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It’s summer! The perfect\u00a0time to learn about the engineering of the bicycle and we have a new exhibit highlighting bicycles and their engineering!<\/p>\n
Do you remember your first bike? And telling your folks “don’t let go” the first time the training wheels came off? Most of us loved the exhilaration and freedom riding a bike brought and didn’t really think about the history and engineering of the bicycle…<\/p>\n Cycling – Herne Hill – Penny Farthing Race – London – 1932.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The history of the bike begins with the velocipede which was designed after the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).\u00a0From there it developed\u00a0into\u00a0the ‘penny farthing,’ to the safety bikes, and then to the bikes we have today. And there are a myriad of types of bicycles today. Not just for pleasure or riding to work, there are many bikes designed for racing and extreme sports.\u00a0There are road events (i.e. Road Criterium), off-road events (i.e. Cyclo-cross), and track racing (i.e. Olympics).<\/p>\n Make: Bicycle Projects. Engin Lib TL410 .B35 2015<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Want to try your hand at hacking your bike?\u00a0Make: Bicycle Projects<\/a><\/em> will help you do just that! It\u00a0includes everything from a\u00a0list of what\u00a0should be included on\u00a0a bike hacker’s workbench to commercial add-ons, to SpokePOV (Spoke Persistence of Vision).\u00a0Want a bike that glows in the dark? Or a ‘parade bike’ which has built in speakers?\u00a0Make : Bicycle Projects<\/em> will walk you through and help you create your own unique hacks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here at the University of Iowa, Steve McGuire<\/a>, Professor of Metals Arts & 3D Design and Studio Division Coordinator in the School of Art & Art History, has created a handmade bicycle curriculum. The UI is the first academic institution to be selected to exhibit the work of students at the North American Hand Built Bicycle Show. It is the most prestigious venue of its kind internationally. The program was started in 2010, and since then over 70 students have\u00a0built bicycles and some have gone on to become engineers and craftspeople in the bike industry.<\/p>\n What else is going on locally in the biking environment?<\/p>\n In an article from the May 18, 2016\u00a0The Gazette,<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>B.A. Morelli explains how Iowa City and Cedar Rapids are working to make both cities more bike friendly. Iowa City is testing a low-volume and low-speed street that gives priority to cyclists – a bike boulevard. Cedar Rapids has painted green dedicated bike lanes. It has also expanded the use of “supersharrows,” (paint markings are the silhouette bordered by dashed lines that you see painted in the center of the travel lane). Road diets may also be in the future. A road diet squeezed four lanes of traffic into three with the center lane for turning and with bike lanes on each side.<\/p>\n![\"Exhibit_Case\"](\"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/eng\/files\/2016\/06\/Exhibit_Case.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>A lot of engineering is involved in designing and\u00a0creating a bike. Designers look at multiple factors – aerodynamics, the wheel & spokes, tires, balance, ergonomics, and the different material with which to make the body and the tires. Looking at aerodynamics means exploring the shape of the bike and how that affects the air flow and drag. The design of the wheel looks at the width and diameter of the wheel, and the type of spokes. The wheel design and the tires also vary depending on how the bicycle will be\u00a0used – city streets? Off-road? Tour de France?\u00a0There are also ergonomic factors – pedal to saddle distance, crank length, saddle to handlebar dimensions…. And\u00a0the frames – what materials are used – steel, low carbon, chrome moly. Performance bikes often use low alloy steel and chrome moly which meet aviation industry specifications.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n