How far off are you from making your own version of the Carbonio flow, just as a seat? Any more thought on that?

I already have the mould for it, but unfortunately can't use it yet for a combo because the area where it's laminated to the seatpost. I would have to make it then with some type of saddle rails, that should also give the saddle more flex and it should feel the same as an standard saddle. But then it would weight of course weight a bit more. I'll have to try to make one for myself and test it in this season...but first I want to make the new frame. I'm still working on the moulds for it and hope that till the end of this month I'll have them, it depends on my free time. At this moment I'm working on two combos and one TT/Tri saddle - well, I want to design my won saddle, similar like Dast TT9 saddle.



It takes quite a lot of hours to make one combo or any other part and my progress is "quite slow", but I enjoy in this work. Also for some other projects you have to take yout time. I also experiment all the time when I'm not posting here. And I test A LOT,...but not on the road, but in my workshop, with much bigger forces . I destroy quite a lot of my products, altough it may seem stupid, but it helps me a lot. I research some details and try to improve my product, try to make them even lighter etc.,..



If I earn anything with my work I invest it for some new projects, tests,...it isn't cheap to destroy so many products but it's a par of the development,...just to show you also the other side of my work. On the photo you can see some test tubes, combos, saddles,..

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
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And here one more photo from the PT4-NANO project.

Before I started with the work on the moulds I made some precise models. That photo is from a few weeks ago, when I made different parts of the frame. On the photo you can see the chainstays and toptube.



The chainstays will be round and 12mm (2mm thiner than on PT3) etc.,.. I already made all the models and now I'm working on the moulds, and those models help me a lot for the work.

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

If you are designing something like the TT9 and you pust a leather cover on it with no padding, I am in for one for sure. I would love something like the TT9 which allows a bottle behind the saddle as I have that on my aero road bike as well as my Tri bike now.

Totally in.

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BIG DADDY B FLOW
AERO & LIGHT is RIGHT

Cervelo SLC 5890g/12.98 lbs

I really love all your work and you have really inspired me; I too am an engineering student and I have been reading up on carbon fiber production. Do you think that you could post a picture of the moulds you have constructed? I am debating what method to use and any insight would be fantastic.

Good luck on your new frame, looks like its going to be a stunner!

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"But when you hit that asphalt down below nothing else matters, your pulse is skyrocketing toward 200"
Speed Concept
Colnago Mapei
S-5 VWD

Very nice work as always from you!

Keep it up and keep training

//Ulf L.

Thanks to all!!

@shoopdawoop
When I'll start with the carbon work I'll post some photos
Today I just worked on the mould for the tapered headtube and it really takes you quite a lot of time! It may take me a few months before I'll finish the frame, but I'm working on it, slowly and with pleasure


Otherwise I already have all the parts that I'll use for the build - most of them are from my PROTO-TYPE 3 bike. It's a Sram Red groupset and this time with BB30 crankset. I also removed the red colour but will let it in gloss this time. Bar and stem are ALU from Ritchey WCS, matt looking,..maybe I'll change it for Ritchey Superlogic II bar and Ritchey UD stem,..will see, depends on my financial status. I'll keep you updated

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
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First NANO products! Weight savings are 7% with the same structure and it's also a bit stiffer, so still possible to make it a bit lighter.

- the one with silver decals: 27.2 x 320mm, 124g
- white: 31.6 x 320, 129.5g



I'll soon make a combo for myself and test it. I want to make a <100g combo (31.6 x 300mm).



Probably it would be nice if I would start with my own small company? That would be more formal, because at this moment unfortunately I'm not a company and can make some parts only for some friends, or for someone who trust my work and really want to have a product from me,...will see..



Otherwise I'm working on my PT4-NANO frame project!

Probably I already mentioned that I can't afford to make some metal moulds, so I'll make them by myself. Of course also for the previous frames I made the moulds by myself, but they were only for single use.. This time the moulds will be made out with some other materials that are a bit more durable, and I could use them for 10-15times or maybe even more..

And for a good resoult you need good moulds
Making moulds takes quite a lot of time, but I'm on a quite good way. First I had to make all the models from each separate part of the frame, as you can see on this photo. Those models help me a lot for the further work.




I already made 1/2 of the moulds except for the headtube and dropouts. Hope that till the end of this month I'll have all the moulds and start with the real carbon work. Here just one more photo during the work - just one of the materials that I use for the moulds:



When I'll have all the moulds I'll still have to do some more work. I'll make some "inserts" that I'll be able to make the tubes with some "edges" at the end of the tube (but will still be able to use the same moulds for any size) - cca. 2-3mm edge around the diameter, and I'll reinforce the joints till that edge (a few cm. away from the point where it's glued). Hope you know what I mean.. The lines of the frame will look much cleaner and it won't look that obvious that it was made tube-to-tube.


Also some new parts for the build are on the way and later I'll post also some photos from parts on scale. I'll build a stiff and reliable bike, but still lightweight.

I'll keep you updated

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
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i understand exactly what you are trying to accomplish. will you make the edge a taper to minimize fiber crimp?

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www.crumptoncycles.com

I'll make it somehow like that, of course not that extreme, but only that it will be sure that it will "stuck" together. I already make it similar with my saddle combos...



The tubes won't be conical but will have only an edge with a specific form, that it will really stuck in the joint...

By the way - for the combos I made the seatposts also a bit "conical" that it can't slip in the frame (in theory, but I belive that it works). Of course the difference is minimal (cca. 0.5mm from one end till the other on a 400mm long seatpost).

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
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Any chance of one of those SLR style combos in 31.6 350mm
Sure would look nice on my parlee in UD

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http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/ ... ee-z5.html

Great stuff, Jure.

I'm loving my combo btw.

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RUEGAMER 5.21kg, 11.48lbs

CRUMPTON 4.40kg, 9.70lbs

@sugarkane
Sure, I can make it max. 400mm and of course also UD is possible


@gumgardner
Thanks glad to hear that

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites

I'm totally interested.
It would be a lovely addition

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http://fairwheelbikes.com/cycling-blog/ ... ee-z5.html

Some progress one the moulds!

I already made it a few days ago, but didn't posted it yet. I made all the moulds by myself, probably they don't look the most beautiful, but they are way cheaper like some metal moulds and of course also much lighter . The thing that's most important is the negative of the tube, and this time it turned out perfect. I just have to polish it a bit and the moulds will be prepared for some further work.

During the process...
(profile of the toptube)


Most of the moulds for the PT4-NANO frame project:


They are made with some artificial materials (gelcoat, fiberglass, etc.,..) that of course aren't that durable like some metal moulds, but still for cca. 15-20 repeats, and I can of course also repair them if they would get damaged...anyway, they're perfect for a few frame project experiments.

All the moulds are of course longer than necessary. Before the carbon work I'll put in the moulds some inserts at the end of the tubes like I already mentioned. I'll put in also some inserts for the internal cable routing - that will make the grooves for the internal instalation. Then I'll be able to make also a frame that won't have internal routing, probably if I'll try to make a real WW frame without internal routing (the internal routing adds around 30g).


On this photo you can see (from left): chainstay moulds (4), downtube, seat-tube, toptube and chainstays.

I'll make the moulds for dropouts and headtube later. Those moulds are more specific and for each different geometry you would need to make new moulds, because the different angle of the dropouts and because the lenght of the headtube.

As soon as I'll have some more news I'll keep you updated, thanks for your attention

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Berk PROTO-TYPE Composites - Handmade In Slovenia
Berk Composites