Dear friend, I am a graduated Polymers and Composites engineer and did R&D for motorsports some years ago. This guy rocks, knows his business and you did a great set of 3 videos with him. I hope to see more. Thanks for this.
my Dad worked in the Black Box at Boeing for 30 years. The Black Box is where a lot of the top secret and military work is done. When I showed him my Kestrel back in 1992 he laughed. He said the bike industry was lightyears behind the aerospace industry in terms of understanding carbon. Your guy is spot on. Pretty much said the same things my Dad said way back in the day.
I always enjoy listening to the industry dudes that have no problem telling it like it is. There's the marketing tech that sells bikes and then there's the tech that makes a good bike. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
One of your best videos ever! Amazing info! You could of made 5 videos out of that hour interview. I think you should do multiple videos about carbon rims etc. with this guy. One video would be a waste for your channel. You could do a weekly video on different products etc. and keep the viewer wanting more. The turn around to get a bike fixed by Raoul may be up to a month after this video. Also like Shane Miller's video's!
Maven, you only got the tip of the ice berg with Raoul. The conversations I have enjoyed with him over the years are some of the most vast, comprehensive and they can get deep. Raoul is awesome is he's a gem in the industry and he also rowed and has do some many of his own physical testing in rowing and cycling, endurance and extreme ways to build capacity mentally and physically. Just important not to give him coffee because he gets fasts and crazier. Great interview and Raoul is truely awesome.
I pointed out the photos of you on the TT bike on the way out mate. Fitting you within the UCI regulations had to be one of the greatest engineering challenges of the last decade for sure! ;)
Ok, carbon can more prone to manufacturing defects, damaged during installation of components, damage during handling and in a crash. Yes, I would choose carbon??? I can understand if you race and every gram could count in a race finishing position, but I am a middle age guy who is more concerned with stability and ride quality. I am looking at buying a gravel grinder and will probably keep the bike for at least a decade. I also do not want to worry about gravel damaging the frame while riding. Steel or titanium seems like a more logical choice.
Johnny Woo You are absolutely right! I bought 2 titanium frames back in 2003.One is my winter bike with son and b& m lights,the other one was my lightweight project and with around 8 kg it is about 2kg lighter than the winter bike(60cm frames!). I did never regret that buy-both look brandnew and they also ride like brandnew.Outstanding performance. You can hit the tubes with a hammer and you will barely see scratches.Best bikes i’ve ever ridden-the flexing is perfect for the bad roads i’m riding,bad weather doesn’t affect me anymore. And at age 17 years there’s still value to the frames.And maybe after my death someone will decide to turn them into a ✈️ plane. You can also buy them second hand🤙
humanISvegan definitely! I’m on titanium roadbikes since 2004-i got two identical frames with different setup. One like a randonneur and the other one as a lightweight.They are still like brandnew,although both are ridden hard. Summer bike and winter bike.Awsome belgian handcrafted masterpieces! But these days you can also build very light steel frames,very stiff with oversized tubes.I also have a steel bike just to have this special feeling on the road! 🤙
Aluminum does have fatigue life lower than steel, and is more prone to ride harshly, although my 90s Redline Conquest aluminum Cyclocross frame rides really smoothly. My 2018 Raleigh RSX aluminum rides hard and stiff, though it's fast. My favorite ride of all is my '95 Merlin Extralight titanium- very very nice.. Many experienced for decades riders such as I will prefer Ti and steel.
geeky!!! i love it ! thanks. i bought an 11 years old canyon ultimate frame on ebay. 12k km later, everything is ok. i cannot see myself going back to alloy , even if in my beautiful country there is no such thing as carbon repair...
I don't have a single carbon thing on my bike and I watched all of it, and the other vid on wheels. Videos with this guy could be the most information-filled, BS-free videos on carbon and bikes on TH-cam. Thanks for making it and thanks to Raoul for his time, I bet he is a busy man.
Clone that guy! Great video. I have a carbon eyelet to build up with epoxy and I knew that it was best to do it before the humidity of summer started. Too late now; will wait for winter. I used to ride "C7 High Modulus" Fuji SSTs. I had some gnarly crashes in both a 2009 and 2010 model, but never suffered a crack. Of note is that the drops on those Fujis are precision cut aluminum, thus requiring an AL-Carbon mechanical interface. I sold my Fujis and replaced them with BMC 2010 and 2011 Race/Team Machines. When he said, "if you are bombing down a hill at 80kmh, you are not thinking about your cool paint job," I was smiling in full understanding. I bombed down Morongo Canyon at just that speed with a 30 pound backpack loaded with water and food. I did it in the BMC that he cut in half and used to decorate the wall. As he said, inspect your machine as best possible and grow to trust if you buy it second hand. None of my newest BMCs have been on the big hills in town yet. The one that I used on Morongo, I gave to my young nephew.
