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Material Properties and Design Aspects of

Folding Bicycle Frame

Article in Advanced Materials Research · June 2011

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.264-265.777

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Advanced Materials Research, (Accepted)

Material Properties and Design Aspects of Folding Bicycle Frame

M.A. Maleque1, a, M S Hossain2, b and S. Dyuti3, c

1,3
Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, International Islamic University
Malaysia
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR United Kingdom
a
maleque@iiu.edu.my, bS.Hossain@bristol.ac.uk, csdyuti_mme@yahoo.com

Keywords: Folding bicycle frame, material properties, design and fatigue.

Abstract. A successful design of folding bicycle should take into account the function, material
properties, and fabrication process. There are some other factors that should be considered in
anticipating the behavior of materials for folding bicycle. In order to understand the relationship
between material properties and design of a folding bicycle and also for the future direction in new
materials with new design, a comprehensive study on the design under different conditions are
essential. Therefore, a systematic study on the relationship between material properties and design
for folding bicycle has been performed. The advantages and disadvantages matrix between
conventional bicycle and folding bicycle is presented for better understanding of the materials
properties and design. It was found that the materials properties of the folding bicycle frame such as
fatigue and tensile strength are the important properties for the better performance of the frame. The
relationship between materials properties and design is not straight forward because the behavior of
the material in the finished product could be different from that of the raw material. The swing
hinge technique could be a better technique in the design for the folding bicycle frame.

Introduction
Before the automotive era arrived, the main transportation was bicycle. It has evolved and
improving in so many ways, from the invention of safety bike, the discovery of pneumatic tire,
development recumbent bicycle and innovation of folding bicycle. The folding bicycle still is
regarded as new technology. Generally, folding bicycle or folder is a type of bicycle that
incorporates hinges or joints in the frame and handlebar stem that permit it to be broken down into a
more compact size as shown in Fig 1. Fig 2 shows a comprehensive design that has been done by
one of the authors of this paper (M. A. Maleque) which includes handlebar, down tube, seat, and
other components of the folding bicycle.

Fig. 1. Swing hinge (Lockjaw) technique

The history of this folding bicycle was not very clear because so many people claimed that they
are the first developers of folding bicycle. The first folding bicycle known for the first patent was
originated back then in 1939 from A.J. Marcelin by the name of “Le Petit Bi”, a 16-inch wheeled
folding bicycle [1]. During the World War I and World War II, many of the military operation
conducted in isolated countryside. So the folding bicycle serves as the main portable transportation
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for them to travel from one village to another village. Its size and weight made it relatively easy to
carry around and consequently made it as the best choice for portable need. Though, the bicycle at
that time may be a lot different from the bicycle today in term of design, weight, folding part, and
size and other. To date, enormous amount of manufacturer has come out with their own folder
design that suit everybody needs as well as to compete in market domination [2, 3]. However, there
are still more scopes for improvement mostly in term of material and functional design, either for
the folding bicycle, or the traditional bicycle.

Fig. 2 Different parts of the frame of a folded bicycle.

The folding bicycle is not unfamiliar looking by any means. However, there are slight
differences in the structural design of a folding bicycle as compared to its conventional counterpart
[4]. For instance, the folding variety of the bicycle generally uses tires with smaller diameters, even
though the larger ones are known to ensure a smoother ride and are long lasting. The folding
bicycle that has shock absorbers normally would not bumps and the grinds of the road.
The particular design of the folding bike, namely the fact that the gear breaks or folds in the
middle portion of the structure and the steering tubes that are placed on the top of the bike frame,
does lead to certain weakness in the entire structure. This is due to the frame that makes the folding
bike prone to stresses and weakness in the overall structure.
The wide variety of folding bicycles reflects the different methods to allow a bicycle to fold. The
simplest folding frames have one hinge which allows the bicycle to simply fold approximately in
half. Bicycles built on this pattern usually also have quick-connect clamps to allow raising and
lowering the steering and seat columns quickly. A similar swing hinge may be combined with a
folding steering column. Simple fold methods tend to use larger wheels, sometimes the same size as
in non-folders, for users for whom maximum compactness is less important than the virtues of
larger wheels.
Since frames are a crucial component from safety point of view, design of the frame and the
material used for frame in folding bicycle should have very stable and reliable fatigue and corrosion
resistant properties under varying conditions of load [3]. The proper material selection and design
are important before manufacturing the component. The adoption of concurrent engineering method
in design and manufacturing has reinforced the fact that materials and manufacturing are closely
linked in determining final product performance [5]. The folding bicycle is an important design in
human history, thus it brings benefits to make life easier than before. With any latest technology,
there would be some problems that can be overcome as in the case of folding bicycle, where the
hinge at the frame has a problem with fatigue. The solution to the fatigue problem will extend the
life cycle of the folding bicycle frame as fatigue always considered as main problem regarding the
properties of the materials. Information on the proper material selection process and the relationship
between materials properties and design is not available in the literature. Therefore, the aim of this
Advanced Materials Research, (Accepted)

