Lifes Principles Evaluation and Recommendations Report for a Bicycle

Assignment 3.3 Mirna Garza

Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013

According to the survey, ...approximately 57 million people, 27.3 percent of the population age 16 or older, rode a bicycle at least once during the summer of 2002. (1)
A bicycle is a two wheel attached to a frame, human powered and pedal driven object used mainly for transportation, but also for fitness, recreation and as a toy for children. The majority of bicycles consist of the same general parts: saddle, frame, wheels, chain, pedals and brakes.
Image: http://www.translationdirectory.com/glossaries/glossary323.php Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013

Locally attuned and responsive

Does a bicycle adapt and evolve?

Bicycles can help the user to take advantage of a situation to go faster and use less human energy. When the bicycle goes down hill, the user does not need to put his energy to go forward. On the contrary, taking account its limitations, uphill the user needs to invest more energy to go forward. In a sense, a bicycles use their shape (two wheels one in front of the other) but not information, it needs energy and material to accomplish it function. The bicycle uses a segmented design, it is easily disassembled and, depending on the design can be fully disassembled, with the exception of the frame as it could be welded. Other wise, the parts can be joined with screws and other elements. Bicycles do use free energy that the user put into it. The bicycle will go as far as the user can or is willing to go. Bicycles do respond to context and depending on the model the user can change the gears. Some bicycles will only have one gear but some will have multiple gears and therefore multiple gear ratios. The selection of an appropriate gear ration helps the user, for example, going down hill it is more comfortable to use a high gear, a medium gear when riding on a flat road and a low gear when cycling uphill. The materials of a bicycle frame can range from steel to wood, from man made materials such as thermoplastics to titanium to very recyclable materials such as aluminum and Bamboo. This gives the bicycle a great advantage to be made of a diverse number of local materials. Bamboo bicycle Image: https://www.onekingslane.com/

Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013

Integrate cyclic processes

Even though bicycles are more widely seen in spring, summer and fall seasons, some bicycle enthusiasts use their bikes in winter too. There is the possibility to use them with snow tires, which are big and fat, also mountain tires or skinny tires will work, though it is necessary to have some experience too. It is very popular to reuse, repair, reconfigure and disassembly bicycles. Depending on the materials selected to make the frame, these can be composted or recycled. The rubber tires might represent a bit more of a challenge, but these can be upcycled and used as rubber mulch or as rubberized asphalt. (2) Image: http://www.rei.com/le

The known mechanisms in which a bicycle functions and the wide use and knowledge on them; allows users to be able to fix and add features to their bicycles. It is relatively easy as a bicycle user to sense something is wrong with a bicycle, this could be related to the chain or other parts of the bicycle that need repair.

Resilient Design
If the bicycle stands a big coalition, it is possible it would not withstand it. This would depend on how strong are the materials that make the frame and other components. It would also depend on the coalition on the possibility to reuse or recycle these parts. Bicycles are not redundant, the lost of one of its element can potentially reduce its performance to zero. But it is easy to find parts or information on how to repair a bicycle. This also allows bicycles to improve some features with certain ease.
Image: http://triathlons.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/03/prepare_bike_for_triathlons.php

Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013

arn/expert-advice/winter-bicycling.html

Optimize rather than maximize

The primary function of a bicycle is transportation, but bicycles can also be used for fitness and recreation. The technology available has help to develop bicycles that can perform these functions better. Generally these types of bicycles are divided as: utility bicycles, mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX Bikes. Its features help the user carry or hang bags and baskets, it sometimes can aid in carrying other individuals. (4) Depending on the materials used to make the frame is feasibility of these to be recycled. In most countries discarded bicycles will not be put in the landfill but its parts put to the public to be used as spare parts for other bicycles. In general all these types of bicycles have the same construction and parts, making the possibility to assemble, disassemble and repair much easier and accessible to many individuals around the world. If a bicycle is taking well care, it can have minimal maintenance, perhaps a periodical oil to maintain the chain in good condition.

Benign manufacturing
Bicycle frames can be made from the following materials, the most common being steel, as it is cheaper. It usually uses standard tubes of steel connected with lugs; these frames also offer the advantage that they can be repair much easier. Unfortunately, steel does require large amounts of energy to be processed. The selection of the material will, in most cases, determine the cost and the function. Steel, Aluminum alloys, Titanium, Carbon Fiber, Thermoplastics, Magnesium, Scandium, Beryllium, Bamboo and Wood (3) Images from: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/ your-biking-photos/#/paris-couple-street-bike_49161_600x450.jpg and http://www.poluscentercluj.ro/en/store_detail.php?client_id=3 Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013

Leverage its interdependence in the system

Using a bicycle has proven to be more energy efficient than walking and reduces the dependence in other transportation methods that use fossil fuels. In many mayor cities, there has been increasing use of bicycles due to bicycle sharing programs. The fist one created in the 60s in Amsterdam. Bicycles are part of a network and users can complement its use with other types of public transportation, allowing them to go to diverse parts of the city and avoid the traffic. In cities, the use of bicycles has proven to also help the parking space problem and even, health problems as it an exercise. (4)

Recommendations
Electric motor with a battery that is charged with kinetic energy from the pedals allos the user no to invest all the energy when going up hill. Manual on how to detect issues and how to fix issues. Include toolbox to fix those issues as part of the bicycle. Flexibility in the materials that can withstand a coalition without loosing, at least immediately, its function. References: Image front: http://blogs.westword.com/showandtell/2012/05/not_ finished_derailer_celebrat.php Image right: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/yourbiking-photos/#/paris-couple-street-bike_49161_600x450.jpg 1. http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/faqs/answer.cfm?id=3316 2. http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/tires/ground.htm 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_frame#Frame_materials 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle#Manufacturing Biomimetic Design/ MCAD/Mirna Garza/ Week 3/Summer 2013