Really interesting discussion about the carbon wrinkles...bike industry seemingly getting away with a second rate product? or do the demands of cycling not create enough stress on the frame for the wrinkles to be a major issue?
J S company's don't give a fuck, as long as it meets industry standard, Hell who cares anyway we're the dumb ass people paying 5_10,000 Dollars on a bike. I would pump them out too.
This is the problem when you have one guy who is a self professed guru in a vacuum. He's half right about a lot of things- but he is quick to fill in techno babble with the rest.
Really great discussion on this one, Mark. Fascinating to get Raul's perspective - I'm a physics major with an engineering background and an experienced cyclist, so I thought this would be old news, but I learned a ton of new things about some of the practicalities and challenges facing the bike industry in carbon layup. So refreshing to hear the insiders angle, absent of a bike company's marketing department. Thanks for this!! As always, keep up the great work brother.
great content Maven, as an engineer and a cyclist I back up his statement all the way , I also do my own carbon repairs at home but it is great to have people who know what they talk about .. there is so much false roumers about CF in the cycling world that needs to be eradicated....
Awesome Video, not that I have a carbon fibre bike yet, but plenty of knowledge bombs in this video. My only bike is a 1975 Alan, quite flexy slightly too big for me, but it is what I ride on for now and I have fun :D Would be so great to hear more from this guy, Raoul, so much knowledge without marketing BS. thank you Maven.
This video is more valuable to cyclists at all levels than all the "best new bikes" reviews put together, IMO. Well done. As pretty as some of these machines are, I feel it's important to remember that we trust them with our lives. It seems you have found a reputable and knowledgeable source of information who has been good enough to share some of that knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you, Mark, and thank you, Raoul!
Although a little rough around the edges, this video on carbon fiber is one of the most informative interviews on the subject, bar none. Think seriously about making this into a formal presentation on the subject. You guys should be discussing science applications for composite technologies. This format is very exciting and not at all stuffy or "corrosive." For once science applications are interesting in this format. Could you make this into 10 episodes? Thanks again, Charlie Walker San Diego, CA
QUESTIONS for your next session with RAOUL: 1. Can Raoul discuss galvanic corrosion between carbon and aluminium in carbon bikes, especially between alloy nipples and carbon rims, or carbon frame and alu seat posts (e.g. nipple corrosion in Enve wheels). Apparently in the Dreamliner aluminium is not allowed to touch carbon anywhere. 2. Raoul’s views on use of nipple washers in carbon wheels, does carbon need them? Do they make a difference? 3. Can carbon handlebars fail from general age and fatigue? I use them for both road and MTB. Should they be replaced after a while even if never in a crash? Is it possible for Luescher Teknik to run a set of bars through ultrasound as a service for their customers cost effectively? And thanks for your hard work on the vlogs Maven.
Very interesting topic, thank you for sharing this with us all! Also, as a Canadian, I got unreasonably stoked upon spotting that Norco Sight frame hanging up in the background, didn't really think Norcos were sold much in other countries.
I know this is an old video but so informational! I learned a lot and very entertaining. Gives me a lot to think about before purchasing a used CF bike. Thanks for posting Mark.
I have an old Trek 1220 which I like. But I'd love a used or new carbon road bike. But I lack funds and bike knowledge, which is why I came here. There sure seems be a lot to know and learn.
wowed. and more wowed. this is really informative cutting edge knowledge right here. I have a 2nd hand Kestrel Talon of about 3 years now, and I purchased off Craigslist, I fully inspected it with a flashlight as best as I could when I bought it. it is a heavier bike, Talon model, but so far soo good. it does say "advanced high modulous carbon" on it, now that I think about it lol! Great content Maven!
That'll be that sooper, sooper-dooper hi mod carbon then! I've idly considered setting up a nice little carbon repair business myself, but after watching this video I think it' best left to people who actually know what they're doing.
Best vlog to date from a insider point of view. No BS and just the facts. Could have kept watching for hours. Of course I'm now scared shitless of my repair on my carbon P2 that I race in a 70.3 tomorrow :-) Also for other repairs guys, they do not know what they do not know. Which is was the scary part for me. They are not trying to do a bad job more the opposite and the end results looks good. Really top notch stuff.
