aduke

My High School is having an Engineer who specializes in castings and composite materials come and teach my Engineering class about them. My teacher is a biker and wants to do some sort of bicycle related project. We thought of innovating components or even building a frame/ wheels out of Carbon Fiber.
Here is where I need your help! Since bikes have been changed so many times over the years I am at a loss on what needs innovating.

What do you think bikes could use to make them more comfortable, efficient, or just plain cooler?

Thanks,
Alan

Machka 

Create tires that are comfortable to ride on, very light, and which will not go flat.

pg13

Thats easy to do. But make them cheap thats the hard part...

fietsbob

Learn how to do a Patent Search so you don't infringe on what someone else
has already done.

they have specialist lawyers ready to defend their patents.

Jeff Wills

If you want to try building a frame, copying one of John Morcliglio's designs would create a bike that's all of the above: https://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo72/JohnMorciglio/ Or you can build a guitar. Guitars are cool, too.

fietsbob

Or how about a IHPVA fully streamlined monocoq [body is frame]
low recumbent racer.
Speed record is only 80 mph, As I last heard.. on the flats.

PatW

Bikes are not a good place to start. I believe, that bikes are the most efficient means of human transportation. They are strong, light, and have very little loss to friction. I really doubt that someone operating out of a limited tool room can improve significantly on the existing stuff.

GamblerGORD53

We need lockable CF streamlined storage containers. Like paniers, saddlebags and front/ handlebar area boxes.
Couldn't care less about CF frames.

ESW116

Unfortunately you are going to have a difficult time coming up with any sort of significant innovation on a design that has had over a century of refinement.

The biggest areas of innovation seem to be coming out of mountain biking - specifically suspension design which is becoming extremely complex and highly engineered.

Snydermann

It's not about innovation, it's about advertising. Hype it up enough and get the right people to promote it and cyclists will buy anything. If it sounds exotic and it's expensive, so much the better.

Jeff Wills

As in: https://www.ruckuscomponents.com/fabrication/ ???
https://bicycledesign.net/2011/09/ore...st-cargo-bike/





Or recumbent type?
https://www.velokraft.com/vk2-tailbox.html

Retro Grouch 

EVERYTHING needs innovating. The trick is breaking out of the box and coming up with new ideas.

Mass produced mountain bikes have only been around since (I think) 1983? The drive chains that we use on bikes have lost their bushings during my time. Clipless pedals are a relatively new development. Mountain bike suspension is a developing technology. Recumbent bike design is still in a rapid development stage. Lots of stuff gets tried and rejected only to re-emerge decades later when somebody figures a way to do it better.

Good luck!

ESW116

An interesting area of development, currently, is internal gearing, housed in the bottom bracket. It removes the need for derailleurs. Infant stages but I suspect high end bikes will be carrying it 5-10 years from now.

I should clarify - different from an internal hub. it's essentially a gearbox molded into the bottom bracket.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...I8fw0gG_lLmyCQ

Artkansas 

How about a tricycle for seniors (not those sit up straight monstrosities) but not an all so low tadpole trike. Fast, sporty, easy to get in and out of, easy to lock, carries a good amount, for going shopping or doing a century. With 21st century good looks. That will probably be an interesting CF project.

trustnoone

+1

Or a full carbon penny farthing with a giant carbon tri-spoke wheel. Alternatively a full carbon cargo bike might be interesting.

Engineering in cycling is at about this point: https://www.bikeradar.com/news/articl...aunched-29642/

There is innovation to be had but the time and cost now involved in innovating the standard pattern bicycle may be out of the reach of a high school semester.

Monster Pete

If the exercise was to market something that has no advantages whatsoever over other products already available and costs twice as much, bicycle parts might be a good place to start. Mountain bikes are probably the only place where true innovation still plays a part. Look at suspension designs etc. Recumbents might be a good area to explore, but people seem intent on not buying them even though they're technically superior...

fietsbob

If its for "Defense" sky is the limit for cost over-runs. Drone Bikes?