 3K plain look and gloss or matte. The weight for the 132mm is cca. 65g and the 150mm is cca. 68g. For more informations you can write to us on info(a)berk-composites.com

Berk has the right idea not waiting for some one to give him a job he has made one for himself. Credit to him and his creations.

Thank you! I'm giving my best. Unfortunately these days it's really hard to get a job if you "only" have the right education...so I hope that in the future I'll be able to offer a job, instead of searching for it.

Thanks to all once again, I really appreciate all your positive comments! And I'll keep you updated also in the future!

[Mattias Hellöre]

I do genuinely wish you luck with new space for your company and future creations.

Learned a lesson from other friends companies regarding ownership relations.
Make the proper paperwork and guard your back!
Do never believe in pure friendship, it can change overnight, tough but true in some cases.

I may buy one or two saddles very soon

[Berk]

Thanks Mattias!
I know what you mean and unfortunately also know a few similar stories, but no need to worry in my case because I'm the responsible person.
I guess there are quite a lot of forum members who work in their own companies. I also started as a one man band, but perosnally slowly lost control of everything - paper work, too much work all the time, no time for future development, etc.,..and you have to mention that you also have a personal life.
So insted of trying to somehow make everything by myself I started to realize that it would turn it into a "rat race", if I could call it like that. I would like to make steps forward, instead of just stop at one point. What I mean - "in worst case" you can still be a one man band, without any problem, but I guess it's in my nature to keep on going forward. So building a small team is the right way to go in my opinion. If it won't turn out like planned then there is nothing to do and I can still for example just repair composite products and work on a few parts etc.,..but I would rather keep on developing new products, for example would prefer to work in a company where I could work on future development instead of having my own company that would "only" repair frames etc., hope you know what I mean.
I have nothing to loose, in my opinion the biggest mistake would be not learning my twin brother how to work with composites (so I can also give him a job that is so hard to get these days) and he's very happy that we can work togehter and I can also work on other things, so everyone can give their best. Mention that there are also projects that aren't related to cycling and it would be stupid to try to make everything by my own, because I couldn't. We are slowly growing and I'm really happy that it is like it is, of course with the right team. At this moment we are a small team of 3. But I completely understand that people are worried about what I'm doing, and I really appreciate that, don't want to turn out arrogant, but I know what I want and what I'm doing.

I know that some might dissagree with me, nothing wrong with that, but what I wrote is only my point of view and just to give you an idea how I'm thinking,...hope it's not too boring to read those kind of comments. Otherwise you never know what the future will bring, it might be that working with carbon these days is like working with plastic decades ago if you know what I mean, we will never know, but why making worries because of that now, just keep on going..

Anyway, here just some more photos of one of the projects that were just finished:

[Knoxxy]

Bar & stem combo is beautiful.
Great work as ever.

[steff]

Very nice combo
is it ax stem and schmolke handlebar ?

[dwaharvey]

That looks like an MCFK stem and bar to me