What I take away is that carbon is absolutely wonderful material for making bikes... if it's done properly. I also take away that essentially no one does it properly. I'll stick with Ti and steel for now and come back to carbon in 5-10 years when bike manufacturers actually know what they're doing. Safety is paramount.
They don't make fighter/passenger aircraft undercarriage struts out of CF, they make them out of titanium, which is where Litespeed, Lynskey and Moots got their start. They're both good, but my titanium bike will be around decades after all these unrecyclable CF bikes and wheels are in the tip.
Thanks for the comments. The landing gear is often made of steel, the Aermet alloy was created for F18 landing gear. Carbon is good for some things but not all things, the same as metals, that's why there are no good Ti forks available. Also note that they typically do not weld structural metal parts on an aircraft. There are plenty of metal bikes that have cracked at the HAZ around the welds. The recycling is problem with lots of research going into it right now.
Does heat treating after the welding on metal bikes (i know steel is sometimes brazed so isnt affected in the way welded steel is) reduce the cracking problem around the heat affected zone, or is the area around a weld always going to be a bit weaker?
A very informative video, this man has an impressive amount of experience. I wonder where in germany we have such an experienced workshop for carbon bikes.
That was an incredibly informative video!! I could watch you three talking over coffee for a couple of hours straight! "The carbon TEDcycling Talk". Thanks for taking us with you, really looking forward to the next part!
This guy is 100 percent correct I work at spirit aero. We build the 737 fuselage. Along with the 787 cockpit section. Aluminum planeshave a 30 year life only because of the coatings on the aluminum. If not that time is cut in half. 787 is all carbon and some areas are near a foot thick but so strong.
Smart guy. Easy to understand and clear explanations. This won't be popular, but given the high risk, I think carbon fiber should not be allowed to be sold to the general public. There are just too many variables that will and are getting people killed and permanently hurt- over what...saving a few pounds of weight? Other materials these days are nearly as light due to improvements in manufacturing. They also don't fail the same way. CF started out as an exotic material for the pro's back in the day. No question, it is amazingly light and under ideal conditions it is very strong. The problem is that it went mainstream and we don't always have ideal conditions. Even storing it in a hot garage can delaminate it. The vast majority of your nicer bikes all use this material. People do not know how to properly maintain it. They bump it, drop it, jump it, over tighten it, then take to the roads and single track MB courses at 20-50mph. As he said, when the wheels of a bike go in different directions it's usually going to be a very bad day.
that's probably the best video I've seen on the subject on carbon bikes and their construction, like you could have listened to more. Bit shocked by all the high end brands that have issues but always been told that all frames are made in the same factory's. Be interested to see the outcome of your bike as I own a bianchi myself, keep up the good work.
I never comment on your videos (though I watch every one) but felt the need to this time because this is awesome. Super informative and one of your best vids. Thanks, Mark!
Unreal vlog! This guy is amazing but has me worrying about my bike :/ please try get a longer interview with him you could listen to him for days!! Thanks Maven keep up the great work!
Wow. Amazing information. I Love the 3 interviews on CF. I've learned more here about CF then I've learn in 5 years of googled articles, blogs & forums. So much misinformation out there. I'd love to see and hear more about CF engineering and processes.
A video that none of us want to listen to but all of us should. A bike failure at the speeds we can travel at could maim of kill. Sounds alarmist I know. Thank you for organising this. I appreciate it is many years old.
Excellent presentation. It is refreshing to see and hear guys like him. Obviously he has good experience, knowledge and enthusiasm. Good business on today's growing sport.
Well done with the educational vlog! My knowledge was very limited regarding carbon fiber as it pertains to bicycles and Raul put on a great class for all of us. Doing these types of vlogs is very much appreciated. I would definitely love to see more.
Fixed my Bianchi rear seat stay here. Packaging plastic bag caught onto the rear derailleur and caused it to lock. Snapped the hanger swung around to shatter the rear stay lol. One repair expensive bill.
I made 64 and 128 channel pre-configured ultrasound scanners for testing rocket skins… it works really well but, in the end the best jigs were the C-scan robots with laminar squirter tips, as they are overlapped continuous and flaws like bubbles can be resolved to nearly micron scales. However, to really see important flaws such as molecular voids, scanned X-ray is the way to go.
