The Secret Chinese Factory Behind Premium Bikes

A few weeks ago I was given rare access inside FiberTek Composite in Xiamen, China - an OEM manufacturer producing carbon frames and other components for some VERY well-known bike brands. Big thanks to HoverAir, check out the lineup here: US Store - http://hoverair.sjv.io/engWej UK Store - http://hoverair.sjv.io/OY4KAG In this episode I’ll document the entire manufacturing process, from rolls of frozen carbon prepreg and hand layup, through to EPS and latex molding, curing, quality control, testing, and final assembly. However, one thing that REALLY surprised me was just how manual the entire process still is. Despite using advanced composite materials and modern manufacturing techniques, many of the most important stages still rely heavily on skilled technicians working almost entirely by hand. For example, modern carbon bike frames contain 200–300 individual carbon patches, each positioned according to a precise layup recipe. We’ll also take a look at: • EPS vs latex molding • Carbon fork and handlebar production • Frame curing and internal pressurisation • OEM manufacturing for major bike brands • Carbon frame quality control • Fatigue and load testing • Why some carbon frames are manufactured in China but painted in Europe A huge thank you to FiberTek for allowing me to film inside the factory, and to Joe from Panda Podium for helping make the visit possible. Fibertek contact: [email protected] [email protected] Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:04 – Disclosure 01:28 – OEM carbon factory 02:14 – Molds and carbon pre-preg 04:51 – Hoverair sponsor 06:22 – Pre-preg cutting room 08:00 – Carbon layup 10:23 – Handlebars, forks, and chainstays 11:54 – Baking/curing 15:04 – A second bake/cure 16:21 – Quality control 17:03 – Raw unpainted frames 17:42 – Prototype titanium frames 18:21 – Carbon testing lab 20:10 – Carbon testing lab Intro roll: Created by Dev Joshi - http://www.go2dev.co.uk Instagram:   / tracevelo   Email: [email protected] #hoverair #CarbonBike #BikeFactory #CarbonFiber