Product Design Student requires some help

[mickle]

Well this one probably just ****es in his pants.

No need.

 

[snorri]

If the new bike had an automatic gearbox, the number of gears would be of little consequence to the user, I would think.
Also, I see commuting as one sub-section within the utility cycling sector, why is it segregated from the other modes of utility cycling for the purposes of the poll?

 

[Tigerbiten]

I tried to do the questioner but as I ride a recumbent trike, I cannot fill in question 3.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

done in parts at least. I don't commute to work because I don't work, but I do commute to college twice a week & physio once a week.
Cost of bikes - hard to pick an answer for that when I have 3 ranging in cost from £299 to +£2,500 and use all 3, so all are my current bikes.
Gears - another issue on how many because 24 or 27 on my road or mtb are great but my tourer only has 14 get I actually prefer that because it is not a derailuer gear set, it is a rohloff hub though it sounds like you have not come across them (think similar to car gear box encased in oil as which is the rear hub - all gears as sequential and give same ratios as 27 speed mtb and can change gear whilst stationary) Brakes - what works depends on what rims you have and what brake blocks you have if you are not on discs. my tourer has stunning brakes and I am more than happy with them, but I do like hydraulic disc brakes as well.
Q10 I would change motorists attitudes towards cyclists more than anything else which might just be easier to control than the british weather.

 

[Cledwyn]

It's hardly redesigning anything, now is it?
The main reason than no-one has significantly redesigned the bike is that it's near-as-dammit perfect. Doesn't stop any number of students thinking they can do so and failing to even ask any relevant questions, let alone imaginative ones.

Can you give me an example of a relevant and imaginative question pleae.

Well done.
You have invented the velomobile, which has existed for nearly a century.
If you can't be arsed to do any research, why the hell should we do it for you?

I have looked at this before. No ones forcing you to help or write bitchy posts.

Northampton University? I worked there for nearly 20 years. I remember a bus station and a market square, and the only “Royal" Theatre, but that’s about all.

It's still a sh.t hole

Well this one probably just ****es in his pants.

and you're probably single.

If the new bike had an automatic gearbox, the number of gears would be of little consequence to the user, I would think.
Also, I see commuting as one sub-section within the utility cycling sector, why is it segregated from the other modes of utility cycling for the purposes of the poll?

An automatic gear box will still have a certain amount of gears. You don't want big jumps in ratios and at the other end you don't want to be changing gears all the time as it can reduce efficiency.

I plan to design a vehicle for the road and not for off road. The survey should perhaps of included other cyclists but I thought my main target market would be commuters.

 

[Rob3rt]

and you're probably single.

Nope.

 

[Archie_tect]

Cladwyn,
Design a variable rear gearing system that uses a front and rear mechanism using cone shaped variable rear gear mechanism employing centripetal forces to automatically slide outwards to reduce the diameter of the 'gear' as the wheel speeds up.... bit like the variable gearbox on an old DAF car... you'd have to overcome slippage using a belt drive but it would be a smooth variable transmission...

 

[TheDoctor]

Can you give me an example of a relevant and imaginative question pleae.

If I was a design student I'd rather expect to be able to think of one for myself.
Mind you, I'd expect to be able to spell.
You could think about obstacles to cycling, for instance, or any fundamental changes to bike design or construction - perhaps cross-pollination using ideas from other industries or fields. I'm thinking here of ideas like bringing in a ski-binding company to invent the Look clipless pedal, or using the Hirth joint from F1 crankshaft construction in the Campag ultra-torque chainset.
Asking about gears and brakes is just fiddling around the edges. Use your imagination.

An automatic gear box will still have a certain amount of gears. You don't want big jumps in ratios and at the other end you don't want to be changing gears all the time as it can reduce efficiency.

Continuously variable transmissions are commonplace, but maybe not on bikes (NuVinci drive notwithstanding). I love the way you're telling us what we don't want in a bike. You don't actually appear to have a scooby what people might or might not want.

I plan to design a vehicle for the road and not for off road. The survey should perhaps of included other cyclists but I thought my main target market would be commuters.

Should have, not should of.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing your design once it's done.

 

[Licramite]

try this for an idea

 

[tricksta]

Hi,
Just found this thread and thought I would take part, especially as I'm an ex. Industrial Design Student (like Product Design with more engineering/production) myself and I'm based in Northampton.

Q3 was a bit of a stumper as I ride a recumbent.

To all those giving Cladwyn grief I give you these quotes:

'Imagination is more important than knowledge'​

'Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new'​

Albert Einstein​

​

Not sure why the questions he asked are wrong, limited in scope maybe, but not wrong. It's no easy task to come up with a final project, something you have been working towards for 3 years, something that is interesting to you and the course tutors. Most Product Design courses seem to focus on redesigning household goods (think kettles, toasters etc.) for much of the course and it is often expected that you will do something similar for the final project (I know from bitter experience). But it takes a certain amount of bloody minded individualism to try something different or as complicated as redesigning the bike. Yes it's been done before, but look back through history and you will find that there really hasn't been much that someone else has not thought of, sketched or built.

My 2p just ran out : )

 

[TheDoctor]

Imagination is more important than knowledge, maybe, but if you don't have either you're stuffed before you start!
Trying something new? That would be a Good Idea.
Every design student who ever comes on here either hasn't a clue, or suggests designing something that was around eighty years ago, was crap then, and is still crap now.
Thankfully none of them ever hang around, so we keep the signal-to-noise ratio at a tolerable level.
[/rant]

 

[tricksta]

Do we get a lot of design students asking questions then??

If we do, that's excellent, just a shame the community (or is it just a few) are not willing to spend a little time to provide information or references that may be of some use. Don't forget, a lot of design students are set projects by their tutors and may have little or no interest in cycling, the technology or the history involved and need to get a better understanding. Maybe they're coming here to find out information from somewhere they would assume/expect to be better informed even, dare I say it helpful.

 

[Shaun]

Do we get a lot of design students asking questions then??

If we do, that's excellent, just a shame the community (or is it just a few) are not willing to spend a little time to provide information or references that may be of some use. Don't forget, a lot of design students are set projects by their tutors and may have little or no interest in cycling, the technology or the history involved and need to get a better understanding. Maybe they're coming here to find out information from somewhere they would assume/expect to be better informed even, dare I say it helpful.

Students who put effort and forethought into their requests usually get the best results from the CC community - we can be a very helpful little lot you know; however those students who post hastily compiled, poorly thought out surveys, with little care for the site/community and with the expectation of CC doing the legwork for them (pun intended), generally don't fair as well.

It's also interesting to see how few students actually return to share the results of their surveys with the community or even make a second visit to interact with us regarding their ideas, never mind ask questions to clarify and better understanding things.

That's not to say I discourage the practice, I don't, I think we offer students a good range of experience and opinion, just that it tends to work more in the favour of the students than one might at first realise.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Licramite]

I must admit I thought the tone of some of the replies were harsh and heartless.
people do forget how easily other people can be hurt by such violent replies. - to being asked such a simple question.
Of course its the internet, I'm sure they wouldn't be such arses if they were asked face to face.
I'm sure they are perfectly nice really.

 

[bianchi1]

So much for cycle chat being a fun and "friendly" online community!