MATERIALS USED

Podium turns to enthusiast cyclists to research products which are both technologically and qualitatively innovative. Thanks to a high level of specialisation and to continuous investments in research and development, particularly in studying new materials and technologies, Podium guarantees reliable certified bicycles that meet the requirements of the cyclist who wants a high-performance product with which to express athletic potential in the best possible way. Continuous evolution in design and graphics has given Carrera bicycles an iconic style known throughout the world.

Carrera products are made in Italy, and only in Italy. The company labs in Calcinato in the province of Brescia are the site of all project design, prototype development, component production, assembly and completion tuning of each and every Carrera bicycle that is made.

Carrera-Podium R&D carries out in-depth anthropometric and biomechanical studies, reaching very high technical levels. The recent 2B “Double Arc Block” technology applied to the Phibra model is one visible result. The frame is created with innovative technology bonding two arc-shaped blocks, through lamination, resulting in a frame with the quality of having been made in a single block: stiff, light, comfortable, durable, reliable and customised to suit the cyclist’s body measurements.

The manual input, the care taken over finishing and a perfect knowledge of assembly techniques guarantee excellent products adapted to performance efficiency both on track and on road.

MODULAR CARBON

Coming from aerospace field, the carbon fibre excels every other material for its characteristics of mechanical resistance, durability and stiffness, joined to a great lightness; for this features the carbon fibre is used in the fields where high performances are indispensable (motoring, motorcycling, scientific field and – of course – cycling). CARRERA-PODIUM R&D department makes constant studies about this material working technology, deeply examining its potentiality and making experiment of new applications in order to put on market always the top of the available technology with the main aim to best satisfy the athlete’s needs and expectations.

The carbon (extremely thin and versatile fibre of 1micron diameter) is a composite material: its weft, containing thousand of fibres, represents the raw material that – impregnated with specific epoxy resins - can be hand worked in order to obtain more or less complex shapes; only thanks to the ability and the dexterity of the CARRERA-PODIUM team that work the fibres in the right way (cross-superimposition of different material layers, arrangement of the fibres in uni and bidirectional way), putting them subsequently in high pressure and high temperature autoclave, is possible to obtain reduced thickness and optimized resistance in every part of the frame structure, reducing the components to their essential weight without compromising sturdiness, reliability and performance.

The insertion, in the part of the frame most stressed , of kevlar, carbon/titanium and vectran fibres, grants a performances improvement while further reducing the weight.

The CARRERA-PODIUM carbon frames, carried out with high quality material (the high module HM carbon has a fibre with a highest mechanical resistance), are therefore the result of a long research activity. They are light as a plume and sturdy as the steel: subjected to hard tests in laboratory and on the road, they never shown cracks, so that their life is nearly unlimited.

The research activity of the company regards also examinations about aerodynamic and design; the exclusive shapes of tubes and rear triangle, make CARRERA-PODIUM frames nice, resistant, light and comfortable, at the top of the world racing cycles production.

ALLUMINIUM

The company puts at disposal of athletes also frames carried out in aluminium alloy, resistant and with high plasticity, with different triple thickness and on CARRERA-PODIUM special design: the valid alternative of the carbon fibre for those who at lightness prefer high comfortable performances in long riding. Used for the first time for military purposes in the missile field for its very high properties, the aluminium alloy with zirconium-manganese-scandium components (SC-7000) is processed with a special cold-drawing procedure which allows to carry out tubes with breaking loads that can reach up to 650 n/mm². This alloy is tig welded and is highly resistant to stress: non destructive test with x ray have shown how the welds are thinner and more resistant than the material itself.

The tubes of the frames carried out with the 7005-T6 aluminium alloy undergo a solubilization process, ageing and a pre-tensioning process in order to attain breaking loads that can reach up to 420 n/mm² and 135 hv surface stiffness. Excellent is the capacity of this alloy to be tig welded and this frames, to regain its initial plasticity, are put, after the weld, through a further heat-treatment.

The aluminium-scandium alloy is today used also in other extreme sports (mountaineering, for instance) as confirmation of its properties of lightness, resistance and reliability.

The combination of front fork and carbon rear triangle, damping the vibrations caused by the road unevenness, makes CARRERA-PODIUM aluminium alloy frames, thanks to their reactivity and bike manageability, comfortable and extremely efficient in long competitions.

SOLID CARBON

“Solid Carbon” is the most classical and highly approved constructive technology. With this technology are carried out carbon structures extremely strength, compact, resistant and light.
The high module (HM) carbon fibres are capably placed on an epoxy resin support in a continuous way for all the length of the object (exalting the extreme strength characteristics of this material), positioned in a uni and bi-directional way (direction is important to obtain the right rigidity and flexibility) and subsequently put in a mould.
During the frame working phase it’s possible to insert kevlar reinforcements in the part most stressed in order to increase the resistance.
“Solid Carbon” represents today the only technology available to carry out monocoque frames by characteristic of lightness, rigidity and comfort at the top.
The six standard sizes allow every athletes to find the most suitable frame while the use of a series of moulds in production allows CARRERA-PODIUM to offer product with high qualitative standard, checked in each production step, carefully finished and with low costs.

LAMINATED CARBON

“Laminated Carbon” is the assembling technique of tubes in high and very high module (HM), high density (K3), uni and bi-directional carbon fibre.
The tubes, pre-formed in autoclave, are assembled with a manual lamination process carried out on two different steps by the expert staff CARRERA-PODIUM applying 16 structural coats of the same carbon fibre used for the tubes.
Kevlar, carbon/titanium and vectran reinforcement wefts are applied in the most stress parts.
At the end of the assembling step, the bindings are finished with a surface coating as a kind of “tela” (cloth) (applied geometrically in line with the tubes fibres to obtain the best aesthetic result) and consolidated in autoclave with the “sack” technique.
The whole frame is subsequently bench tested with a micrometer by careful dimensional checks.
With its comfort similar to the best steel frames one, but extremely light, the frames assembled with the “Laminated Carbon” allow to achieve perfect custom geometries, with the possibility of changes if requested by the customer, standard or sloping equipped.

2b - double arc block technology

This very new producing technology, resulting by the constant research activity in materials and technologies developed by CARRERA-PODIUM R&D department, permits to carry out frames on the athletes size.
The “2B - Double Arc Block” is made by two blocks arc-shaping in highest-module (HM), high density (K1), high resistance (HR), with high unidirectional and bidirectional resistance (HR) carbon fibres. The two blocks are produced using a unique carbon weft without interruptions or discontinuity with aesthetical, rigidity and sturdiness results at top levels, till today incomparable.
The upper block is a one piece arc-shaping that starts in connection with the headset tube, incorporates the rear monostay and is integrated by the adapters.
This block has a passing hole through which, during the assemblage, will pass the vertical tube that from the seat post goes down without interruption to the bottom bracket.
The lower block is a unique piece that incorporates the bottom bracket and the rear triangle.
The special arc-shaping and the construction technology give high stiffness to the frame for which is given great attention to the tubes section that combines the thickness optimization with the shapes study; the result is a frame extremely rigid and devoid of torsions, able to directly transmit to the pedals all the athlete power.
“2B - Double Arc Block”, a mix of design and technology at highest levels.