theBrandBakery

MASTER THESIS

Mass customisation in the bicycle industry: Improving user engagement with an participatory design process for bespoke components, featuring AI Bodycapture, parametric ergonomic adaptation and additive manufacturing.

Laurin Luis Kamm

Supervisor: Dipl. Des (FH) Magnus Feil, MFA

Department Industrial Design

FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences

Graz, Austria

2025

CONTENT

Chapter_00 Affidavid

0.1    Declaration of Honor

0.2    Eidstattliche Erklärung

1.1    Abstract

1.2    Introduction

1.3    Motivation and objective Outline

2.0    Past (1817-2000)

2.0.1  Technology yesterdy

2.0.2  Society of the past

2.1    Present(2000-2025)

2.1.1  Bicycle Industry

2.1.2  Technology

2.1.3  Society today

2.2    Future(2025-XXXX)

2.2.1  Technology Trends

2.2.2  Society Trends

2.3.   User-Product-Relationship (UPR)

2.3.1  Consumer

2.3.2  Rent

2.3.3  Own

2.3.4  (Co)-Create

2.4    Technology

2.4.1  Material

2.4.2  Additive Manufacturing

2.5    Cradle-to-Cradle

2.5.1  Biological Cycle

2.5.2  Technical Cycle

2.6.3  Social Cycle

2.6    Ergonomy

2.6.1  Pedaling-Position

2.6.2  Seating-Position

2.6.3  Bike Fitting

 

Chapter_03 Brand

3.0    Strategy

3.0.1  Purpose

3.0.2  Vision Statement

3.0.3  Mission

3.0.4  Values and Philosophy

3.0.5  Target Audience

3.0.6  Brand Positioning

3.0.7  Brand Personality

3.0.8  Brand Messaging

3.0.9  Visual Identity

3.0.10 Competetive Analysis

3.0.11 Organisation Architecture

3.1    User Experience (UX)

3.1.1  User Journey Mapping

3.1.2  Manufacturing Method

3.1.3  Manufacturing Strategy

3.1.4  Product Roadmap

3.2    Marketing

3.2.1  Storytelling

3.2.2  Why? How? What?

3.2.3  User Participation

 

4.0    User Experience

4.0.1  Configurator App

4.0.2  Webshop

4.0    Automated Design Process

4.0.1  Biomechanic Dimension Capture (BDC)

4.0.2  Parametric Bike Geometry 2D

4.0.3  Frame Design exploration 2D

4.0.4  Frame Design 3D modeling

4.0.5  Design Scale Adaptation

4.0.6  Topology Optimisation Workflow

4.1    Additive Manufacturing

4.1.1  3D Print

4.1.2  Post Processing

4.1.3  Paint

4.1.4  Assembly

4.2    Prototype

4.2.1  Zero

4.2.2  Renderings

 

5.0    Weblinks

5.1    Abbrevations

5.2    Figures

Chapter_00 Affividat

0.1_Declaration of Honor

I hereby declare under oath

– that I have independently prepared this Master thesis and have performed all associated tasks myself, using no other sources or aids than those indicated.

– that in preparing the thesis I have adhered to theguidelines of

FH JOANNEUM for ensuring good scientific practice and for avoiding misconduct during the preparation of this work,

– that I have properly cited all formulations and concepts taken over from printed, un- printed works as well as from the Internet in wording or in the essential content in accordance with the rules of Good Scientific Practice (guideline GSP) and have marked them by precise references,

– that I have declared in the method presentation or an index all aids used (artificial intelligence assistance systems such as chatbots [e.g., ChatGPT], translation applications [e.g., DeepL], paraphrasing applications [e.g., Quill bot], image generator applications [e.g., Dall-E], or programming applica-tions [e.g., Github Copilot], and indicated their usage at the corresponding text passages.

– that this original thesis, in its current form, has not been submitted to any other academic institution for the purpose of obtaining an academic degree. I have been informed that my work may be checked for plagiarism and for third-party authorship of human (ghostwriting) or technical origin (artificial intelligence assistance systems). I am aware that a false statement may result in legal consequences such as a negative assessment of my work, the subsequent revocation of any obtained degree, and legal prosecution.

