monocoque carbon

katiebob

What the hell is it?

How is it different from normal carbon?

What does it mean in bike frame terms?

:oops:

jonnyboy77

As I understand it; effectively a full carbon frame, rather than carbon tubes connected with lugs/connectors. Its the construction, rather than the material itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocoque
http://www.emcbikes.com/technology/mono ... ology.html

- Jon

katiebob

aha. cool.

So in theory it should be better than a standard carbon frame?

rolf_f

Katiebob wrote:

aha. cool.

So in theory it should be better than a standard carbon frame?

Monocoque is the standard. Lugged carbon frames tend to be high end only. There's never really much meaningful point in a manufacturer making a point about a frame being monocoque. It's like car manufacturers putting 'i' for fuel injection in a model name; a bit pointless given everything is fuel injected anyway.

The Rookie

Monocoque is a 'proper' carbon frame, no-one makes lugged anymore as far as I know, would be silly, but cheaper (mostly Chinese made) frames are tubes cut and bonded together under a decorative wrap, they work as well (done properly) but are heavier.

rolf_f

The Rookie wrote:

Monocoque is a 'proper' carbon frame, no-one makes lugged anymore as far as I know, would be silly, ......

I wouldn't call custom carbon frames silly!

MichaelW

There is a true monocoque frame and a piece of cycling history for sale here. Not mine but I saw it at a local bike event years ago.

domgears

AFAIK Monocoque is where the entire frame is created in 1 piece, where as others may create parts of the frame separately, whether that be tubes and lugs, front and rear triangles or whatever make no difference, the separate pieces are then bonded together, in lugged the join is obvious, in others it is under the top layer wrap and thus not visible and looks identical to a monocoque frame.

Each manufacture type can be as good, better or worse than the other, it really depends on the manufacturer and whether they are building a certain way to keep to a price point or to build in different characteristics.