RFC — the in-house process that makes the B01 repairable (and nearly waste-free)

We like to say the B01 is “carbon and titanium.” True, but it doesn’t say much. What actually matters is how those materials are used — and that’s where eight years of R&D come in.

A process borrowed from aerospace

We call it RFC, for Resin Flow Composite. In practice: unidirectional carbon tubes, built from dry braided fibers. No pre-impregnated carbon sheets (“prepreg”) cut down and partly discarded. Here, dry fiber can be stored indefinitely without degrading, and resin stays stable as long as it’s kept separate from its hardener. The result: we only use what we need, when we need it.

Wax mandrels, machined in-house

Most manufacturers mold their tubes around disposable inflatable bladders. We use rigid wax mandrels, which we manufacture and machine ourselves on CNC. The payoff: extreme precision on the tube’s internal geometry — exact fiber/resin placement, consistent compaction, controlled fiber-to-resin ratio. Once the tube is molded, the wax is removed by melting or shrinkage, fully recovered, and reused. Indefinitely. Waste level: near zero.

Strength: the structure holds even when damaged

Braided fibers have a useful property: even when individual fibers are damaged, the overall structure keeps its geometry. For a load-bearing part like a bike frame, that’s what lets a rider keep control and get home safely after an impact, instead of the part failing outright.

Performance: two years spent refining the layups

Carbon by itself isn’t magic — it’s how it’s engineered that matters. We combine braided and unidirectional fibers to fine-tune, tube by tube and size by size, the balance of stiffness, weight, and vibration damping. Two years of numerical simulation and real-world testing went into refining these layups.

3D-printed titanium: the part that changes everything

The carbon tubes connect through 3D-printed titanium joints — parts that are both technical and sculptural. Their first advantage: unused titanium powder can be recovered and reused, so material loss stays low. The second, and more important for you: repairability. A damaged tube can be replaced without compromising the rest of the frame. We repair, we don’t discard — and your lifetime warranty survives the repair.

Even the mounting points (bottle cage, top-tube bag) use custom titanium inserts, built in during manufacturing rather than standard hardware. Replaceable, repairable, without ever needing to swap the whole frame.

Bottom line

RFC is our answer to a simple question: how do you build a premium bike without sacrificing performance, the environment, or durability? The next chapter of the B01 Product Bible drops this week — we’re tackling geometry.