A method for forming a bicycle frame assembly having a number of elongate tubes is disclosed. A two part mold can be used to form a hollow finish part as part of the assembly. The assembly includes a passage that is defined by the elongate member, a partition, and a bridge. The partition isolates the passage from an interior volume of the elongate tube. The bridge extends in a direction normal to an elongate direction of the passage and defines an inlet and an outlet of the passage. The inlet, outlet, and bridge are generally flush with an exterior surface of the elongate tube and provide a passage that cooperates with a flexible connector, such as a cable tie, for securing supplemental structures, such as brake and shift control cables, to the elongate tube of the bicycle frame assembly.

An integrally formed bearing free pedal includes a central axle and a pedal body. The pedal body has a rotation axis, and is provided with an axle bore formed along the rotation axis. The central axle has an installation portion and an opposite combination portion. The central axle and the pedal body are integrally molded. The combination portion is disposed in the axle bore. A rotation gap is formed between the periphery of the central axle and the axle bore, so as to allow the central axle to rotate with respect to the pedal body along the rotation axis. Thus, the pedal has no bearings and other related components, so as to be structurally simple, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

A manufacturing method for a fibrous composite bicycle rim , and a tool having two molding devices and one circular device. The two molding devices each have one flank contact surface. A molding device is selected and a matching auxiliary molding part is connected therewith, forming a mold surface for the rim base. A first fiber composite layer is applied to the molding device and the auxiliary molding part. The other molding device is covered with a first fiber composite layer, forming the layer of the other rim flank. A circular device is formed of annular segments has a circumferential rim well contact surface and is covered by a first fiber layer, which forms the rim well. The circular device and the molding devices are connected. The fibrous composite material is allowed to set, the annular segments and the molding devices are removed, and the rim is taken out.

A tool device and its use for manufacturing a bicycle rim, having opposite rim flanks, a rim well and a rim base and rim flanges configured on the radially outwardly ends of the rim flanks, wherein the tool device includes two molding devices and a circular device. The circular device forms the rim well and the axially inwardly oriented surfaces of the rim flanges. The circular device includes an annular unit of a less elastic material and at least one cover of a more elastic material. Alternately, the molding devices each include a molding unit of a less elastic material and at least one cover of a more elastic material, for attachment thereto. The thickness of the cover is between one eighth of the minimum wall thickness of the rim well of the rim manufactured and eight times the minimum wall thickness of the rim well of the rim manufactured.

A method for producing a fiber composite laminate, including the steps of applying pressure and/or heat to a first preform, which has one or more dry fiber layers and a thermoplastic elastomer, such that the thermoplastic portion of the thermoplastic elastomer completely impregnates the dry fiber layers of the first preform in at least one first region and only partially impregnates the dry fiber layers in at least one second region and, in a thermosetting polymer matrix, impregnating and curing the fiber layers of the second region of the first preform that are still dry and have not been impregnated with the thermoplastic portion of the thermoplastic elastomer.

A bicycle wheel has a wheel frame. The wheel frame is a hollow and annular frame and is composited by multiple equally sized wheel bars. Each one of the wheel bars has two halves connected to each other to form the wheel bar, and each one of the two halves being made by laminating, heating and forming a thermoplastic prepreg. The equally sized wheel bars are connected to each other to form the bicycle wheel.

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 molding method for fabricating a composite part having inserts is provided including disposing preforms in a mold, each having co-aligned, resin-impregnated fibers, placing the inserts in the mold adjacent to at least one of the preforms, wherein each insert has securement features for receiving a portion of the co-aligned resin-impregnated fibers from at least one preform, and applying heat and pressure in an amount sufficient to consolidate the resin-impregnated fibers into a resin matrix, thereby forming the part, including consolidating the fibers and resin within the securement features. A fiber composite part is also provided including continuous, co-aligned fibers within a resin matrix, and at least one insert disposed in the matrix, the insert comprising at least one securement feature having a second plurality of the fibers therein, the second plurality of fibers extending into the resin matrix and overlapping with some of the first plurality of fibers.

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 method of manufacturing a component by using a carbon fiber composite material capable of absorbing microwaves. The method includes the step of providing a mold made of materials that is penetrated by the microwaves and have a mold cavity inside, cladding the carbon fiber composite material on an inflatable member and placing the inflatable member cladded with the carbon fiber composite material in the mold cavity, softening the carbon fiber composite material by microwave heating, and inflating the softened carbon fiber composite materials through the inflatable member for enabling the softened carbon fiber composite materials to be formed and solidified in the mold cavity to obtain the component. By means of the aforesaid method, the throughput time of manufacturing the component can be effectively shortened.