A crank arm for a bicycle may include a body extending along a body axis and having a first body end and a second body end axially spaced apart from the first body end. The insert may also include an insert provided toward the first body end. The insert may include a base portion having a radially outer surface. At least one extension may extend outwardly from the radially outer surface and may be encased within a corresponding recess in the body whereby relative planar movement between the body and the at least one extension in a first plane. The retaining portion may have a retaining portion width measured in the first direction and the retaining width may be greater than the throat width thereby inhibiting relative radial movement between the at least one extension and the recess and preventing radial extraction of the extension from the corresponding recess.

A composite rim for a bicycle wheel that has a wall of structural fibers incorporated in a thermosetting polymeric material and a plurality of spoke attachment seats. The composite material includes at least one layer of woven bi-directional fibers where some fibers are in a nominal direction substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the rim and some fibers are substantially orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the rim.

A process for manufacturing a bicycle component and a bicycle component manufactured by the process. The process includes protecting a printed circuit board, inserting the protected printed circuit board into the mold cavity, inserting a composite material into the mold cavity so it is around and in contact with the circuit board, and subjecting the mold cavity to a temperature and pressure profile until the composite material hardens.

Annular structures formed using composite materials and systems and methods for forming annular structures using composite materials are provided. The composite materials can include fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials. The annular structures include a number of component parts. Each component part can be in the form of a strip of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material that extends around all or a portion of a circumference of the structure. The ends of the component parts can be staggered, so that they a placed at different locations about the circumference of the structure. Methods for forming annular composite structures include wrapping one or more strips of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material having one or more layers about a mandrel, and fusing the strips to form an integral annular structure.

A process for manufacturing a bicycle wheel component, comprising the steps of providing a component having at least one braking area that cooperates with a braking body made by molding of composite material having structural fibers in a polymeric material, and post-molding machining of at least one region of the braking area by removing only polymeric material, without removal of the structural fiber, from the entire region so that the structural fiber outcrops at least in part from the polymeric material, and removing the structural fiber and possibly the polymeric material according to at least one groove within the region. A bicycle wheel component having a braking area of composite material, wherein in a region of the braking area, the structural fiber outcrops at least from the polymeric material, and the region comprises a groove through the structural fiber and possibly the polymeric material of the composite material.

Forming features in the surface of a bicycle component involves depositing a substance onto a substrate in a geometric pattern to form a transfer medium. Forming features may also involve positioning the transfer medium relative to an unformed bicycle component, and forming a negative of the geometric pattern in the bicycle component through the application of heat and/or pressure to the transfer medium and the unformed bicycle component. The transfer medium may be configured for use in the molding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) bicycle components and may include a substrate formed of a flexible material, and a geometric pattern formed of a hard material, the hard material different than the flexible material.

Composite structures and methods of forming composite structures are provided. A composite structure as disclosed herein incorporates one or more composite structure components, such as composite panels and composite inserts. A composite panel is formed from one or more sheets of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material. Composite inserts can include one or more composite blocks or braided sleeves. A composite block can be formed as a stacked or molded structure from trimmings or waste produced during the formation of the composite structures. A braided sleeve can include a seamless, woven sleeve formed of reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic threads. In a completed composite structure, composite inserts are at least partially disposed within a volume defined by surfaces of composite panels. The various composite structures and inserts can be given a final shape and can be fused to one another in a molding and fusing step.

A method for thermoforming a bicycle frame component includes the steps of: (A) preparing first and second casings both made of a thermoplastic material, the first casing having a first abutment surface, the second casing having a second abutment surface; (B) preparing a reinforcing unit; (C) abutting the first and second abutment surfaces against each other, and then placing the reinforcing unit at a junction of the first and second casings; and (D) thermally bonding the reinforcing unit to the first and second casings such that the first and second casings are joined to form the bicycle frame component. A bicycle frame component is also disclosed.

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.

Forming features in the surface of a bicycle component involves depositing a substance onto a substrate in a geometric pattern to form a transfer medium. Forming features may also involve positioning the transfer medium relative to an unformed bicycle component, and forming a negative of the geometric pattern in the bicycle component through the application of heat and/or pressure to the transfer medium and the unformed bicycle component. The transfer medium may be configured for use in the molding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (“CFRP”) bicycle components and may include a substrate formed of a flexible material, and a geometric pattern formed of a hard material, the hard material different than the flexible material.