IDstudent

Greetings, everyone!

I hope this isn't out of place in your forums.

I'm a Norwegian student of Industrial design, and I'm currently exploring a new way of carrying groceries, packages or other every-day odds and ends, while riding a bike with drop handlebars. The cyclocross/gravel market in Norway is still sprouting, but eagerly so, forcing me to ask abroad! It would help me tremendously if you could spare a couple of minutes and respond to my survey. I will not ask you to give up any personal information!

goo.gl/forms/VykQstDVSVg6ua1C2

Don't worry if you think the URL looks suspicios; it's just been shortened by Google.

Thank you!

fietsbob

AFAIK Gravel is another place for competitions, that's why 'gravel ' bikes are another niche category for expensive bike builds..

you don't carry things in a bike race... do you?

IDstudent

In Norway, gravel/cyclocross type bikes are often marketed as versatile and sporty commuter bikes. I suspect it differs from an established market like that in the US.

fietsbob

i'd 1st do a market survey, patent search, rather than an opinion poll..

every generation seems to think they discovered new things which turn out to be 50~100 years old. ...

IDstudent

I do appreciate your input, but the scope of this project doesn't allow me to spend the time needed to conduct such searches. This is merely one project in one term.

Were this to be developed for a client or a company, with market release in the foreseeable future, I'd go about this in an entirely different way!

bcpriess

A few thoughts for your survey:

- Give people the option to pick both road and gravel bikes. People probably ride more than one kind of bike. You should also include mountain bikes as an option with all the drop bar MTB conversions - and a LOT of 26ers end up getting used as commuters/ utility bikes.
- Ask if they have braze ons or other frame mounts - that gives you an idea of the kind of real estate on their bike.
- You should include frame bags as an option for how people carry groceries, as well as trailers.
- Find out how many groceries people are buying. For example, when I go to the grocery store on my bike, I usually am getting a few odds and ends to fill in the big order from earlier in the week, and it all fits in a backpack.
- Ask them to rate their priorities - your last question assumes that aero speed is important to a grocery shopper. But maybe stability or capacity or center of gravity or weight or some other factor is more imporant. Don't lead the question. Personally, I prioritize stability with groceries, and speed isn't very imporant because the distance is less than a mile.

tyrion

I filled out your form. I use a front basket, and if I need extra capacity put on rear panniers. Not stylish, but very utilitarian.

Steve B.

Gravel is just a term for a cyclo-cross racing bike that isn't intended for racing. Drop bar, dirt roads, accepts bigger tires than a paved road only bike, maybe wider gearing range than used on a cross racing bike.

tyrion

I think that's true here as well. Lots of drop bar fat (40mm) tire bikes that clearly aren't for racing.

IDstudent

Big thanks to everyone who's responded in this thread and to my survey. Your feedback is invaluable.

kuroba

I answered the survey. I use my gravel bike for commuting and often stop by for groceries on the way home. Currently I carry my daily essentials on a handlebar bag on a front rack and used to hang grocery bags from my handlebars.

That is until my city banned plastic bags so I got a foldable backpack. The supermarket is about ~2km for where I live so I don't mind carrying the backpack for that short time. I usually hate backpacks on the bike, but this was the most efficient solution I could find and has worked well so far.

wphamilton

You're welcome to steal this idea for your design

https://www.bikeforums.net/20587988-post13.html

IDstudent

Hi, there!

That's pretty close to one of my early concepts! In any case, the assignment incl. model and paper, was turned in yesterday afternoon.

Again, thank you all!

fietsbob

.. and your solution is ... ?

Maelochs

Yeah, asking for responses and then not posting drawings and details of the final product … might be some bad karma involved there. We want to see what you came up with and whether it is worthwhile in our unschooled opinions.

Two excellent points. I can go to the store for a few things on about any bike, and tied a bag to the bars—which I wouldn’t, for safety reasons—or lash it to my saddle bag.

For big runs, I bring a bike with one or two racks and one or two sets of panniers. If I am buying a couple dozen pounds of groceries (over a dozen kg for you metrificated folk) speed isn’t an issue—as @bcpriess mentioned, stability is prime. Falling over never feels good.

I built something like that for a long-distance loaded tour—though I added a support rising up from the front brake mounting bolt. Carried a ton of stuff and didn’t impede control functions.