YONEX produces and sells the road bike

When you say “YONEX” then most of the people will remember the badminton racket. Originally, they used wood material to make the racket. Later it was change to metal, and now made from carbon. It is pursuing the same progress as the road bike.

The material of the road bike frame introduced in this blog is of course carbon, but not the simple carbon.

This item is just like the combination of different materials that this company has fostered during the development of sports articles. These are metals like X fullerene and gum metal. These are the materials that are not familiar in the field of road bike, but as a result of Yonex pursuing the required performance, it was able to use the material in badminton racket etc.

When considering the performance necessary for the road bike frame, Yonex found and concluded that these are the effective materials.
X fullerene is used for the carbon of the entire frame, and the fullerene molecule is made as a composite resin that hardens the carbon fiber based on the nano science.
As a result, strength of the resin itself increases, and hence it is possible to give the necessary strength for the road bike frame with approximately half of the traditional amount.
The gum metal is a new titanium alloy developed by the Toyota Motor group. The “Low elasticity modulus” and “High strength” are combined, that was considered as impossible.
This is used partially in down tube and seat stay.
The theory called O.P.S that is adopted in the tennis racket of this company is used in the chain stay.
The lateral stiffness is improved by thinning the upper and lower sides of the square tube, and thickening the transverse dimension, and the road surface following performance has been improved by giving flexibility in the vertical direction.

A true circular shape is used for the down tube as it takes the stress from all the directions.
Wire end is attached, but it is scheduled to become built-in frame in the product version.  

The “O.P.S.” character is in tube stay. It is the initial of “Oval Pressed Shaft theory”.
It increases the holding capability of the ball in the tennis racket, and the Yonex peculiar shape theory used to improve the spin and the control.

Extremely compact rear end  
Other than the derailer hanger, the upper and lower bearing diameter of the carbon made head is different. The lower one size is 1.5 inch.

BB is press fit type. The one frame exhibited is metallic, but the product version is planned to be full carbon.

It is giving importance to the feeling of the actual user though it will achieve the necessary strength in terms of numbers in the weight and design.

It has fostered the know-how of combining the performance and the feeling to the other items, because it has answered to the various demands from the player even on badminton, golf, and snowboard products.

Moreover, it pursued the absolute lightness. This is possible by the precise carbon lay-up achieved by the domestic manufacturing. Frame weight of 635g was achieved. It is the top level in lightness when the manufacturing all over the world was surveyed.

The Japan made carbon frame such as ANCHOR of Bridgestone is available,

but as the sales is less there is no big enterprise manufacturers are seriously tackling this until now, and hence I would like YONEX to firmly tackle, and reach the top by giving the frame to Maillot Jaune of Tour de France.

Last year Christopher Froome of the active service Maillot Jaune (Le Maillot jaune is French for the yellow jersey which is the t-shirt worn by the current overall time leader of many roadbike races especially the Tour de France) came to Japan, and the road bike has started to spread in Japan steadily.

At present, I am riding the COLNAGO-C40 and OPERA-LEONARDO.

COLNAGO-C40

OPERA-LEONARDO

Both COLNAGO-C40 and OPERA-LEONARDO are Italian manufacturers, and I will definitely change to Yonex if I take active part in Tour de France. Therefore, work hard! YONEX!