The Toyota Prius Projects: Concept Bike Week 3
Expand

Radar

The Toyota Prius Projects: Concept Bike Week 3

IMG_3823.jpg

In last week‘s Toyota Prius Project concept bike entry, we saw how over time, the Parlee team refined their design dialog to adopt what we’re referring to at the moment as an aero road bike style. Since Parlee has the capabilities of producing proprietary monocoque lugwork in house, the concept bike can take on a design language of its own and morph into something unlike anything Parlee has created in the past. But before we dive into that too much, let’s look at the process that Parlee uses to fabricate their bicycles.

Check out more below!

IMG_3803.jpg

While the process Parlee uses to fabricate their carbon fiber lugs is an industry secret, some of the tools found in their shop can be found on the work benches of any bicycle manufacturer.

IMG_3821.jpg

To start producing a frame, they take stock lengths of carbon fiber tubes, cut them to specification and join them together using molded carbon fiber lugs.

IMG_3870.jpg

What follows is an industry secret, but this is how they look when they’re fresh out of the machines, pending a bit of cleaning and finishing.

IMG_3869.jpg

What we’re looking at here is a head tube cluster, or the front end of the bike.

IMG_3975.jpg

And here’s a cross section of a seat tube cluster, or the rear of the bike. Now, the real design problem is how do we turn this…

IMG_3982.jpg

Into something that has evolved from these initial sketches? Therein lies the problem and therein lies the fun.

Check back next week for more updates on the Toyota Prius Projects‘ concept bike!

Last but not least, I’d like to thank the Toyota Prius Projects for sponsoring these posts and the opportunity to exclusively cover this project.