EPX Bicycles is part of the EP Group of companies, a global supplier of technologically advanced products to markets ranging from automotive to aerospace to consumer goods.

Development of EPX bicycles began in the late 1990's at a design consultancy in Sydney, Australia. EPX began to sell its city and road bike lines in Britain in 1999, with U.S. operations opening in Atlanta, Georgia in 2001.

With over twenty-five year's experience working with carbon fiber technology, EPX builds bicycles and accessories utilising state of the art design, development, and manufacturing processes.

All of EPX's products are designed at our research facility in Perth and now in Melbourne, Australia, and must pass through stringent testing procedures before being offered for sale. EPX products have passed official manufacturing quality tests worldwide, with our products holding both TUV (German) and BSI (British) quality testing certifications. The EP Group is also Global ISO9001 certified, meaning that every EPX product is produced with quality foremost in mind.

Frequently asked questions about EPX carbon fiber materials and manufacturing:

What is the frame made of?
The frame is made of 100% carbon fiber. The outer (dress) layer is a twill weave and is mainly for aesthetic purposes. The inner layers are a unidirectional weave for added strength.

How many layers of carbon are there?
This depends on the section of the frame or swing arm. The carbon material used is approximately 0.2mm thick. Some areas such as the sidewall in the center of the frame may only have about 8 layers (1.5 to 2.0mm thick in total), whereas around the head stem, bottom bracket, and suspension pivot there may be up to 20 or more layers and be more than 5mm thick.

How is the frame built?
The carbon material used is cut into the correct shape in much the same way as a dressmaker cuts out the pattern for a dress. Each piece, (and there are a lot of individual pieces) is cut with a specific job in mind- some with the carbon fiber grain running one way, others with the carbon grain opposing. This lay-up allows the frame to be built strong and stiff in one area, but with compliance in another.

How is the frame molded?
The carbon fiber is already impregnated with just the right amount of resin ready to be cured. The cut pieces are laid up into the mold with a specially formed nylon bladder inside the "wrap". At this stage the frame looks like a big floppy balloon in the shape of a bike frame.

Once the lay-up procedure is finished, the steel molds are closed and the whole package is gradually brought up to curing temperature with the pressure inside the bladder increasing to assist the forming of the carbon against the mold. The final pressure of about 110 psi and temperature of 180 degrees Celsius is achieved in about 45 to 60 minutes into the process. At this point the pre-impregnated resin has wetted out the carbon fibers and the whole matrix is bonded together. At this point the mold is allowed to cool to about 80 degrees Celsius before the new frame is ready to be released.

How do the aluminum parts get into the frame?
Pre-treated aluminum parts such as the threaded nuts for the suspension mounts, bottom brackets and steerer tubes are included into the frame during the lay-up process. This ensures that the parts are captured within the matrix of the Material itself and so no bonding agents are required to adhere the aluminum to the carbon. Careful pre-treatment of these parts ensures that surface oxides and contaminants are removed prior to bonding.