The British-based composites company combines passion with decades of industry experience to develop the next generation of bicycles with higher stiffness, speed, comfort, efficiency, precision and responsiveness.
REAP Vekta aero road bike. All photos source: Kamm Projects Ltd.
Kamm Projects Ltd (Newcastle, UK) is a company specializing in the manufacture of composites, polyurethanes and fiber-reinforced materials for various industries. The company reports that after launching British-made carbon fiber, it is looking forward to the future of Vekta pneumatic road bikes through sister company REAP Bikes. This bike offers so-called next-generation frame performance and is designed for racers, triathletes and road riders who want higher stiffness, speed, comfort, efficiency, precision and equipment response.
Kamm Projects has undertaken many high-profile, high-tech projects, such as the Gibbs Humdinga amphibious vehicle, which uses carbon fiber prepreg and infusion to make structural components for the vehicle, as well as providing services to a series of high-end manufacturers, such as Bentley Motors, which uses structural reaction injection molding for car interiors.
However, when Martin Meir, the founder and managing director of REAP, believes that the bicycle industry has a series of high-performance bicycles with precision designs that are also made with unmatched materials and methods that big brands think, the birth of REAP gave birth to mass production costs. high. Mel has decades of experience in the field of advanced composite engineering and is also a former elite triathlete who still competes as an amateur.
"We have the ability to use 30 years of composite engineering experience to develop a world-class company," Martin said. "I believe this because the British manufacturing industry needs to do something to get it back on the right path."
To achieve high speeds, Vekta uses truncated airfoils-also known as Kamm-tails-which reportedly make the air flow behave as if it follows a long traditional airfoil. The air continues to flow smoothly after passing through the frame, and then meets again, as if following a complete airfoil, minimizing turbulence and drag. Instead of a complete airfoil, the truncated version is said to be lighter, more able to withstand impact, and more resistant to pedaling forces in the lateral direction.
Vekta's down tube also has a "stroke" or sharp crease that is precisely placed and tilted to affect the airflow following the shape of the virtual wing. Other features that help increase the speed of Vekta include:
With experience in the various materials and processing options that can be used to meet customer requirements, Kamm Projects points out that its team can pursue creativity from the idea to the final product.
In addition to the carbon fiber function, the company also injected glass fiber reinforced polymer (GRP) panels into the hulls of the Modec cab project and Gibbs Aquada amphibious vehicles through resin transfer molding (RTM). In the end, the company stated that the core of its achievements is the combination of engineering best practices and high-quality engineering ideas.
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