Prepreg Tail Bag production |
June 27th, 2015 |  |
) It sure was a learning process... Trying no less than 15 types of carbon prepreg fabrics from seven different manufacturers. Also: which kind of agent releases the product best from the mould? Lots of difference there: varying from severe sticking to the mould to effortless loosening. Next came all kinds of foils and films, vacuum blankets, vacuum pumps, vacuum bags, oven arrangements, completely illogical oven control programs and two weeks ago to cap it all an imploding mould. 138 degrees centigrade sure bakes the product fast but proved to be a bit to much for the mould. Result: about one hundred hours of work lost and another delivery delay. We have now new moulds with heat resistant epoxy and from now on the baking temperature is lowered to around 110 degrees centigrade. Takes a bit longer, but the moulds and foils last much longer. Anyway, the production process has started and the new prepreg cases are less than half a kilogram. So that's lighter than a 17 litre top bag. The possibilities to make nice and light weight products have increased significantly! | ||
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Almost tailwind..... |
May 9th, 2015 | |
) Still inspiring to have this displayed while commuting with jeans on (although click pedals!)Bike: M5 Carbon High Racer, 13 degrees Celsius, Beaufort 5 as an almost tailwind | ||
One day of delay for all..... |
May 2nd, 2015 | |
) Despite the fact that it's high season in recumbent business there was a strong urge to finish a one-day project in order to help homeless swifts. A neighbouring farmer had just renovated the roof of his barn which led to the vanishing of breeding places for these wonderful birds. By installing these special double-deck wooden cottages we hope to eliminate this problem. Special thanks to Daniël Siepman for assisting with this in-between job. | ||
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Very red from "down under" |
March 25th, 2015 | |
) Images by Paul WordenFrom our Australian customer Paul Worden we received these special images from his M5 Carbon High Racer which was assembled by himself. | ||
First M5 Carbon Tail Bag case (21 ltrs.) leaves molds |
March 6th, 2015 | |
) Finally there is a neat and lightweight Tail Bag available for both the M5 Carbon High Racer and the M5 M-Racer. The only additional part you need for assembly is the already available carbon carrier/fender. The Tail Bag attaches to the carrier/fender with a simple Velcro system. The lid is also put into place with this material. Of course there is a possibility to add some kind of lock system as well. The product is currently made with a wet lay-up system but will probably change to a pre-preg technique. This saves time and weight. The weight is now close to 800 gram, which is definitely low weight, but with the pre-preg method it will drop to a mere 500 gram. And last but not least: because of the perfect fit to the rider this Tail Bag reduces the heart rate with around 10%. Or consider the gain with the same heart rate: speed will increase with km/h (1,3 mile/h) when cruising with 40 km/h (25 mile/h)!Takes quite a lot of extra training to equal these numbers! | ||
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€ 491.74 | ||
20 inch aero rims available in carbon 3K ! |
December 13th, 2014 | |
Available sizes: ETRTO 406 and ETRTO 451 | ||
) Available now: 20 inch aero rims in carbon 3K with a rim height of 50 mm ( almost 2 inch!). These rims come as a spin-off from another project we are busy with. Available with spoke hole nrs. of 16, 20 or 24. Rim width of the 406 model is 25 mm. The 451 rim has a width of 21 mm. Weight is only 306 gram (+/- 5 gram). Allowed tire pressure is 8.5 bar (120 PSI). | ||
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Chainpulley or sprocket? |
October 12th, 2014 | |
Testing a new aluminium 14-tooth sprocket with POM guider bracket | ||
) It's on Bram's CHR right now and time will tell if this system will be a keeper. For me it's not completely new, since I already tried a similar setup 28 years ago. However, then it was made of steel and was removed again due to the annoying noise it produced. If the findings with this aluminium version lead to a positive assessment, the sprockets will be colour anodised and coated with a rock hard Teflon top layer. We'll keep you posted on future developments! | ||
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STOLEN! |
October 5th, 2014 | |
Who spots this unique bike? | ||
) Unique handbuild carbon recumbent, based on Shock Proof 20/20 has been stolen September 30 from the garage of Bram Moens. Features: high 18 spoke 20 inch aerorims, dark blue metallic paint, M5 sidepull brakes, carbon triple crankset, titanium stem, carbon luggage carrier, Rock Shox rear suspension, fixed bracket, mono suspended front fork, EBS thumb handles, Speedplay titanium Frog pedals. Please let us know if this bike shows up somewhere! Send us an e-mail at info@m5-ligfietsen.nl or contact us on number +31 118 628759 or +31 6 1403 7797. Thanks! | ||
Mirror, mirror on the... |
September 6th, 2014 | |
brake lever | ||
) Finally a mirror that's compact, thus inconspicuous, without vibrating bracket and with good looks: the Zephal Spin. thoroughly tested during the Viking Tour and this is a stayer!Naturally with some modifications, but this way it can be mounted directly on the brake lever. | ||
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Also looking forward to an extended weekend of bicycling? |
September 4th, 2014 | |
This weekend tour of 1000 km along the Belgian borders with 6000 metres of ascending | ||
) Our top randonneur Arthur van der Lee took two days extra time off to start Borders of Belgium. Well, if you have an efficient bike these tours are covered almost effortless. However, it's not really about setting the fastest time, but more the adventure along the way. You'll always experience something special. Camping is done with a hammock tent and you'll never know where you'll end up the next evening. And the best part: the day after the event you just go back to work, because recumbent riders do not have any trace of pain in the crotch, neck, wrists, back, etc. Follow Arthur here. And this is the website of the organisation | ||
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