A Bike For a Lifetime
Mateo’s Final Project Proposal — CM Studio.
Story Time
I don’t remember when my interest in bikes went from “normal” to somewhat of a bike nerd. But I do know that ever since I’m 15 I’ve never owned less than 3 bikes at any given time. Some I’d buy and sell, others were a gift, always a collectible one, and the last one was built with all the parts I had laying around. However, one thing is for sure; each one had a specific purpose.
On the other hand, the rising awareness in environmentally conscious practices has got me thinking that just riding a bicycle is not enough to decrease our toll on the planet. There’s room for improvement.
After exploring the net to see what is out there, I found somewhat of a foundation from where I want this project to spur. I want to design a bike that can last the user a lifetime.
Inspiration
Inspiration N 1 came from the kickstarter project MonkeCycles, where they created a bike that can follow a kids growth and development with just a few tweaks and adjustments.
Inspiration N 2 came from this project that I found on YouTube where they 3D printed key bike parts that accepted PVC tubes to create a pretty solid bike.
Inspiration N 3 came from design agency Eurocompositi, who created a compostable 3D printed bike frame that took gold on the 2015 Eurobike Awards.
Lastly, inspiration N 4 comes from the concept of Phonebloks, a modular approach for smartphones to reduce technologic waste and encourage customization.
Project Summary
In conclusion, the idea is to create a bike that could last you a lifetime. Mixing a modular approach with parametric design, I plan to come up with a frame that has the ability to outlast its owner.
In the next few weeks I’ll dive into frame geometry; regular wear and tear of bikes; understanding materials, their life cycle and their durability; riding styles; and customization preferences of bike users.
Questions to answer will be: can one bike cater to everyone? What are the upper and lower limits? What does a bike look like for different age groups? Are current bike designs the best way to approach bikes? What is the best material for this purpose? What could a first prototype look like? What will I need to recreate it?
The final project will be a CAD of the bike frame, together with an initial prototype and basic brand development — for later commercialization.