paper is to make a comprehensive study on the aspect of material properties and design of folding
bicycle frame.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Conventional Bicycle and Folding Bicycle

The advantages and disadvantages of conventional bicycle and folding bicycle are explained in a
tabular form in Table 1.
Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages matrix
Conventional Bicycle Folding Bicycle
Advantages Disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages
Cheaper Quality is not so good Better quality Expensive
performance
Strong and robust -Bulky structure Compact and would Less rigid structure
-no shock absorber not bump due to shock
absorber
More stable Heavier Comparatively lighter Less stable
Convenient Less secured Easy to carry Inconvenient

Phases of Design of Folding Bicycle Frame

Engineering design is an iterative process which involves a series of decision-making steps where
each decision establishes the framework for the next step [6, 7]. The phases of design depend on the
nature of the problem being solved. The phases of design for the folding bicycle frame are shown in
Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Major phases of design for the folding bicycle frame.

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The perfect hinge should be stronger, lighter and virtually invisible. Bicycle can be equipped
with the swing hinge lock which is similar to regular bicycle would perform better.

Materials Properties of Folding Bicycle Frmae

Properties determine the usefulness of the engineering material. Therefore, it is important to use
properties of the materials before any decision on a particular design [8]. Table 2 shows the
properties of the selected materials those are suitable for folding bicycle frame. It can be seen that
the titatium alloy is more suitable for this particualr application The major required properties of
materials for the use of frame is discussed below.
Tensile Strength. Tensile strength is the basic measurement of strength of a material. It is
specifically a measurement of the force required to pull apart a material. In frame design, the higher
the tensile strength the better the performance of the frame. More strength allows less material to be
used thus saving weight.
Fatigue Strength. Fatigue strength is the measurement of how far and how many times a material
can bend before it breaks. Higher fatigue strength is essential for higher durability and more safety
reason. Certain materials such as steel and titanium actually have a threshold value of the fatigue
strength and after proper design it can be used for an infinite number of times without failure [6].
Yield Strength. Yield strength (YS) measures how much force it takes to permanently bend a
material. As with tensile and fatigue strength, higher YS is expected from the materials for the use
of frame. The higher strength level of titanium (typically 800-1080 MPa) allows material to be used
less which in tern reduces the weight of the structure.
Toughness. Toughness is the property that defines exactly how much a material can stretch before
failing. Titanium is an incredibly tough material. Aluminum has good toughness as a raw material
with some extra care during manufacturing of the aluminum frame to make sure not let the tube
walls get too thin. Toughness is the Achilles heel of carbon fiber composites. If carbon receives an
indentation, fibers have most likely been severed, strength has been reduced, and the possibility of
further fracture has seriously increased.
Density. Density is simply the weight of a material for a given volume such as pounds per cubic
inch or grams per cubic centimeter. The density of the carbon fibre composite showed the lowest
density (hence lightest weight) with the approximate value of 1.8 g/cm3 followed by aluminum
(2.71 g/cm3). However, titanium showed the highest density (4.43 g/cm3). The density of a material
certainly is an important factor in materials evaluation; especially it is more important consideration
for bicycle application compared to its strength and durability.
Table 2: Properties of the selected materials those are suitable for folding bicycle frame [6, 7, 9].
Properties
Materials UTS Fatigue Yield Density
(MPa) strength Strength (g/cm3)
(MPa) (MPa)
6Al/4V cold- 1220 612 1085 4.43
worked Titanium
6Al/4V cold- 924 462 805 4.42
worked Titanium
Carbon fibre 805 402 700 1.8
composite
6061-T6 315 98 280 2.71
Aluminium

