ENHANCED BICYCLE BRAKING SURFACES
An apparatus including a bicycle wheel rim. At least a portion of the bicycle wheel rim can include a braking material. The braking material can have a roughness of about 1 micron to about 80 microns.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a bicycle wheel rim, wherein:
at least a portion of the bicycle wheel rim includes a braking material; and
the braking material has a roughness of about 1 micron to about 80 microns.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bicycle wheel rim comprises a fiber reinforced plastic.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a glass transition temperature of the fiber reinforced plastic is greater than about 265 degrees Fahrenheit.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a glass transition temperature of the fiber reinforced plastic is greater than about 310 degrees Fahrenheit.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fiber reinforced plastic comprises carbon fiber.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the braking material comprises a strike layer and a friction material layer.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the braking material further comprises an adhesive layer.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises at least one of a soft copper, a silane, a conductive paint, a foil, and a conductive resin.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the braking material comprises grains with an average grain size between 2 nm and 50,000 nm.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the grains comprise at least one of Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Sn, Fe, Pt, Zn Ag, Au, Mo, W, B, C, P, S, Si, Ni—Co, Co—P, nanostructures, ceramic, particulate, graphene and diamond material.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the grains are shaped as at least one of spheres, pyramids, threads, rods, flakes, and globules.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the bicycle wheel rim comprises a brake track of the bicycle wheel rim.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a sidewall behind the brake track is about 0.05 mm to about 2 mm thick and has 1 to about 7 layers.
14 . A method, comprising:
roughening a bicycle wheel rim surface;
applying an adhesive layer to the bicycle wheel rim surface;
applying a strike layer to the adhesive layer; and
applying a friction material layer to the strike layer;
wherein the friction material layer has a roughness of about 1 micron to about 80 microns.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the friction material layer to the strike layer comprises at least one of electroless plating, electroplating, sputtering, thermal spray, plasma deposition, and evaporation.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises at least one of a soft copper, a silane, a conductive paint, a foil, and a conductive resin.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the friction material layer comprises grains with an average grain size between 2 nm and 50,000 nm.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the grains comprise at least one of Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Sn, Fe, Pt, Zn Ag, Au, Mo, W, B, C, P, S, Si, Ni—Co, Co—P, nanostructures, ceramic, particulate, graphene and diamond material.
19 . An apparatus, comprising:
a bicycle wheel rim, wherein:
at least a portion of the bicycle wheel rim includes:
an adhesive layer;
a strike layer; and
a friction material layer;
wherein:
the friction material layer comprises grains with an average grain size between 2 nm and 50,000 nm; and
the bicycle wheel rim comprises a fiber reinforced plastic having a glass transition temperature greater than about 265 degrees Fahrenheit.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the grains comprise at least one of Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Sn, Fe, Pt, Zn Ag, Au, Mo, W, B, C, P, S, Si, Ni—Co, Co—P, nanostructures, ceramic, particulate, graphene and diamond material.