1.1_Abstract

Product development in the sports industry is primarily driven by performance criteria from the competitive side of sport. The bicycle industry stands at a very interesting intersection between environmental friendly commuting and leisure activity. This offers the opportunity to influence the user behaviour towards a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle. Mobility design comes across as the design for transportation vehicles and machines, but mobility also describes the adaptability of societies. With the consumer awareness at the center of a product lifecycle, this thesis explores a human-centered design process that involves the consumer in the process of creation of a product. By actively engaging the user-needs with custom fitted bicycle frames the emotional bond to the product is strengthened. Modular products improve repairability and adaptability effectively extending the products lifecycle and user satisfaction. This concept approaches circular economy by improving the consumer behaviour and closing technical circles. The rapidly changing political landscape of our globalised world makes it hard to follow through with environmental goals. Many green parties are ruling with regulations. But the responsibility to create a lifeable future lies within all stakeholders. Governments, consumers and the industry. The urgency to transform our industial sector towards a circular economy is growing. This requires a comprehensive approach to consumption, manufacturing and recycling.

This thesis envisions a concept that leads by example and approaches the user as a stakeholder. This conceptual framework envisions a pathway to implement AI-driven body capture and additive manufacturing (AM) in the bicycle industry. Highlighting how AI and AM can enhance material efficiency on the technical side this concept also shows how design participation enriches product performance and motivates the consumer towards responsibele behaviour. The goal is to provide actionable insights for designers and brands who want to lead by example and shape a user-centerd future for the bicycle industry. By examining historical, present, and future trends in the bicycle industry, this thesis identifies pathways to align manufacturing processes with sustainability goals. It explores a brand and product concept that incorporates scalable solutions that merge technological innovation with environmental protection goals to implement human-centered design in the bicycle industry. This ultimately positions bicycles as both, functional mobility products and symbols of a regenerative future. This thesis aims to inspire a broader shift in responsible consumer behavior, sustainable industrial practices, brand identity and societal values toward a harmonious balance between innovation and ecological responsibility. To secure a peaceful future means changing from within. The performance criteria for road bikes are mostly light weight, aerodynamics and energy efficiency, which consumes a lot more money in the development process than for mountain bikes, which need to be reliable and robust, which are easier engineering goals to achieve. As this is a design thesis, the line is drawn where the engineering depth exceeds the conceptual product design process. Therefore classic diamond style frames for a frame-modularity concept and mountain bikes for a one-piece print are the more suitable choice to outline a concept for future-oriented bicycle design and manufacturing.

In our modern capitalistic society, the so called western world, we consume a lot of energy and resources which in many cases the people who live in less rich, developing countries have to pay for. Not with money but hard labour, their health and often times the destruction of their livable habitat. This leads to an unbalanced and unhealthy relation ship between the west and the rest, resulting in massive migration, caused by our consumerism.

Future oriented products can not rely on the same consumption principles as in the past. Resources and energy have to be consumed in a circular manner, put in other words: in tune with nature. We live on one rock, floating in space, shaped by billions of years of cosmic events, seismic activity and natural evolution of life. Our species is manipulating this equation of resources and energy by extracting fossil fuels, burning it and our precious forests to feed our lifestock, heat our houses and transport people and goods around the globe. If we take one step back, pause a second and look at ourselves from a distance, like astronauts do, we can see the big picture, the grand scheme of space and time and we can realise: with limited resources but almost unlimited energy from the sun we can change this by changing our ways and choosing a different path. The limited space and resources, limit our wealth, but if we take nature as a rolemodel, stop extracting and start recycling, our drive for growth and development can go on to the next stage.

Climatic circumstances that the rich western world mainly caused in the 19th, 20th century until today affect the global south more than rich western societies. But some political parties are still trying to colonise and repeat mistakes that already have been made centuries ago. To save the future of our species on this beautiful planet, we have to start working together, start learning from previous mistakes and pull all the strings in the same direction. Privileged highly developed societies have lived on the expence of the people in developing countries for far too long. This can not be the legacy of the 21st century no more. Things have to change, consumption has to change but first of all:

~ We have to change!

As the climate catastrophes, destruction of nature and loss of biodiversity endangers a safe and livable future, the need for systemic change in our design and consumption patterns is recognised by a growing portion of the worlds society. The history of colonialism and the industrialisation are still visible today. And the history of our consumerism today will be visible in the future. This thesis is motivated by the belief that design and innovation can amplify each other and create a synergy that results in positive change. Circular economy is usually explained with technical cycles. Reducing the impact of our industrial sector by improving the product efficiency will only result in an increase of consume. Showcasing the potential impact of design on the user behaviour on the other hand has the potential to make our society rethink. At the intersection between mobility and leisure products, the bicycle offers a vivid playground for impactful inventions. This work seeks to demonstrate how the evolution of bike design and manufacturing can shape the user behaviour, improve the satisfaction and raise awareness for environmental friendliness. The primary objective is to create a scalable, future- oriented brand concept that offers a human-centerd participatory design process to improve the user-product-relationship and consumer awareness. Fostering a closer connection with a product motivates the owner to repair and maintain a product, effectively extending the lifetime. To offer customizable bike frames, body capture AI and parametric design are sequenzed in a workflow that allows users to participate and designers to take quick and precise adaptations to perfectly fit a frame to the rider. Topology optimisation software and additive manufacturing allow to manufacture functional and recycable parts in any shape.