First and foremost an engineer, it's perfectly highlights , the technical aspects of knowledge needed to make informed opinions,. Its so frustrating trying to offer professional advice to people who want cheaper products, as the man says NDT is everything! All materials have specific stiffness or modulus to suit applications , engineering is a science, not guesswork and not easily replicated en mass Great video, really like this guy
Interested to see the episodes about the different types of carbon manufacturing and comparing Chinese and Taiwanese carbon. Great idea for content. Keep up the good work. Love the channel.
pffff I got here via carbon fiber manufacturing videos and I have absolute jack all interest in bikes so honestly I already clicked the next video but just to be sure I wouldn't miss something interesting i decided to come back just to quickly check what he's on about... Well, as mockery in the comments here already addressed hundreds of times, the guy is a little bit hard to follow in some of his explainations but my god this man is just a walking talking treasure chest of real world practical knowledge about carbon fiber. I ended up watching the full half hour lol! Many thanks for sharing this "interview", I learned so much from this vid. cheers mate
What a fascinating man. I was very impressed with Raoul's knowledge. I ride a Merida Scultura 5000, and am now hoping it's as sound as the manufacturer said it was.
Thanks Mark for this extremely educational video. Learnt more about carbon here than any other big budget documentary. Love it, keep more of these videos coming.
This was absolutely wonderful! I wish more people would do videos like this! Keep them comin' mate, you're well on your way to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the TH-cam cycling world!
This is a great vlog Mark, getting some real information to the people that isn't the information we get from bike shop. looking forward to the vlog about carbon wheels and the chines copies. More videos like this would be great, I'm looking forward to seeing how the bike turns out.
Good vid. Having made aerospace composites in the 90's I was weary about watching a vid titled carbon fiber-the truth. But it auto started after another cycling vid so I started to watch it. Anyway, Raul knows what he is talking about.
LT is the best engineer talking about bikes on TH-cam by a mile, thanks for this 👍.
Dear friend, I am a graduated Polymers and Composites engineer and did R&D for motorsports some years ago. This guy rocks, knows his business and you did a great set of 3 videos with him. I hope to see more. Thanks for this.
I learned a ton from this, good stuff.
@@LuescherTeknik Quick question. What is the model and type of transducer you are using for crack inspection on carbon bikes?
Dude can you help me out ? I have a question, regarding one Carbon Full suspension ebike frame, i'm interested in..
I thought this was going to be boring, but I could listen to this guy all day long..
my Dad worked in the Black Box at Boeing for 30 years. The Black Box is where a lot of the top secret and military work is done. When I showed him my Kestrel back in 1992 he laughed. He said the bike industry was lightyears behind the aerospace industry in terms of understanding carbon. Your guy is spot on. Pretty much said the same things my Dad said way back in the day.
Hopefully make progress
I always enjoy listening to the industry dudes that have no problem telling it like it is. There's the marketing tech that sells bikes and then there's the tech that makes a good bike. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
Well said!
This gentleman is not only a talented carbon bike healer, he is also a prolific classical music concert conductor
I'm an aerospace inspection engineer that makes Carbon aircraft. Thanks for video, it's exciting to see this level of discussion going on!
I could listen to Raoul all day, there are so many TH-cam vlogs on carbon products but Raoul seems to be the man who knows.
why don't they make steerer tubes thicker (stronger) ?? Instead of using extra expander plugs, which sometimes weights +40g anyway.
Great video mate, loved seeing Obree on the wall. He's the president of my club here in Scotland!
One of your best videos ever! Amazing info! You could of made 5 videos out of that hour interview.
I think you should do multiple videos about carbon rims etc. with this guy. One video would be a waste for your channel. You could do a weekly video on different products etc. and keep the viewer wanting more. The turn around to get a bike fixed by Raoul may be up to a month after this video.
Also like Shane Miller's video's!
I knew it'd be a gem of a video once we tee'd up Maven to meet Raoul. Based on the result, The Maven nailed it!
Maven, you only got the tip of the ice berg with Raoul. The conversations I have enjoyed with him over the years are some of the most vast, comprehensive and they can get deep. Raoul is awesome is he's a gem in the industry and he also rowed and has do some many of his own physical testing in rowing and cycling, endurance and extreme ways to build capacity mentally and physically. Just important not to give him coffee because he gets fasts and crazier. Great interview and Raoul is truely awesome.
I pointed out the photos of you on the TT bike on the way out mate. Fitting you within the UCI regulations had to be one of the greatest engineering challenges of the last decade for sure! ;)
Like a crushed pretzel. Heaps of fun though. Loving what you and Maven are doing.
Yeah mate I gathered he's a very interesting bloke.
Four minutes in and already learning SO much from this guy! 👍
Wow... about the best cycling video I've watched in the last year or two, hands down, bar none.
😂😂😂😂😂I was dying when I read "hands down" in your comment.
Especially watching this guy talk.
I've visited him a few times, he's a genius!
