A rim assembly for a bicycle wheel includes a rim, a first protruding tire retaining feature attached to a first surface of the rim, and a second protruding tire retaining feature attached to a second surface of the rim. The first surface is a surface of a first tire retaining wall of a radially outer tire engaging portion of the rim, and the second surface is a surface of a second tire retaining wall of the radially outer tire engaging portion. The second surface faces the first surface. The first protruding tire retaining feature and the second protruding tire retaining feature are made of a first material, and the first tire retaining wall and the second tire retaining wall are made of a second material. The second material is different than the first material.

A rim for a bicycle wheel includes a radially inner portion disposed along an inner circumference of the rim. The rim also includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall spaced apart from the first sidewall, and a radially outer tire engaging portion disposed along an outer circumference of the rim. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, the radially outer tire engaging portion, the radially inner portion, or any combination thereof includes a composite laminate. The composite laminate includes a layer of a composite material. The composite material includes a matrix of a polymer-based material and natural fibers of a reinforcing material. A volume of a respective one of the natural fibers of the layer of the composite material is greater before lamination of the composite laminate compared to the volume of the respective one natural fiber after the lamination of the composite laminate.

A method and system for creating a hybrid tensile member combining a synthetic fiber cable and a rigid rod. An anchor is attached to one or more ends of the synthetic cable. The anchor is used to connect an end of the fiber cable to a length of conventional rod, preferably through the use of a swaging operation. Each rod segment includes a standard end feature on its free end—such as a threaded shaft or J-bend. The hybrid assembly can preferably be retrofitted to applications that now use a conventional rod.

An injection moulded cantilevered single side mountable wheel for a bicycle, a rim; a central hub; and a plurality of hollow spokes connecting the rim to the central hub.

A wheel component for a wheel of an at least partially muscle-powered two-wheeled vehicle, including a rim provided to be connected with a hub by means of spokes, the rim including a rim base with a plurality of spoke socket sections having one spoke hole each, to which the spokes can be attached by means of spoke nipples. The wheel component includes at least one washer for placement between a spoke socket section and a spoke nipple. The washer includes a through hole extending between a top face and a bottom face. The rim base includes two opposite rim flanks extending obliquely relative to one another. In its bottom face, the washer shows a canted support flank at least in sections. The washer can be supported on the rim flanks by means of its support flank such that only the support flank bears against, and contacts, the rim.

A method of manufacturing a spoke, including: reshaping a wire material to obtain a spoke blank by a forging device; wherein the spoke blank includes pre-stages of the central section and the end portions and the transition sections; and wherein the pre-stages of the central section and the end portions are forged cylindrically; the pre-stages of the transition sections are forged conically, so that they show a diameter decreasing in the direction of the central section; wherein the pre-stages of the transition sections are each manufactured in a length which differs by a maximum of one fourth from the pertaining length of the transition section; reshaping the spoke blank by a shaping tool, which reproduces a negative shape of the spoke body, so that the spoke body is generated; wherein at least the transition sections and the central section are each provided with a cross-sectional geometry different from their pre-stages.

Piezoelectric devices mountable on a rigid mechanical structure are described. A piezoelectric device includes one or more piezoelectric elements and one or more supporting structures. A respective supporting structure of the one or more supporting structures has a flat or non-flat surface and is mechanically coupled with a piezoelectric element of the one or more piezoelectric elements so that a mechanical force on the one or more supporting structures is converted into an electrical signal by the one or more piezoelectric elements. A piezoelectric device system including two or more piezoelectric devices and a method for generating electrical signals are also described.

A rim for a bicycle wheel includes a radially inner portion disposed along an inner circumference of the rim, a first sidewall, and a second sidewall spaced apart form the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall extend radially outward from the radially inner portion. The radially inner portion includes a stack of strips of material. The stack of strips includes a plurality of strips and a hole through the plurality of strips. The plurality of strips are nonparallel to each other. The plurality of strips are positioned about the hole through the plurality of strips.

To provide a bicycle hub unit and a bicycle wheel assembly that allow a wheel unit to be appropriately coupled to a hub body, a bicycle hub unit is coupled to a rotary body to which a brake is applied by a brake device. The bicycle hub unit includes a hub body that rotates around a hub axle and a rotary body coupling portion that couples the rotary body to the hub body. The hub body includes a first joint portion and a second joint portion. The first joint portion includes an external thread coupled to an internal thread of the wheel unit. The second joint portion is coupled to a restriction member that restricts relative rotation of the first joint portion and the wheel unit.

An aerodynamic bicycle rim comprising: a circumferential outer portion comprising a circumferential outer surface, the circumferential outer portion adapted to seat a bicycle tire; a nose; and a set of sidewalls, each sidewall extending radially from the nose of the aerodynamic bicycle rim to a corresponding transition to the circumferential outer surface to form a rim body having a maximum rim body width that is greater than a maximum width of the bicycle tire. The aerodynamic bicycle rim is operable to seat the bicycle tire so that the aerodynamic bicycle rim and the bicycle tire form an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape.