A business run by Sonny Vu produces carbon fiber composite parts on a large scale. A line of completely customized electric bikes are now being 3D printed by the company. Sonny has been the most interesting interview subject for CleanTechnica. He is intelligent, courteous, and educated to the point where I recognized straight away that the bicycle company he runs, Superstrata, , needed to be honest and committed to sustainability. Additionally, it is founded on science and has a scientific bent.
Speaking with Sonny, I discovered more sustainable activities than I had anticipated. Added to that is a fresh turn. Despite the fact that I had always cycled, I thought it was a special opportunity to ride the Superstrata, a bicycle that is tailored to fit. It is strikingly comparable to a custom-made clothing made just for you. Your size, shape, and style are actually printed into your height, weight, wingspan, and bicycle adaptation.
The Superstrata Bike is the first unique unibody 3D-printed carbon fiber composite and electric bicycle in the world!
At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, our talk ran similarly to this interview with Sonny Vu below. Sonny discussed the usefulness of the material, which was formerly utilized for aircraft, drones, and other devices but is now more frequently used for e-bikes, e-mobility goods, and EV parts. “Anything where you need very high strength-to-weight ratio and you need it immediately,” he explains.
In comparison to other composite methods that take significantly longer to complete, 3D printing is rather quick—it takes around a day. There is no possible method to set up a composite line and receive a sample part that day. In most cases, a year is involved.
I thought Sonny captured how many of us feel about surviving in this bike vs. cars environment during our in-person conversation. He and I shared a similar worldview and body of knowledge. What will considerably aid in overcoming the challenges our grandkids and children confront in this world of climatic change? Mobility without using massive, clunky, invasive vehicles.
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Returning to the bike, I also adore its simplicity and practical beauty. It was a modern vision to receive the e-bike in a box that the house cat and I could quickly open and install. It’s still hard to believe that the bicycle was assembled without the need for a trip to the bicycle shop using 3D printing.
Mobility is essential. The majority of people are aware that we all benefit from clean transportation and that we need clean, fresh air. One of the greatest ways to get there is to make custom electric bikes that are the perfect size for our mobility needs. This is made feasible by low-cost 3D printing technology.
In a changing environment, it is preferable to have more protected bike lanes and access for bicycles, along with more expensive but essential electric automobiles, trucks, and SUVs. Rather than squeezing into tight areas, that greater form of mobility gets trapped in traffic. And the rider can use this one. Kyle suggests as well
Why not print up the ideal bike right away rather than purchasing one that is little too small and have to tweak the seat to make it fit perfectly? That was the main idea behind Superstrata, and judging by the roughly $4 million in preorders on Indiegogo, electric bike purchasers are very interested in the idea.
There are no additional seams, bolts, adhesives, or joints because the entire frame was 3D printed in a single pass. That immediately reduces weight and boosts strength. Superstrata is allowing customers to modify the stiffness of the frame, thus personalization of the bike goes much beyond just frame size.
I also want to discuss the idea of “Why an e-bike; why not a standard bicycle.” Yes, I rode my bicycle ferociously for 5 to 20 kilometers through the hills and tiny mountains when I was a young adolescent, never dreaming about a battery charge. There was no need for a battery back then. But if I didn’t have the batteries to ease the voyage home in my mid-sixties, I might pass out trying to travel 20 to 40 miles across a huge, sweltering Florida metropolis!
Here are some older details regarding what Sonny and I talked about in terms of realistic change for societal mobility issues:
Kyle Field has previously covered Superstrata for CleanTechnica. In August 2020, he said: “Carbon fiber bikes are nothing new, but things get crazy when the tech combines with 3D printing. That’s crazy fantastic.
It’s not just Sonny and I. Many people in Paris experience that ambiance going to and from work, the theater, and dinner.
People will use it in large numbers whenever a city like Paris develops secure bicycle infrastructure that connects them to where they need to go. Our decision to become car dependent was imposed upon us by fossil fuel and automotive companies. pic.twitter.com/tih7bDTjVI
— Peter Kalmus, @ClimateHuman, October 5, 2022
After a few trips on challenging bike trails, I’ll return with a comprehensive evaluation of the bike to let you know how the Superstrata and I travel. Here are a couple more of my favorites until then:
Princesa Mara de Dinamarca is one of the Most Remarkable Women in the World. H/t @arelibiciteka pic.twitter.com/ZkenDTMth0 , @colvilleandersn
(@dhidalgo65) Dario Hidalgo Superstrata, 0
I mostly use an e-bike to travel about my city. Everybody needs to be included when we discuss “electrifying the country”: rural, suburban, urban, young, old, low income, crippled, etc.
More individuals using transit, biking, and walking in urban areas also makes it easier for those who must drive to Superstrata, 1.
— Gabe Klein, Superstrata, 2 (@gabe klein)
Would municipal officials still think painting a good enough barrier would suffice if kids were walking to school in our bike lanes? Superstrata, 3
— Tom Flood, Superstrata, 4 (@tomflood1).
Civic vices like “jaywalking” and “loitering” turn into civic virtues when communities are designed for people rather than cars. Superstrata, 5
Taras Grescoe (@grescoe), Superstrata, 6
Cleanser of the advisory bike lane timetable.
— Lennart Nout, Superstrata, 8 (@lennartnout)
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