As part of my mechanical design coursework, we have to analyse a component using old modelling techniques and assumptions, and then analyse the same component using finite element analysis, comparing the two techniques.

I decided to look at a normal upright bike frame as we have been told that we cannot get credit for the same peice of work twice, and so cannot submit coursework that has also been submitted for our project. Looking at the stresses on an upright bike will be interesting and give me some insights into why they are designed as they are, but I will reserve modelling the recumbents for my project.

Rather than modelling the frame as a 3D structure, I decided to simplfy the frame of the bike into uniform solid rods, of known radius solidly merged with no fillet. I measured up my bike and the angles concerned, and a few minutes later on solidworks had something that resembled a bike from the side.

Given that we were told COSMOS was not in the student version of the software that I have, I somehow managed to use it to analyse the forces on parts of the bike. I assumed that the wheel hubs were fixed, and that a load was on the handlebars and seat post. The stress pattern and deflection of the parts of the bike were very interesting.

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