The Design Process of an Optimized Road Racing Bicycle Frame

Abstract

This paper recommends an alternative designing process for a superior road racing bicycle frame manufactured from composite materials that is much faster than typically used design processes. The main design goal is for the rider to be faster under the same riding conditions and with the same effort made. This performance gain is the result of a combined structural and aerodynamic optimization process used during the design process along with the selection of the materials. As the needs of the rider are the focus of this design proposal, the optimization can be carried out only after they are understood. The main difference in this approach compared to the typically used methodology is that, instead of analyzing the frame as a whole from the beginning of the design process and the CFD and CAE iterations, we examine each candidate part of the frame separately. After evaluating the parts’ performances, we select those that performed better to create a single frame. This final frame design is used to choose the appropriate layup that would meet the performance needs of the riders and the necessary safety regulations. The benefit of this approach is that the design time is reduced, allowing the product to reach the market faster. Furthermore, it is more convenient and easier to make any modifications required by marketing or regulations.

Keywords

• bicycle frame design
• spaceframe
• carbon fiber composites
• computer-aided design
• finite element analysis
• computational fluid dynamics