Corrosion Resistance. Corrosion (or the lack thereof) plays a key role in the life expectancy of the
bicycle and influences the amount of care or maintenance that must put into the bicycle to keep it in
good shape. Fresh water, salt water, sweat, hot, cold, ultra-violet light and infrared light are the
Advanced Materials Research, (Accepted)

factors and materials are susceptible to corrosion. However, there will have very minimum effect if
titanium alloy is used for folding bicycle frame as this material has very high corrosion resistance
properties.

Effect of Material Properties on the Design

The frame of folding bicycle has to incorporate with certain design features which introduce
changes in its cross-section. Figs 4 and 5 show the factors (primary and anticipated respectively)
those should be considered in design of folding bicycle frame. The figures also showed clearly
about the factors that affect the behavior of materials in folding bicycle frame design. The
relationship between material properties and design is complex because of the behaviour of the
material in the finished product which might be quite different from that of the stock or original raw
material [10].

Fig. 4 Factors that should be considered in folding bicycle frame design.

Fig. 5 Anticipated factors that affect the behabiour of materials in folding bicycle frame design.
In folding bicycle, the joint part (swing hinge), would experience fatigue stress as it involves
cyclic stress. Regarding to this hinge part, factors that might contribute to fatigue load are bending
force, axial load, and stress concentration during service. To overcome the limited cyclic stress, the
swing hinge would be coated to withhold the wear resistance from the movement as the hinge is
folded. Moreover, the hinge would be well lubricated as it can reduce the friction against two
components.
 Advanced Materials Research, (Accepted)

Conclusions
The study on the aspects of materials properties and design of folding bicycle frame was performed.
In conclusion, the folding bicycle is an important design in human history, thus it brings benefits to
make life easier than before. The fatigue problem (which might extend the life cycle of the folding
bicycle frame) is always considered as main problem regarding the properties of the materials. The
relationship between materials properties and design is not straight forward because the behaviour
of the material in the finished product could be different from that of the raw material. Additionally,
the properties like fatigue and tensile strength are the important properties for the better
performance of the frame. The coated swing hinge in folding bicycle is considered as a better joint
technique in the design and carries benefits to the user to fold the bicycle since it overcome the
limited lifecycle and moreover is simple and cost effective.

Acknowledgement
Authors are grateful to the Research Management Centre, International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM) for financial support to conduct this research work under project EDW A 09-472.

References
[1] L. Laios and J. Giannatsis: Appl. Ergon. Vol. 41, Issue 3 (2010), p428.
[2] Information on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_frame
[3] E. Zipfel, J. Olson, J. Puhlman, and R. A. Cooper: Disabil. Rehabil. Assist. Technol Vol. 4
(2009), p119.
[4] P. P. Lindsey, The design of a folding axontex carbon fibre bicycle frame, MSc Thesis,
University of Hull, (2008), p1.
[5] G. E. Dieter: Engineering Design. 3rd ed. (McGraw-Hill, USA 2000).
[6] M. Farag: Materials and Process Selection for Engineering Design (CRC Press, Taylor &
Francis Groups, USA 2008).
[7] S. M. Sapuan and M. A. Maleque: Mater. Design Vol. 26 (2005), p65.
[8] T. J. C. Liu and H. C. Wu: Mater. Design Vol. 31, Issue 4 (2010), p1971.
[9] Information on http://www.sandsmachine.com
[10] M. A. Maleque and S. Dyuti, Proc. of SPPM2010, BUET, Dhaka, 2010.

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