best kids aluminium bikes image
richmck
A while back I conducted a survey with kids at my school about which metals were stronger according to their use. ( During the course of my 'experiment' I did my own personal investigation to spruce up the class activity by introducing materials which we do not / cannot use in the manufacturing of cars, bikes, trains etc... )
Since then I have purchased several bikes, a carbon fibre mtb being my favourite for mountain biking as I am an avid rider and the M5 aluminium material, as a reference point.
I refer to an enduro type bike not a jump bike with long forks.
I found out that Titanium was at the time, an expensive metal used in the construction of mountain bikes, as well as in the construction of various other objects.
Has any other metal or for that matter a new type of carbon fibre been introduced to the world of cycling which stronger and much more resilliant than Titanium.
And what use does Magnesium play in construction nowadays?
Thanks in advance.
Answer
I think you are getting things a little skewed, and I am sorry to say that your thesis of certain materials not being able to be used in the manufacture of bikes in particular is, well, wrong.
Virtually any material- even paper- can be used to design a bicycle frame that is sufficiently strong IF you take all of the other prerequisites away (such as weight), and it really doesn't matter what KIND of bike either... a good frame designer develops the frame for a particular use- they don't just design a frame and make it out of anything they want. Want to make a bike frame from water? Sure! Develop a mould, fill it with water, and freeze it. It may not last too long but if designed correctly it should be rideable for at least a few minutes. Plastic? Already done- search for "The Original Plastic Bike".
Both M5 and carbon fibre (CF) are composites. M5 has "whiskers" of a certain oxide in it while CF has a combination of epoxy and the carbon material. Titanium, aluminium, and magnesium are alloys which include a "mix" of other metals to gain the properties desired. Steel is an alloy too, and so is Cheez Whiz and coffee with cream (or even tea with lemon).
Magnesium (Mg) has been used for a long time for bicycle parts such as fork crowns and sliders. It is slowly being recognized as a good frame material- lighter than all the others and stronger than most- as the kinks are worked out for use in mass production. Just as the early days of Ti, CF and AL, the use of Mg will expand as designers understand the limits. I have been working with Mg frames for about 8 years now with dozens of prototypes and think that I have finally gotten the material where I need it.
If you want some more info, go to http://thecheapbikeshop.com and follow the link to the Esoterica section. There you'll find quaint discussions of different materials.
I think you are getting things a little skewed, and I am sorry to say that your thesis of certain materials not being able to be used in the manufacture of bikes in particular is, well, wrong.
Virtually any material- even paper- can be used to design a bicycle frame that is sufficiently strong IF you take all of the other prerequisites away (such as weight), and it really doesn't matter what KIND of bike either... a good frame designer develops the frame for a particular use- they don't just design a frame and make it out of anything they want. Want to make a bike frame from water? Sure! Develop a mould, fill it with water, and freeze it. It may not last too long but if designed correctly it should be rideable for at least a few minutes. Plastic? Already done- search for "The Original Plastic Bike".
Both M5 and carbon fibre (CF) are composites. M5 has "whiskers" of a certain oxide in it while CF has a combination of epoxy and the carbon material. Titanium, aluminium, and magnesium are alloys which include a "mix" of other metals to gain the properties desired. Steel is an alloy too, and so is Cheez Whiz and coffee with cream (or even tea with lemon).
Magnesium (Mg) has been used for a long time for bicycle parts such as fork crowns and sliders. It is slowly being recognized as a good frame material- lighter than all the others and stronger than most- as the kinks are worked out for use in mass production. Just as the early days of Ti, CF and AL, the use of Mg will expand as designers understand the limits. I have been working with Mg frames for about 8 years now with dozens of prototypes and think that I have finally gotten the material where I need it.
If you want some more info, go to http://thecheapbikeshop.com and follow the link to the Esoterica section. There you'll find quaint discussions of different materials.
questions about an ice cream bike?
jboyle1982
I have two questions for everyone.
1-does anyone know where to get a licence for an ice cream bike in toronto, ontario
2-does anyone have any ideas on how to turn it into a year round business?
I know I cannot sell ice cream in the winter but I was thinking of trying coffee or hot chocolate or cookies or something. Please do not mention that people can go to the store for this stuff cheap as I am not like most businesses...I will not be undercut, My prices are lower than most.
Answer
IN order to do that you must have a business license, issued by the Province of Ontario, plus a City of Toronto food vendor license, and your cart has to met the Health Department standards, plus YOU have to have a medical exam, to be a food server.
In addition to do that, you cannot sell in city parks, or on a sidewalk, and you must have a way to wash YOUR hands, with hot water.
Now for the practical side.........who are you going to get your supplies from ? You will need to have an Ontario Sales Tax exemption number, to be able to buy at the wholesalers, at wholesale prices. You will need a HST registration number and collect HST and PST on all your sales. You will need a liability insurance policy of at least one million dollars, to satisfy the city by law regulations for a food vendor permit.
Finally, why would you think that you, as a sole operator can compete with Timmies or Starbucks ?
How are you going to make fresh coffee, on the street?
Those kids that you see peddling ice cream bikes don't own them. They are working for a ice cream compnay, who makes ice cream. The kids get a small commission on each item sold. If they make $10 a day, they are doing good. Its a dead end job. The company has all of ther things that I mentioned above. The kids just do the work, while the company makes the money. Some of those bikes are 20 years old, and they get put out every summer.
You can make more actual money collecting scrap metal, or buying scrap cars and stripping out the copper, aluminium and steel, then selling the left over frame to the junk yard for the weight. One small old car can make you $500, if you get it for 100.
Jim B.
Toronto.
IN order to do that you must have a business license, issued by the Province of Ontario, plus a City of Toronto food vendor license, and your cart has to met the Health Department standards, plus YOU have to have a medical exam, to be a food server.
In addition to do that, you cannot sell in city parks, or on a sidewalk, and you must have a way to wash YOUR hands, with hot water.
Now for the practical side.........who are you going to get your supplies from ? You will need to have an Ontario Sales Tax exemption number, to be able to buy at the wholesalers, at wholesale prices. You will need a HST registration number and collect HST and PST on all your sales. You will need a liability insurance policy of at least one million dollars, to satisfy the city by law regulations for a food vendor permit.
Finally, why would you think that you, as a sole operator can compete with Timmies or Starbucks ?
How are you going to make fresh coffee, on the street?
Those kids that you see peddling ice cream bikes don't own them. They are working for a ice cream compnay, who makes ice cream. The kids get a small commission on each item sold. If they make $10 a day, they are doing good. Its a dead end job. The company has all of ther things that I mentioned above. The kids just do the work, while the company makes the money. Some of those bikes are 20 years old, and they get put out every summer.
You can make more actual money collecting scrap metal, or buying scrap cars and stripping out the copper, aluminium and steel, then selling the left over frame to the junk yard for the weight. One small old car can make you $500, if you get it for 100.
Jim B.
Toronto.
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