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Bio-Racer factory tour: History
An old Singer sewing machine greets visitors at Bio-Racer’s Belgian headquarters, and it represents what lies beyond the doors. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Designers
Bio-Racer has a team of designers that create custom kits for clients, which are then manufactured just on the other side of the building. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Printer
After the design is made, these large printers produce the templates, which are actually negatives, of the kit design for fabrication. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Saddle pressure tester
As we walk toward the production area, a station is set up to test the durability of Bio-Racer’s chamois pad. The bike’s saddle has a special sensor on the saddle attached to the computer to examine where pressure is greatest as a rider sits and pedals. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Production line
Now in the production area, we see a moving belt that takes the pattern and fabric into the printer (on the top row, moving right), then produces the finished product on the shelf below. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Hand layout
Workers must carefully position the fabric on the negatives before it goes through the sublimation process. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Stretch test
Here we see another testing station, which examines the stretchiness of fabric. Bio-Racer had this machine custom-made so it could objectively measure stretch. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Objective measurements
The read-out indicates how much force is required to stretch fabric to a given length. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Testing the real thing
Even finished pieces of clothing can be placed on this device to test their stretch, both at the cuff of a short, as shown, or farther up the leg. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Patterns
The fabric patterns are carefully traced onto paper before being cut. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Hand-cut fabric
The fabric is cut by hand before being sewn into a jersey. Some factories automate this process, but Bio-Racer chose not to do so. A representative said that a human hand allowed for greater flexibility, that there was little benefit to automation. This man used the iron in the foreground to get the fabric just right before it was cut. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Stitch clean-up
In another step of this labor-intensive process, stitches are cleaned up by hand, using a small blade. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Colorful threads
Bio-Racer has an ample supply of thread in a rainbow of colors for nearly any kit design. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Chamois placement
Each of the 50,000 shorts produced last year had its chamois positioned by hand and pinned in place before it was stitched by one of the Bio-Racer employees. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Sewing machine
About six workers were stationed at sewing machines on the Friday that we visited the factory as part of a tour arranged by Ridley Bicycles. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
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Bio-Racer factory tour: Belgian pride
Amid boxes upon boxes of kit and materials, there’s a distinct sense of pride in Bio-Racer’s Belgian factory, which is understandable, given how many national teams and professionals prefer this clothing and choose to pay for it outright. Photo: Spencer Powlison | VeloNews.com
The post Gallery: Bio-Racer factory tour appeared first on VeloNews.com.
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