Additionally, the research emphasizes the importance of collaboration among industry stakeholders, governments, and consumers to achieve systemic change. It underscores the role of participatory design in aligning products with user needs while maintaining ecological and social responsibility. The ultimate goal is to provide a blueprint for how industries can transition to sustainable practices, using the bicycle as an emblem of regenerative design and innovation.

2.0_Past

The first bycicle was invented by Karl von Drais in 1817 in Mannheim, Germany. ‘The Hobby Horse’ was made of wood and had two wheels of which the front one was rotateable to steer the bicycle, very much like todays bikes but it lacked breaks, pedals and a drivetrain and was propelled forward through kicking against the ground. The next iteration in 1863, ‘The Bone Shaker‘ got cranks and pedals and probably got his name due to stiff wooden wheels without rubber and missing suspension. Throughout the 1870s and 80s inventors introduced oversized frontwheels, known as ‘penny farthings’ or ‘ordinaries’ to supposedly increase security and the first competitive bycicle races were held. ‘Beginning in 1884 an englishman named Thomas Stevens famously rode a high-wheeler bike on a journey around the globe.’ (bicycle history invention by Evan Andrews 2023) In 1885 the savety of bycicles was increased through introducing equal sized wheels and a chain drive. This development was followed by improvements in brakes and tires which further increased safety and brought the bycicle to the mainstream. The first time bycicles were modified for offroad use was for the purpose of a military expedition of the american Buffalo Soliders. If trends even where a thing back then, the so called ‘bike craze’ flooded Europe and the USA with bikes and development leaped quickly. ‘‘A New York Times article from 1896 gushed that “the bicycle promises a splendid extension of personal power and freedom, scarcely inferior to what wings would give.’’(NYT,Dec.12, 1896, Page 4)

2.0.1_Technology yesterday

The first bicycles had no pedals, brakes or transmission. They were made out of wood. Even the wheels and spokes were wooden and looked like a scaled down version of wagon wheels. No wonder the vehicles nickname was ‘Boneshaker’. Following iterations of the bicycle had pedals attached to the frontwheel, which was the steering wheel at the same time, which must have been difficult to ride and only allowed certain speeds, until the speed of the directly attached pedals became impossibly fast to control. The obvious improvement of the speed was the scaling of the frontwheel, which made it possible to ride faster, at the cost of control over the heightened center of gravity and still a lack of brakes. 10 These bicycles were famously named ‘Penny Farthings’ or ‘Ordinaries’ and were also the first bicycles to feature the ‘Duck brakes’, operated from the handlebar. (Patent No. 594,234, 1897) At the time of the industrial revolution, where many machines and vehicles were propelled with steamengines and gearboxes with sprokets, brought the first chain driven transmission onto the bicycle, which allowed for equally sized wheels while increasing the speed and safety of riding bicycles. Years later in the 1920s in Paris, Oscar Egg invented the first deraileur, which allowed riding a bike with different transmission ratios. For many bicycle racers at the time this was considered cheating. But at the 1936 Tour de France these derailleurs were declared legal to use in a race for the first time and quickly became state of the art. Soon after the introduction of derailleurs, brakes and freewheels were invented and allowed riders to go downhill without pedaling and controlling the speed at the same time. These inventions had a huge effect on safety and possible speeds of bikes. In the 80s mountainbiking became a thing and soon after the bikes for offroad riding leaped, components improved and inventions like the suspension fork, carbonfiber, aluminium and titan frames and hydraulic brakes allowed for more controll in rougher terrain. Soon after, the first full suspension bikes were born and mountainbiking progressed to another level of offroad capabilities. And again, the technological advancements were considered cheating but quickly became state of the art and would not push other bikes out of the market but rather enlarge the realm of bikes. Soon after hydraulic discbrakes were invented for bicycles and swiftly found their way onto mountainbikes. since then, most components only got improvements in performance, stability, lightweight or cost, but new inventions that changed the world of bikes didn’t really happen until the recent rise of the E-Bikes, which again is considered cheating in the beginning and will be state of the art soon, if they not already are.

