Road race cycling frame of the future
B.M. Adriaansens (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
D.I. Brand – Coach (TU Delft - Form and Experience)
Stefan van de Geer – Mentor (TU Delft - Form and Experience)
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Abstract
In the competitive road race-cycling sport, having a frame that is lighter and aerodynamic, grants a competitive advantage. If we look at the market, the lighter and expensive bicycles are made from carbon where the cheaper models are made out of metal-alloys. This makes the consumer biased towards metal-alloy frames, mostly about the weight. To make a optical and physical change in weight, the connection points (lugs) in between tubes are chosen. Using a topology optimised lug in frames improves production speed whilst maintaining conventional production methods and technologies. This lug has the opportunity to make the frame lighter and stiffer compared to a frame without lugs. The final product is a result of a marriage between craftsmanship and cutting edge technology. This product incorporates the characteristics and core strengths of the Braun-cycling company and the developments of CAD modelling software and additive manufacturing into a unique and high-quality product. It shows that metal-alloy bicycles are in no way outdated, but are futureproof.