Bike frames- info needed

beejay1288 said:

I am a year 13 student studying Product Design. As part of my course I have to do a product study and I have chosen to base mine on bike frames; in particular the materials they are made out of. I have chosen this area as cycling has been a part of my life for many years. I have to find different ways of collecting research one of them being from members of the public.The type of information that I need to find out is Research and Development into materials technology used on bike frames, manufacturing technology, joining methods; eg stress analysis, CAD/CAM which all help with the continuous changes in frame design. If any body has any information such as pictures, website links or your own knowledge of the topic that you think would be helpful for me it would be very appreciated as it would help me a great deal. Thank You!! 🙂

Beth

The book entitled "The science of bicycling", may help. Check Amazon or your local library. Good luck!

Hi Beejay,

You should search this topic on the forum here. As I recall, there are a few very long and informative threads on such topics as steel frames vs. carbon fiber or aluminum frames. Also, as a start, check out the following links:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

http://sheldonbrown.com/rinard_frametest.html

http://www.ibike.org/library/bikeframe.htm

http://www2.sjsu.edu/orgs/asmtms/artcle/articl.htm

http://www.ihpva.org/com/PracticalInnovations/materials.html

craigstanton said:

Hi Beejay,

You should search this topic on the forum here. As I recall, there are a few very long and informative threads on such topics as steel frames vs. carbon fiber or aluminum frames. Also, as a start, check out the following links:

sheldonbrown.comframe materials.htmlOpen ↗

sheldonbrown.comrinard frametest.htmlOpen ↗

ibike.orgbikeframe.htmOpen ↗

www2.sjsu.eduarticl.htmOpen ↗

ihpva.orgmaterials.htmlOpen ↗

il definatley look into that.. cheers! beth

beejay1288 said:

il definatley look into that.. cheers! beth

Couple of more potential sources. The first, the National Physical Library in the UK, appears to be frighteningly close to actual materials science, as opposed to the marketing science often used by bikemakers to describe their art.😎

http://materials.npl.co.uk/NewIOP/TheBike.html

The second is much more basic; a discussion of functioanlity and the pros and cons of various materials.

http://materials.npl.co.uk/NewIOP/TheBike.html

go to :

bikefanclub.comforumOpen ↗

and ask around at the framebuiler's forum and lugged steel traditional forum.

very knowledgable and friendly folk over there.

maybe by the time you're able to build a custom frame, i might have enough money to afford ordering one from you.
good luck.

B: Narrow your search. Frame design has been going through a slow developmenta progression. If you narrow your scope you might find a pearl in the oyster. e.g. carbon fiber frames- do the research and you can include stress related documentation. Otherwise you will drown is a wide ocean of information/misinformation. Lear to focus grasshopper.