Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites

[Berk]

@BmanX & MaaseyRacer

Thanks

[CaliBuddha]

Very awesome man! nice to see someone doing this stuff besides big companies

[Berk]

Thanks!


The toptube is just finished, still rough, but anyway some new photos:

Toptube and all the tubes that are already made:



At the head-tube it's 43mm x 32mm and at the seat-tube it's 38mm x 32mm. The shape of the tube is some type of ellipse. Will post more photos when I cut the edges.


700mm and I still have to cut cca. 1/5 of the tube, so that the final weight will be really great (only around 80g)

Rough tube:




And of course everything is handmade in Slovenia



Will keep you updated! The chainstays and seat-tube is already in process...

[Berk]

Chainstays
..and the rest of the tubes that are already made:



I still have to make the seat-tube and the drop-outs, so still a lot of work to do.





The weight of chainstays is 148.3g, 500mm each. I still have to cut them and also the final weight will be cca. 1/5 lower.

The inside of chainstays:

19.5mm x 31.5mm



The weight of all the tubes that are already made is only 593g!
And they are all for about 1/5 too long, because I make all the tubes a bit longer and cut them later. So far it looks perfect

The seat-tube is already in process. I calculated that it should weight cca. 170g and it will be 810mm long. It will be an ISP and I'll have to cut it for cca. 100mm. My saddle height is 747mm and of course also the saddle and the Ritchey Stubby will add cca. 60mm. I'll use the Stubby because it's a "bulletproof" choice.
130g is quiet heavy, but if you calculate how much would weight an ordinary seat-post or the ISP (200mm of it weight only 40g - that's the same as a 170g seat-post...). Hope you like it!

[Mr.Hyde]

Really nice work , what do you expect as total weight for the frame?

[Berk]

Really nice work , what do you expect as total weight for the frame?

Thanks! At this moment I really don't know . My aim is SUB 1000g, so hopefully I'll manage to make it under the 1000g mark.

All the tubes should weight cca. 760g, but I'll still have to cut them etc., I also have to make the dropouts and of course reinforce the joints, to make the frame really stiff. And some other details - cable-stops, breake bridge, cosmetics,...Will see

[Berk]

Seat-tube

All the tubes are already made




810mm (for 34.9mm Stubby)


169.6g


Rough tube, UD look:

Still some work to do on the surface - the "parallelogram pattern" won't be seen after I'll make some more work on the surface (it's just the product of the procedure). The surface will have at the end a pure UD look (like I made it for the saddle&seatpost combo).

The seatpost will be integrated and I'll use Ritchey Stubby (34.9mm).

I still have to make the dropouts, hopefully I'll manage to make them next week,...And after that I have to cut all the tubes, shape them, some details,...I just can't wait!

[kimaswan]

Flag

[Berk]

Some news:
I already started with the design of the dropouts - first I have to make the mould for them, so I'm first working on the model.

I calculated that the final weight of them should be just cca. 50-55g. On my previous frame (PROTO-TYPE 2) I used ALU dropouts from Deda and the weight of them was 112g. Quite a nice weight saving here...will keep you updated, hopefully I'll soon manage to continue with the work!


Just one more photo of all the rough tubes, the "dropout hanger" and stubby:

[worstshotever]

Berk, amazing. Out of curiosity, have you given thought or tried your hand at fabricating with alternative tube shapes, whether to add a structural, aero, or just cosmetic element to your frame design? Regardless, this is very cool. Bravo.

[padua]

Man i post very little here, but have to give u a thumbs up for ur project!

[BmanX]

I think with three versions of road bikes now almost complete, Berk's skill have increased and when he does decide to build a TT frame, it is going to be something unreal.

[Berk]

Wow, thanks to all

Yes, my next project will definitely be a TT frame, and like BmanX said, it will be "something unreal"


But first I want to make my third road frame, to improve some details from PROTO-TYPE 2 and of course make it even lighter and the most important that it's stiff. Hopefully I'll manage to finish the frame till the start of the season, I really don't hurry with the work (I also don't have a lot of free time), but I really enjoy the carbon work!

I have a lot of ideas on the paper, and it's just a matter of time when I'll make it. I also have an exact plan how I would make my own (very light) disc wheel for it...will keep you updated also about that, but first I'll make the PROTO-TYPE 3 frame...

[Berk]

Finally some progress:
I made another carbon saddle, this time for the frame. I'll make an integrated saddle on the seat tube (in case that I would rather use an ordinary saddle I could just cut the saddle from the ISP and use an ordinary stubby because the external diameter is 34.9mm, and in inside it's 31.6mm - so I could also use a standard seatpost,.. )


Just out of the mould and of course rough - still some work to do on the surface and edges etc.,...



And yes, my aim is to make it as light as possible , and of course usefully (stiff) products!







Today I also finally started with the wrok on the carbon dropouts...will keep you updated as soon as I manage to make some more progress!



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And some other projects, probably it's also interesting - saddle&seatpost combo:


















I already made 3 combos. This one was 140.5g (31.6mm, 280mm, <80kg). I made also one 131.7g for a bit lighter rider:





Anyway, hope that you like it!

Hopefully I'll soon find some more time for the work on the frame. I train a lot - I ride for a continental team and I'll start the season on 19th February in Italy, also with some protour/proteam teams,...and of course I prefer to spend my free time with my girlfriend, I also have to study, etc...but slowly and with pleasure I'll manage to make some progress also on the frame, and of course I'll keep you updated .

I don't really need another bike because I have my sponsor equipment, but I just can't help myself I really love this work and it's a kind of hobby to make my own lightweight bike...hope that you understand me

[$mokeyJoe]

This is just amazing!

You really can see how you evolve during your building process. I'm amazed everytime you show us your handmade lightweight products. I would love to try them...