​

The UK’s Dassi Bikes has revealed a new frame at its Hampshire headquarters, believed to be the first utilising graphene in its construction.

With the bike industry taking great interest in the what is described as a wonder material, Dassi’s featherweight 750 gram frame uses just 1% throughout the six layers of carbon. What’s more, at a presentation of the new frame, the firm said in future it expects to see sub 400 gram frames in the not too distant future and perhaps lighter in the long term.

Dassi confirmed that its interest in graphene is not just limited to frames, but that it will be working on components too – including stems, seatposts and seatclamps. The graphene frames will be layered by Brick Kiln Composite in Banbury, Oxfordshire, while the source of the raw product is Germany and Wales. The carbon fibre is sourced in the UK.

For those who have yet to look into Graphene’s potential, Vittoria’s Frank Levering described the material in simple terms in an interview last month, stating:

“Think of vase full of marbles, that’s carbon. Graphene is the sand that fills the jar, adding an immense amount of new properties to an already excellent material.”

The potential of the material is huge for bicycle manufacturing. Laying claim to being the world’s strongest material, the one atom thick material offer 200 times the strength of steel, yet six times the flexibility, making it ideal for vibration dampening and comfort in carbon frames.

At present Dassi, which builds clients frames to order, is focusing on one road and one time trial frame.

By the end of 2016 the firm expects to be able to offer customers a test frame which will feature a wireless recording system that will collect output data. Everything down to the amount of twist in the frame under intense cornering will be measured. This data will then b used to help tailor that customers unique frame.

Read more on graphene’s history, its current use in the cycling industry and future potential here.