This beats the socks of anything I've seen on the Discovery channel in the last few year!
Ok, carbon can more prone to manufacturing defects, damaged during installation of components, damage during handling and in a crash. Yes, I would choose carbon??? I can understand if you race and every gram could count in a race finishing position, but I am a middle age guy who is more concerned with stability and ride quality. I am looking at buying a gravel grinder and will probably keep the bike for at least a decade. I also do not want to worry about gravel damaging the frame while riding. Steel or titanium seems like a more logical choice.
Johnny Woo You are absolutely right!
I bought 2 titanium frames back in 2003.One is my winter bike with son and b& m lights,the other one was my lightweight
project and with around 8 kg it is about 2kg lighter than the winter bike(60cm frames!).
I did never regret that buy-both look brandnew and they also ride like brandnew.Outstanding performance.
You can hit the tubes with a hammer and you will barely see scratches.Best bikes i’ve ever ridden-the flexing is perfect for the bad roads
i’m riding,bad weather doesn’t affect me anymore.
And at age 17 years there’s still value to the frames.And maybe after my death someone will decide to turn them into a ✈️ plane.
You can also buy them second hand🤙
humanISvegan definitely! I’m on titanium roadbikes since 2004-i got two identical frames with different setup.
One like a randonneur and the other one as a lightweight.They are still like brandnew,although both are ridden hard.
Summer bike and winter bike.Awsome belgian handcrafted masterpieces!
But these days you can also build very light steel frames,very stiff with oversized tubes.I also have a steel bike just to have this special feeling on the road! 🤙
Nothing wrong with aluminum, it's still strong enough.
Aluminum does have fatigue life lower than steel, and is more prone to ride harshly, although my 90s Redline Conquest aluminum Cyclocross frame rides really smoothly. My 2018 Raleigh RSX aluminum rides hard and stiff, though it's fast. My favorite ride of all is my '95 Merlin Extralight titanium- very very nice.. Many experienced for decades riders such as I will prefer Ti and steel.
I'll stick with my titanium frame
geeky!!! i love it ! thanks.
i bought an 11 years old canyon ultimate frame on ebay. 12k km later, everything is ok. i cannot see myself going back to alloy , even if in my beautiful country there is no such thing as carbon repair...
I'm about four weeks from having my BS in aerospace engineering, and I could listen to this guy talk all day.
One of the most important cycling videos ive ever seen, thank you, thank you
I actually had the sound off I just interpreted the hand movement
lol
Absolutely fascinating! More videos of the sheer wealth of knowledge that Raoul obviously possesses are NEEDED on TH-cam!
Raoul is an engineer but more important speaks clear enough to understand his knowledge of subject. Please keep his passion and thoughts coming
Wicked video Maven, that dude was awesome. Can't wait for the next vlog with him.
could listen to this guy speak all day long... bits where he compared the aerospace carbon to the carbon in bikes was fascinating.
I don't have a single carbon thing on my bike and I watched all of it, and the other vid on wheels. Videos with this guy could be the most information-filled, BS-free videos on carbon and bikes on TH-cam. Thanks for making it and thanks to Raoul for his time, I bet he is a busy man.
Love that lugged steel, combined with 32x3X wheels......................... And Campy.
Imagine trying to sell this guy a bike
Best reply yet! but...They question should be how to buy one of the bikes this guy builds for himself!
I'd love to have him with me when I'm looking to buy a new carbon bike (second hand off of kijiji (Canadian craigslist))
I wore custom shoes he made for about a year. Brilliant. But like his bikes, very limited run (or once offs)
So he makes shoes like Adam Hansen? Would love to see an example of his work in this area.
drewginn.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/photo-702956.jpg
Prototypes. This was a few years ago now.
Pure joy listening to someone who knows their business in such depth.
Clone that guy! Great video. I have a carbon eyelet to build up with epoxy and I knew that it was best to do it before the humidity of summer started. Too late now; will wait for winter. I used to ride "C7 High Modulus" Fuji SSTs. I had some gnarly crashes in both a 2009 and 2010 model, but never suffered a crack. Of note is that the drops on those Fujis are precision cut aluminum, thus requiring an AL-Carbon mechanical interface. I sold my Fujis and replaced them with BMC 2010 and 2011 Race/Team Machines. When he said, "if you are bombing down a hill at 80kmh, you are not thinking about your cool paint job," I was smiling in full understanding. I bombed down Morongo Canyon at just that speed with a 30 pound backpack loaded with water and food. I did it in the BMC that he cut in half and used to decorate the wall. As he said, inspect your machine as best possible and grow to trust if you buy it second hand. None of my newest BMCs have been on the big hills in town yet. The one that I used on Morongo, I gave to my young nephew.
