CONCLUSION

Despite the tubular frames having ruled the world for decades, manufacturers claim unibody bicycle frames represent a major stride in bicycle design, with unique design features that benefit unibody frames considerably. Constructed in a single, integrated form, the unibody can achieve strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios enabling the construction of bikes that are much lighter and responsive than before. Additionally, this manufacturing process allows for more capability in designing frames of complex shapes and integrated features that may ordinarily be difficult or impossible to manufacture using traditional tube-and-lug or welded construction methods.

Stiffness is one of the key advantages for unibody frames, enabling a good transfer of power and control. The absence of joints and the constant flow of materials throughout the unibody maintain the available energy into motion for the bicycle: any flex in the frame wastes energy. This makes it especially beneficial in racing bicycles since whenever watts are applied all power counts.

Quoting the sources, carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) is the material of choice employed in constructing unibody bicycle frames in view of the incredibly high strength, stiffness, and low weight. The engineers can customize the mechanical properties of a CFRP frame to satisfy a particular performance need through careful orientation and subsequent layups of the fibers during the manufacturing process.

Traditional bicycle frames are built by connecting individual tubes using lugs or welding. While such methods may have proven to be reliable for years, they have certain inherent disadvantages. Joints can be possible stress concentration points, reducing their reliability and making them subject to fatigue failure. Further still, introduction of these multiple tubes and joints makes this an incredibly labor-intensive process that makes the bike heavy.

Several studies have been conducted, causing the engineering people to say that these are better than traditional ones

In the study about the design and fabrication of carbon fibre track bicycle frames, it was observed that unibody prototypes presented more rigidity in all respects compared to traditional tubular frames.

The benefits made possible through a composite monocoque frame include the fact that it is jointless when carrying the loads imparted through riding, thus offering increased design freedom and the possibility of alleviating any stress concentration problems. But unibody construction also has those challenges:

The process is generally more difficult and involves specialized equipment and skills.

Repairing a damaged unibody frame is more complex and may require a total replacement. The cost of unibody frames is generally higher than a traditional frame.

However, even taking into consideration these problems, optimizing the weight and increasing the stiffness ultimately make such construction very viable and compelling for high-performance bicycles. It seems, as fabrication processes become even more advanced than they are now, costs will fall, and accordingly unibody frames will seem to be more in a progressive takeover of the cycling community.