2.1.1_Bicycle Industry

INSUFFICIENT SIZING

Nowadays we have industrial production that offers bikes of different types, shapes and sizes. In many cases riders don’t know what to buy and often have a hard time finding the right size or have to compromise, buy from another brand they don’t like or pay for bikefitting. Some brands offer modular dropouts, flipchip geometry adjustments and adjustable headset cups to make a bike fit a rider better. However, most frame sizes range from 165cm to 200cm with three to seven different sizes, leaving many inbetween and for many women making it hard to even find a bike that fits their size, effectively excluding them from the sport. Most brands that do offer women’s sizes don’t have attractive designs and are often reminiscent of children’s frames.

GOOD TECHNICAL INNOVATION STANDARD

The performance of electronic trasmission, suspension and e-bike motors and batteries is constantly improving. This trend is pushing up the price of bikes at the top end,but also pushing down the price of entry-level mechanical products. The progression of innovation improves the performance of a bike to the point where the material is rarely the limit of riding pleasure. Standards such

as UDH, BOOST, IS and ZS BSA and Pressfit increase the compatibility of aftermarket parts and therefore the customisability of bikes.

POOR SUSTAINABILITY

In terms of material sustainability, modern carbon fiber frames are not 100% recyclable and rely on fossil resources such as crude oil. (Downcycling of CFRP) With increasing consumer awareness of sustainability, the mountain bike market is already shifting away from expensive carbon frames back to aluminium, titanium or steel. With mass manufacturing, product and consumption awareness has become less important to both manufacturers and consumers. Maintenance is a crucial part for extending the lifetime of a bicycle. The modular construction of bikes allow for very long lifetimes but warranty claims give false incentives to the owner. (iwarranty)

POLITICS

Another situation the bike industry finds itself in today is the Post-Covid era, a combination of drop in market demand, overproduction of parts and supply chain problems due to the geopolitical and security situations along trade routes. Taiwans security plays a crucial role for the global bike industry. Over 80% of frames and components are produced in the country (Taiwan Powerhouse 21.12.2024) and the political party in China making moves to take over the South China Sea and perhaps even invade Taiwan, the risk of a catastrophic political

development for the bicycle industry has moved from ‘an eventuality’ to ‘just a matter of time’. (Chinas Sea Claim BBC, 21.12.2024)

BRIGHT FUTURE?

When the pandemic hit and many people had time to stay at home or play sports, the demand for bikes spiked until everyday and worklife returned to our homes and many people realised they didn’t have time for their hobbies no more, flooding the second-hand market with good but used bicycles and making it difficult for OEMs to sell their bikes at full price. Dealers are sitting on their stock of parts, but demand has fallen, and some are struggling to survive. Over all the willingness of the society to ride more bikes rises and the market is expected to grow.

Industry 4.0: connected factories rely on hightech machines that autonomously execute their programming. Machines communicate with each other and production is easier to supervise and coordinate. Even if multiple manufacturers are involved with one product, the factories can exchange data automatically, increasing efficiency and reducing failure. To build a bicycle frame, there are several options of materials to choose from. The materials used also determine the method of construction. Aluminim frames are typically welded, just like steel or titanium frames. Frames made out of steel also offer the opportunity to use brazing as a method of joining the tubes together. Lug constructions use joining parts that then connect two or more tubes together and can either be brazed if steel is used or welded for steel, aluminium or titanium tubes. different metals can not be welded or brazed together.Lug constructed frames can also be glued which offers the option to combine different material like alloy andcarbon tubes (like Atherton Bikes). Another commonly used construction method is the lay up method. It is only applied in carbon fiber frames where sheets of carbon fibers are layed in a specific orientation over one another and then pressed with a bladder into a mold. The curing of the resin or glue happens with pressure and heat. (framebuildersupply)

The bicycle is a product on the rise. Many governments are promoting the construction of cycle paths and decrease the disadvantage compared to cars to reshape urbanism and mobility behaviour. In countries like the Netherlands and Denmark, the use of bicyles for short trips is more than twice as high as in germany or austria. Individual mobility behaviour has changed in recent years. Riding bikes for individual transport leads with the gain in attractiveness over any other mode of mobility. The increasing interest and high willingness to use bikes and spend a considerably amount of money is a good sign for the bicycle industry. (Cycling Monitor Germany_p.4) However, there is a huge difference in mobility behaviour between urban population and people living on the country side. The distances are greater and the availability of good public transport is scarce. Surprisingly, the differences between the use of public transport are far greater than the disparities in the use of bicycles. Even the difference for the use of cars in cities compared to the rural areas is greater than for bicycles. (Cycling Monitor Germany_p.165) The over all willingness of the world society to use bikes as a means of transport does not only resemble a good development for the bicycle industry but also shows the longterm trend of humanity moving in the right direction. But still, for most nations in the world, there is a lot to do until the cycling infrastructure is on the level where it needs to be to significantly contribute to the change of behaviour.