Really interesting discussion about the carbon wrinkles...bike industry seemingly getting away with a second rate product? or do the demands of cycling not create enough stress on the frame for the wrinkles to be a major issue?
I thought the same
J S company's don't give a fuck, as long as it meets industry standard, Hell who cares anyway we're the dumb ass people paying 5_10,000 Dollars on a bike. I would pump them out too.
So glad I stumbled across this video. Tired of marketing bs pushing crap we don't need...
Just subscribed, great vid
This is the most informative and thought provoking thing I have seen on You-Tube for a long time . This guy really knows his stuff.
This is the problem when you have one guy who is a self professed guru in a vacuum. He's half right about a lot of things- but he is quick to fill in techno babble with the rest.
I love this guy! His expertise is a pleasure to listen to. I could listen to this guy all day!!
Really great discussion on this one, Mark. Fascinating to get Raul's perspective - I'm a physics major with an engineering background and an experienced cyclist, so I thought this would be old news, but I learned a ton of new things about some of the practicalities and challenges facing the bike industry in carbon layup. So refreshing to hear the insiders angle, absent of a bike company's marketing department. Thanks for this!! As always, keep up the great work brother.
I could listen to this guy all day. Even though I have a fair amount of experience with CFRP I've learned something in every one of his videos
Glad you enjoyed the information and learned something.
great content Maven, as an engineer and a cyclist I back up his statement all the way , I also do my own carbon repairs at home but it is great to have people who know what they talk about ..
there is so much false roumers about CF in the cycling world that needs to be eradicated....
Awesome Video, not that I have a carbon fibre bike yet, but plenty of knowledge bombs in this video. My only bike is a 1975 Alan, quite flexy slightly too big for me, but it is what I ride on for now and I have fun :D
Would be so great to hear more from this guy, Raoul, so much knowledge without marketing BS. thank you Maven.
This video is more valuable to cyclists at all levels than all the "best
new bikes" reviews put together, IMO. Well done. As pretty as some of
these machines are, I feel it's important to remember that we trust
them with our lives. It seems you have found a reputable and
knowledgeable source of information who has been good enough to share
some of that knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you, Mark, and thank
you, Raoul!
That dude was seriously knowledgeable and interesting
felt like an lecture in my university that was awesome. Im glad you and the carbon guru shared this valuable information. :)
Maven you have just taken it to the next level. Great stuff.
A cracking video and thanks. Good to see the Lama making a cameo. Incredibly insightful.
Although a little rough around the edges, this video on carbon fiber is one of the most informative interviews on the subject, bar none. Think seriously about making this into a formal presentation on the subject. You guys should be discussing science applications for composite technologies. This format is very exciting and not at all stuffy or "corrosive." For once science applications are interesting in this format.
Could you make this into 10 episodes?
Thanks again,
Charlie Walker
San Diego, CA
QUESTIONS for your next session with RAOUL:
1. Can Raoul discuss galvanic corrosion between carbon and aluminium in carbon bikes, especially between alloy nipples and carbon rims, or carbon frame and alu seat posts (e.g. nipple corrosion in Enve wheels). Apparently in the Dreamliner aluminium is not allowed to touch carbon anywhere.
2. Raoul’s views on use of nipple washers in carbon wheels, does carbon need them? Do they make a difference?
3. Can carbon handlebars fail from general age and fatigue? I use them for both road and MTB. Should they be replaced after a while even if never in a crash? Is it possible for Luescher Teknik to run a set of bars through ultrasound as a service for their customers cost effectively?
And thanks for your hard work on the vlogs Maven.
Very interesting topic, thank you for sharing this with us all! Also, as a Canadian, I got unreasonably stoked upon spotting that Norco Sight frame hanging up in the background, didn't really think Norcos were sold much in other countries.
I know this is an old video but so informational! I learned a lot and very entertaining. Gives me a lot to think about before purchasing a used CF bike. Thanks for posting Mark.
I have an old Trek 1220 which I like. But I'd love a used or new carbon road bike. But I lack funds and bike knowledge, which is why I came here. There sure seems be a lot to know and learn.
Brilliant, as an engineer and cyclist found this fascinating.
wowed. and more wowed. this is really informative cutting edge knowledge right here. I have a 2nd hand Kestrel Talon of about 3 years now, and I purchased off Craigslist, I fully inspected it with a flashlight as best as I could when I bought it. it is a heavier bike, Talon model, but so far soo good. it does say "advanced high modulous carbon" on it, now that I think about it lol! Great content Maven!
