Hi,

I’m doing a project at school where i’ve got to overcome a problem. What problems have you got with cycling products?

The price!

😆 onzadog

They appear to be made of cheese.

I can’t change the price :(. I know what your saying Zulus, but I need to make a product to overcome a problem

The continuing changing of ‘standards’.

And 29ers, CX, road bikes, fixies, 69ers, shopper bars, bikes that look as if they’ve been in an RTA etc etc

project in what subject – design, marketingwankery, business models, … ?

poorly sealed outboard BB bearings (and multiple standards like wot he ^ said)

Design-Basicaly design a product that overcomes a problem. I got 10 months or so to make it.

here you go then – the spacers on shimano HT2 (and other brands?) bbs sit inboard of the bearings. This “pushes” the cups out, leaving less thread engaged, esp on driveside where you have 2 spacers with a 68mm shell.

I think somebody needs to make 1 for each side (2.5mm each) that sits outside the bearing cup – between it and the crank. This spacer could also be designed to improve protection of the bearings from kack.

Problems – would have to be able to avoid grating against the crank, wearing it away (maybe needs to be able to spin with the crank axle somehow)

Or design a commuting light setup that illuminates the rider, nice & brightly, from several angles – so drivers can see you properly, not just your ten thousand lumen headlight

Nice one scaredy. I was also looking at the commuting angle of things, maybe a side bag (pannier) that’s waterproof and also uses d3o material to protect the laptop

An invisible mudguard would be nice. Maybe a forcefield of some description?

Bearings – making a very long-life solution to cope with the UK conditions – generally very wet and muddy. In particular bottom brackets and rear suspension but any bearings really.

As an example for ‘comparison’ – Quarry vehicles have bearings that last longer – mainly due to the machines being much bigger/heavier and built much bigger but they do tend to live in very poor conditions – very wet and very muddy and the ground conditions aren’t alwys billiard table smooth…the challenge is to build something light, small (to fit a MTB) and able to withstand the crap conditions but also the varying pressures from use as a bike bearing…

or see if theres a way of making universal(ly applicable) adaptors for all/mostmany 20mm hubs down to 15 and bolted and qrs

they’d differ between brands but could maybe have a “main” bit that’s universal plus extra end bits or whatever for different major brands

A cowl for superbright headlights that doesn’t allow upward “spill” to blind drivers when you’re on the road (could maybe be a bit translucent like those rings that lumicycle did to improve side-on visibility too)

Windscreen wipers for my cycling glasses.
I hate having to stop all the time to wipe a blob of mud off my glasses.

All good ideas cheers. What about a all in one turbo trainer that can be transported easily to races for warm up?

Airbags for bikes would be a winner.

Pannier computer bag that mounts inside the frame’s main trangle for non-rack mount frames. Also better weight distribution and less all up width.

A driveshaft driven MTB onto a hub gear system for commuting on so you dont have to service/clean/lube anything.
Clutch bolts that will only do up to a set torque with just an allen key.
A self cleaning treatment for drivetrain-you getting my gripe here? 😀

I’m assuming suggsey you hate cleaning gears 🙂

Something to keep the brakes on when I lean the bike against my van.

Here

scaredypants

Problems – would have to be able to avoid grating against the crank, wearing it away (maybe needs to be able to spin with the crank axle somehow)

Very good point about the thread engagement. But the spacers would not grind on the crank as the plastic outer on the shimano BBs spins with the crank anyway so just need a tight fit on the axle or maybe a spacer with a rubber o-ring inner to grip the crank axle. Better sealing would be nice though and would need different length centre tubes.

Surrounded By Zulus
Airbags for bikes would be a winner.

You can already get them for horses. Pretty cool, you have a lead attached to the horse and when you separate the vest inflates. Would be nice to have one adapted.

Suggsey
A driveshaft driven MTB onto a hub gear system for commuting on so you dont have to service/clean/lube anything.

Would love this but frame flex would pay havoc with the gear mesh unless you use a very rigid fixing at either end and a flexible shaft. Doable though.

sc-xc –
Something to keep the brakes on when I lean the bike against my van.

Rubber band looped round a few times. 😀

My suggestion: a stem/headset design that allows me to rotate the bars for easy storage without me having to undo bolts but does not cause any flex/wobble/play in the bar to fork connection when riding and is up to full mountain bike abuse. A single bolt or cam or QR or something to allow the rotation. Has to be safe and not be to bulky or weigh lots.

On that last point I was just looking for a stem and seeing a few adjustable ones available (up and down, for riding position). Seems to me a very dodgy, 90s sort of component but I guess it makes great sense if it could be done right.
Just wouldn’t fancy planting the front end, full weight with a bolt through the stem like that.

GCSE or A level? Do you want a mainly workshop based outcome or happy to go the textiles route?

Personally I’d avoid anything too small, fiddly and engineering based. You probably don’t have the kit at school (have you guessed my day job yet?) that can work with the sort of tolerances to do a job as well as the existing products you will inevitably have to do some product analysis against. You will ultimately be disappointed by the quality of the outcome. I would go down the line of accessories or cycle related issues.

[*]There are some great “smart” electrically conductive fabrics you could play with and look at additional lighting built into commuting clothing.

You could look at developing a first aid kit that packed away but unpacked and worked in an interesting graphical way to help an inexperienced first aider work out what to do.

Packing away, storing, transporting of bikes themes are always popular. Can you think of a new angle though?

A lad I worked with lashed up set up to take film of himself from a zip wire in the trees above his local run (look at my post history and look in the self filmed thread to see what I mean). A commercialised kit to convert a smart phone into a ariel film device could be fun.

Go left field – the problem might be the wasteful disposal of cycling components. You could design a product that reuses (upcycles) components in a new and unusual way. A bike rack made out of the rear triangles of bikes destined for the skip for example[/*]

None, things break regularly, you fix them. It’s to be expected.

Rear mudguard that doesn’t look ridiculous please….

A quick release pedal system that allows the axle to remain in place and interchangeable spd and flat bodies.

A software solution into which all variables are input and it outputs the correct tyre choice.

A couple of new subjects for the forum as if you do the above this place is going to get a bit quiet.

The Blatant lies that told by retailers who sell components.

Yes biketart I’m pointing my finger at you! 👿

Convert- This is an A-level project. I would prefer to do a workshop based project as I enjoy that kinda stuff, also my mum is a ex textiles teacher so it is possible to do sort of clothing or something.

Convert- A-level project. I would like to a workshop based product as I am better at that, also my mum is an ex textiles teacher so that is a possibility.

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