Brochure - Forme

Carbon Explained
Many bicycle manufacturers throw around terms such as “high modulus”
without understanding what it actually means. If a bicycle frame was actually
super high modulus in terms of its GPa (Giga Pascal’s) rating it would ride as
stiff as a board and wouldn’t be comfortable or practical for anything. This is
often just a phrase used as marketing jargon by carbon suppliers and bicycle
manufacturers alike.
Paint process
British weather conditions and road surfaces provide a harsh challenge for any
bike. One of Forme’s strongest selling points is our exceptional paint quality. To
ensure your bike always looks fresh and new every frame is coated with a super
durable lacquer. Our frames are electro-statically charged and then colour is
applied in the form of a fine powder. This process ensures scratch resistance
and impact strength offering additional toughness and improved cosmetics.
The most important aspect of a carbon frame is how the laminate is laid and
the percentage ratio of carbon to cohesive resins. The direction the fibres
are laid in the different areas of the frame, in particular the bottom bracket
shell, head tube and chain stays should ensure the carbon has strong torsion
to reduce flex whilst remaining soft in bending so the frame has the relevant
amount of forgiveness during endurance rides on the road and over roots and
rocks in the woods. When purchasing a bicycle an understanding of the carbon
and a belief in its quality is exceptionally important as the vast majority of any
carbon failures in the bicycle industry are as a result of the cohesive resins
failing not the carbon itself.
Forme bikes work with one of the worlds leading carbon bicycle manufacturers
using Torayca 700 and 800 carbon fibre. Our frames are designed to offer the
optimal balance of carbon to resin to create the most adequate bicycle available
for British terrain with every bike in the range scoring exceptionally well on the
international stiffness to weight index. Forme bikes are so confident in the quality
of our frames we also offer a lifetime guarantee.
(See page 78 for further details)
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