Thanks mate.
Great Vid Maven...that Guys a Carbon Zen Master:)).... i hope i fly in his Tail Planed Boeing Planes:))
That'll be that sooper, sooper-dooper hi mod carbon then! I've idly considered setting up a nice little carbon repair business myself, but after watching this video I think it' best left to people who actually know what they're doing.
Mark, I'm addicted to your channel and watch all your videos, but this is a contender for "best ever". Well done, again😊
Best vlog to date from a insider point of view. No BS and just the facts. Could have kept watching for hours. Of course I'm now scared shitless of my repair on my carbon P2 that I race in a 70.3 tomorrow :-)
Also for other repairs guys, they do not know what they do not know. Which is was the scary part for me. They are not trying to do a bad job more the opposite and the end results looks good.
Really top notch stuff.
What I take away is that carbon is absolutely wonderful material for making bikes... if it's done properly. I also take away that essentially no one does it properly. I'll stick with Ti and steel for now and come back to carbon in 5-10 years when bike manufacturers actually know what they're doing. Safety is paramount.
This guy loves his job and loves sharing it with others. Fantastic video Mark.
You are the man! Question : What companies? You answer immediatly no hesitation to call those big companies out!
I finally know who plays C3PO...
I used to work at a bike shop so I've seen plenty of people who have damaged there bikes and expensive parts by over tightening. Thanks.
Excellent questions the channel owner asked!
Incredible. This guy clearly knows his stuff and is passionate about it. I'd ship my frame from the UK if it needed repairing! Great vid chaps.
They don't make fighter/passenger aircraft undercarriage struts out of CF, they make them out of titanium, which is where Litespeed, Lynskey and Moots got their start. They're both good, but my titanium bike will be around decades after all these unrecyclable CF bikes and wheels are in the tip.
Thanks for the comments. The landing gear is often made of steel, the Aermet alloy was created for F18 landing gear. Carbon is good for some things but not all things, the same as metals, that's why there are no good Ti forks available. Also note that they typically do not weld structural metal parts on an aircraft. There are plenty of metal bikes that have cracked at the HAZ around the welds. The recycling is problem with lots of research going into it right now.
Does heat treating after the welding on metal bikes (i know steel is sometimes brazed so isnt affected in the way welded steel is) reduce the cracking problem around the heat affected zone, or is the area around a weld always going to be a bit weaker?
That's gold Maven, gold. So much good info.
A very informative video, this man has an impressive amount of experience. I wonder where in germany we have such an experienced workshop for carbon bikes.
That was an incredibly informative video!! I could watch you three talking over coffee for a couple of hours straight! "The carbon TEDcycling Talk". Thanks for taking us with you, really looking forward to the next part!
So great to watch someone who really knows what he is talking about. Thanks for the video!
Fantastic guy! He was so knowledgeable and taught me many things I did not know. Wish there was someone like that me near me!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
lol
Ye
Made it unwatchable for me
then u were not interested in watching it.
fool
This guy is 100 percent correct I work at spirit aero. We build the 737 fuselage. Along with the 787 cockpit section. Aluminum planeshave a 30 year life only because of the coatings on the aluminum. If not that time is cut in half. 787 is all carbon and some areas are near a foot thick but so strong.
Smart guy. Easy to understand and clear explanations.
This won't be popular, but given the high risk, I think carbon fiber should not be allowed to be sold to the general public. There are just too many variables that will and are getting people killed and permanently hurt- over what...saving a few pounds of weight? Other materials these days are nearly as light due to improvements in manufacturing. They also don't fail the same way.
CF started out as an exotic material for the pro's back in the day. No question, it is amazingly light and under ideal conditions it is very strong. The problem is that it went mainstream and we don't always have ideal conditions. Even storing it in a hot garage can delaminate it. The vast majority of your nicer bikes all use this material. People do not know how to properly maintain it. They bump it, drop it, jump it, over tighten it, then take to the roads and single track MB courses at 20-50mph. As he said, when the wheels of a bike go in different directions it's usually going to be a very bad day.
that's probably the best video I've seen on the subject on carbon bikes and their construction, like you could have listened to more. Bit shocked by all the high end brands that have issues but always been told that all frames are made in the same factory's. Be interested to see the outcome of your bike as I own a bianchi myself, keep up the good work.
Solid video with great technical content and feels like a real "after-hours" shop talk. Really enjoyed this one and thanks for posting!
