BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
DesignAffairs has today revealed on Gizmodo its ‘Clarity’ concept, a transparent frame and fork bicycle made from a injection moulded polymer called Trivex.
Initially used to create super tough helicopter windscreens and then in the canopies of jet fighters, the transparent plastic is said to be strong enough to withstand ‘major shocks’, as well as being stable in hot or cold temperatures.
DesignAffairs say of the Clarity: "We believe that the Clarity Bike could be a giant leap forward in bicycle frame engineering and production. The design takes advantage of an advanced polymer which combines high impact resistance, lightweight properties and a gentle flexibility that usually would only be expected on an old Italian steel frame."
No word on whether the bike will go into mass production, or the cost of doing so, but it would presumably be cheaper to manufacture than most if the idea took off. The concept build operates a belt drive.
