Graphene: The next wonder material?

British bike maker Dassi has produced the first graphene bike.​

Graphene is a wonder material whose potential applications in the cycling world are intriguing. (Think carbon fiber a decade ago.) We've already seen the new substance used in some tires from Vittoria, and now there is increasing talk of other applications.

Discovered in 2004 and earning its finders a Nobel Prize, graphene is claimed to be 200 times tougher than steel, but also incredibly light - and rare.

"Graphene is a form of carbon," wrote the Nobel Prize selection committee. "As a material it is completely new - not only the thinnest ever but also the strongest. As a conductor of electricity it performs as well as copper. As a conductor of heat it outperforms all other known materials. It is almost completely transparent, yet so dense that not even helium, the smallest gas atom, can pass through it. Carbon, the basis of all known life on earth, has surprised us once again."

Graphene: The next wonder material?

Graphene comes from graphite ore.​

The crew from the Global Cycling Network were invited to the labs of Perpetuus, one of the world's largest producers of graphene, to see how it is produced and then find out just what makes this nondescript black powder so incredible.

GCN also got a look at the world's first graphene bike from boutique British brand Dassi which are pushing the boundaries of just what is possible with frame design. Light weight, stiffness, impact resistance… the list goes on. Press play to learn more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKl3OymFy4