Problem Statement:
Of the 318.9 million people in the United States, 103.7 million Americans ride bikes. The power to move these bikes is applied in the chain, where the motion and sprockets are controlled. Unfortunately, sprockets and chains account for 34.1% of bike related injuries and currently, the process of fixing a faulty chain or sprocket, is not permanent and frequent bikers experience chain problems multiple times.
Product Description:
The chosen concept is called the Caster Bike. Basically, it uses the same concept as the Ripstik, a caster wheel based skateboard currently on the market being sold to a similar age range, but applied to a bike. Attach to the frame is an up-scaled version of a caster wheel made to fit onto a bicycle frame. Instead of the normal chain system and pedals there will be an adjustable foot-rest. The rest of the bicycle would function as traditional bike, with the same steering style and a height adjustable seat.
Operation:
For operation, the child will, in essence, wiggle their body side to side at the waist. This will twist the back wheel and create forward motion in the same way as the Ripstik.
Justification:
This design was voted the best solution because of its closer accordance to our constraints of appeal to age range, safety and less maintenance of the bike, when compared to other potential solutions.
Age Range:
When creating this new form of drivetrain our goal was to stay within our constraints and the bike still needs to appeal to the age range. This is important because if the bike doesn’t appeal to the riders they are much less likely to purchase it. The peer voting we conducted shows this design as the most appealing to the age range.
Safety:
This solution will be safer than a traditional bicycle because of its lack of a chain system drivetrain. A chain system drivetrain isn’t very safe because of its potential to snag or pinch the rider’s clothing and appendages. The Caster Bicycle would have no potential pinch points making the riding experience safer.
Maintenance Level:
This solution has also proven to have the best potential to require less maintenance. This is again because of the lack of a chain system drivetrain. A traditional bicycle chain system drivetrain may require lubing, adjustment, or tightening of the chain. The Caster Bicycle will have limited moving parts, may require no lubing at all, and will not need to be adjusted or have anything to tighten.
Appendices: