About this project
One day it occurred to us, office chairs have evolved over time to make the user more comfortable and therefore, more productive. As we worked on our latest project, a light bulb went off.... Why hasn't this same concept been applied to bicycles? After all, like a chair, it's another place that you'll spend time sitting. Comfort has been that piece of the equation that's been missing in the design of the bicycle. Since 1876 there hasn't been any true innovation in the bicycle frame, Until now...
We want to get everyone riding! To that end, we focused our efforts on understanding why people do not regularly ride bicycles and we found that comfort is one of the main reasons that keep people from riding more often.
With this challenge in mind, we designed the “Universal Bike”, the first carbon fiber ergonomic bicycle for the masses.
Our proprietary design allows for an easy change of geometry, making it possible for one bicycle to fit 99% of the population. With three basic measurements of the rider’s body and a riding preference, the "Size & Fit" app calculates the right setting ensuring a perfect fit.
We are launching a Kickstarter campaign to help with the expenses related to initiating production such as tooling, samples, travel, parts and components etc..
As seen on
People do not ride bikes regularly.
According to the "Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center", 0.5% of Americans use a bicycle on a regular basis, and 18% of Americans over 16 years old tried at least once to ride a bike during 2012. Our studies indicate that one of the main reasons people do not stick to riding bikes is because of comfort.
Standard Bicycles: All bicycles models are sold in up to 6 different sizes. This is a nightmare for the people in production and distribution, making logistics more expensive and complicated than they need to be.
More importantly, this way of matching bikes to riders does not allow for a good fit between the rider and the bicycle. It makes the riding experience an uncomfortable one and leads people to ride less often or quit riding all together.
Custom made bicycles: It is proven that having a bicycle that fits your body is the most efficient and enjoyable way to ride a bike, that is why all performance athletes get their bikes custom made. Some people that are not professional riders also have the opportunity to get a bicycle made to size, similar to a custom made suit, however this is an expensive option and is only available to a select few.
Now everyone can enjoy the benefits of a custom fitted carbon fiber bicycle for less than a thousand dollars!
With our carbon fiber adjustable frame, "The Universal Bicycle", we aim to bring all the benefits of a custom built bicycle to a greater percentage of the population.
The proprietary design allows for a change in the length of the bike, as well as, changing the angle of the front fork and seat tube. This makes it easier to set the rider in the right position, eliminating stress on the points of contact, (seat, pedals and handlebar) by distributing the weight of the rider evenly, therefore transferring the forces more efficiently from the rider to the bike.
Basic measurements of the rider, (leg, arm and torso length) plus the weight, height and riding preference are entered into the app, which calculates the right settings on the bike.
Universal Bike Specs
Frame: Carbon Fiber Universal Frame. One size for everyone, perfect fit with no complications.
Shifting: Shimano Nexus 3 speed and 7 speed. or Single speed/Fixie
Brakes: Aluminum V brakes
Weight: 15 pounds single speed • 19 pounds internal hub
Tires: Standard 24” tires.
Rims: 24” Aluminum rims.
Handlebar: Aluminum straight handlebar
Seat post: Aluminum seat post
Fork : Unibody Carbon fiber
Saddle: Gel and foam ergonomic saddle
Grips: Urethane ergonomic grips
Pedals: Aluminum paddles
Timeline
Risks and challenges
Manufacturing and Industrial Production:
Kickstarter projects are a risky undertaking and the reality is that they have the potential to encounter problems in the phases after funding.
We greatly appreciate the vote of confidence and trust our backers have put in us and in our project. We are working hard to avoid issues and have been planning a contingency strategy to get the products to the backers and fulfill our goal of getting more people riding bikes.
In the last 18 months, we have been working diligently on fine-tuning the design, testing, and making adjustments in order to have an end result that is the best possible bike that is free of “bugs”, is super cool looking and does things that people never imagined.
Moving into mass production has many challenges. Some issues we foresee, are related to industrializing the manufacturing process. In our experience, we see that in this stage is when you find out things that could not have been predicted in the prototyping stage, or with low volume production.
We have more than 15 years experience designing and manufacturing. Our partners, assisting with the carbon fiber production, are leaders in their field, also producing frames for Bianchi and Specialized.
Our combined experience and a network of resources here in the US and overseas will allow us to quickly react to eventual issues. More importantly, we are doing all the homework beforehand so that we do not run into unexpected problems.
We are also far along in conversation with two suppliers for the components and are scouting for a third option. This will give us certainty in the eventual case that one supplier would not be able to provide the goods.
Even though we are thinking ahead and preparing for the worst, some things may escape our control. We want to rely on our backers for support and patience if we run into difficulties, and we promise we will not stop until the project is completed!
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Funding period
- (30 days)