I never comment on your videos (though I watch every one) but felt the need to this time because this is awesome. Super informative and one of your best vids. Thanks, Mark!
wow, my mind is blown! thanks for facilitating this conversation with Raul.
This guy has passion for carbon fibre and for cycling in general. great stuff.
helluva vlog. This guy is THE guru...I think i'll stick to the aluminati for now
Unreal vlog! This guy is amazing but has me worrying about my bike :/ please try get a longer interview with him you could listen to him for days!! Thanks Maven keep up the great work!
Wow. Amazing information. I Love the 3 interviews on CF.
I've learned more here about CF then I've learn in 5 years of googled articles, blogs & forums. So much misinformation out there. I'd love to see and hear more about CF engineering and processes.
A video that none of us want to listen to but all of us should. A bike failure at the speeds we can travel at could maim of kill. Sounds alarmist I know. Thank you for organising this. I appreciate it is many years old.
Excellent presentation. It is refreshing to see and hear guys like him. Obviously he has good experience, knowledge and enthusiasm. Good business on today's growing sport.
Well done with the educational vlog! My knowledge was very limited regarding carbon fiber as it pertains to bicycles and Raul put on a great class for all of us. Doing these types of vlogs is very much appreciated. I would definitely love to see more.
Fixed my Bianchi rear seat stay here. Packaging plastic bag caught onto the rear derailleur and caused it to lock. Snapped the hanger swung around to shatter the rear stay lol. One repair expensive bill.
Excellent repair too
Youch! Bloody plastic bag!
I made 64 and 128 channel pre-configured ultrasound scanners for testing rocket skins… it works really well but, in the end the best jigs were the C-scan robots with laminar squirter tips, as they are overlapped continuous and flaws like bubbles can be resolved to nearly micron scales. However, to really see important flaws such as molecular voids, scanned X-ray is the way to go.
INCREDIBLE!!!! Tremendous insights from another perspective, one that's not trying to sell you something... Please keep it coming...!!!!
First and foremost an engineer, it's perfectly highlights , the technical aspects of knowledge needed to make informed opinions,. Its so frustrating trying to offer professional advice to people who want cheaper products, as the man says NDT is everything!
All materials have specific stiffness or modulus to suit applications , engineering is a science, not guesswork and not easily replicated en mass
Great video, really like this guy
The into is the best yet. That guy is a champ. Good on you.
Interested to see the episodes about the different types of carbon manufacturing and comparing Chinese and Taiwanese carbon. Great idea for content. Keep up the good work. Love the channel.
pffff I got here via carbon fiber manufacturing videos and I have absolute jack all interest in bikes so honestly I already clicked the next video but just to be sure I wouldn't miss something interesting i decided to come back just to quickly check what he's on about... Well, as mockery in the comments here already addressed hundreds of times, the guy is a little bit hard to follow in some of his explainations but my god this man is just a walking talking treasure chest of real world practical knowledge about carbon fiber. I ended up watching the full half hour lol! Many thanks for sharing this "interview", I learned so much from this vid. cheers mate
Mate... bar the Tour VLOG's this was one of the best I've watched. Smart, classy guy.
Wow, that comment on aluminum, water + carbon was really interesting. This guy definitely knows his stuff!
Great report. This guy really, really knows his stuff. Made me question a lot my own assumptions about carbon and carbon bikes. Great stuff.
What a fascinating man. I was very impressed with Raoul's knowledge. I ride a Merida Scultura 5000, and am now hoping it's as sound as the manufacturer said it was.
Awesome episode. This has been the most enlightening video on carbon bikes on youtube by far!
Thanks Mark for this extremely educational video. Learnt more about carbon here than any other big budget documentary. Love it, keep more of these videos coming.
This was absolutely wonderful! I wish more people would do videos like this! Keep them comin' mate, you're well on your way to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the TH-cam cycling world!
This is a great vlog Mark, getting some real information to the people that isn't the information we get from bike shop. looking forward to the vlog about carbon wheels and the chines copies. More videos like this would be great, I'm looking forward to seeing how the bike turns out.
i liked this video very much,i wish we had a expert guy to repair carbon like this in my country.
So if a bird shits on your CF frame, it needs to be immobilised and re-scanned before re-mounting.
Great video! This guy seems really enjoying to share his knowledge. Was joy watching it.
Good vid. Having made aerospace composites in the 90's I was weary about watching a vid titled carbon fiber-the truth. But it auto started after another cycling vid so I started to watch it. Anyway, Raul knows what he is talking about.
CM, thanks for sharing the knowledge. Raul is a genius. You're lucky to have this much knowledge around the corner. Cheers mate.