But never a recumbent. I worried that the off-road section, which is quite steep and slippery in spots, would force walking due to traction or balance problems. And that I might crash and trash the bike. Fact is, the route is tricky enough that most of my ride partners have trouble making it on their upright road rigs without walking. That s barely heavier than the lightest wedgie frame.
Construction comes straight from aerospace technology.
By varying the amount, shape and direction of prepreg pieces in each section of the frame, Lightning dials in the ride characteristics while ensuring optimum strength. Once the two halves of the frame mold have the right pieces in place, a bladder is installed and the mold is closed. There are actually two molds, one for the front and one for the rear half of the frame. After the frame is placed in the mold, the bladder is inflated putting outward pressure on the carbon in the mold. This pressure causes the individual prepreg pieces to bond with one another and removes as many voids as possible from the material.