2.2.1_Technology Trends

Tomorrow’s technological advances are hard to predict, but certain trends can be seen in other areas such as automotive and aerospace. These technologies are expected to transfer their innovations to the cycling industry. Many areas of innovation are advancing at unprecedented speeds, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, additive manufacturing and human-machine interaction. These developments call for a new industrial revolution, the so-called Industry 5.0. The european commission is investing heavily in industrial innovation for a digital and green transformation to ensure longterm prosperity and social welfare in the EU. One goal of the european comission is to build a resiliant industrial sector, that forges an unshakeable base for longterm success and the achivement of environmental protection goals. (European Comission 2024)

INDUSTRY 5.0: Todays hightech technologies like metal 3D printing, topology optimisation software, parametric design, quantum computing and AI data processing intertwine in human machine interactive processes.The human component is utilized in the ways, they work best, creatively with a touch for trends and feelings and giving the direction, while the machine inteligent component does the computing and repetetive or dangerous work like in Fig.8 below. Both are crucial to amplify each others strenght within never seen development processes. These HMI designing systems are expectet to speed up the technological innovation by a multitude and create unimaginable possibilities of technological advancements. One field of product design can already be seen on the horizon. Where the HMI of designing systems become improve and enable any end-consumer to become a product designer themselfes and 3D modeling tools combined with Print-On-Demand (POD) Services replace a significant margin of mass produced products. (Industrie 4.0/5.0)

DECENTRALISED MANUFACTURING: Todays products tend to be closed systems, with little to no interfaces or ports to connect to other products, disassemble for repair, recycle, or upgrade and adapt to different use cases. Additive manufacturing offers the ability to reproduce spare parts with minor modifications, design products for disassembly to create product adaptability that allows users not to buy many products but to keep the same product for its entire life, adapting it to their needs and repairing it infinitely. This alone significantly reduces the CO2 emissions and resource consumption. It also avoids overproduction and adapts instantly to market demand without the need to stockpile pre-produced products. As the market share of on-demand 3D-printed

products grows, people are ordering their goods from a copy shop. (Vision by author: Laurin Kamm)

CIRCULAR ECONOMY: The greatest potential for saving resources and energy lies not only in perfect technical cycles, but also in social cycles. Therefore, product developers and designers working in the industrial sector should keep the users and their needs in mind. Some users may not be aware of the adaptability of their product, but with the right user manual and some education on the benefits of adaptable products, consumer behaviour can be positively influenced. Additive manufacturing methods range from 80-95% direct recyclability of excess material to 100% recyclability of the whole product, compared to 0% for carbon fibre products which require fossil fuels to manufacture. Substractive methods such as CNC milling remove 80-90% of the material, which requires a lot of energy to recycle. Additive manufacturing is therefore 4-18 times more material-efficient than substractive manufacturing, depending on the design of the individual part.

CONSUMER AWARENESS: Design for disassembly is a known concept in most societies around the world, self-repair and customization create a user-product relationship of mutual respect from consumer to product and therefore establish awareness for the maintenance products require to last longer instead of linear buy-use-waste. The main reason to take care of a product is the effort and passion which goes into its creation. Therefore handmade products and custom made products are not only made with more care, the value an owner sees in these products is also much higher which increases long-term satisfaction of the owner.

For the bike-riding society of the future, there are some trends that can be mapped and analysed to predict potential developments. Nowadays, awareness of sustainability, a green economy, and circularity is constantly increasing. For many mountain bikers, their bike is a token of passion. They individualise their bikes with either exchangeable parts, paint, or simply stickers to build a personal connection to their ride, making it into something special. For others, their bike is a token of status, and they express their individuality through custom-built bikes. This trend enables smaller brands to compete globally with fancy-looking and handmade bikes, such as Trinity Cycles from Australia, Ministry Cycles from the US, and Zoceli Bikes from the Czech Republic. Most of these smaller brands find it easier to adapt to volatile market demand, with some producing only on demand and others even offering fully custom specifications. Compared to larger brands that mass-produce their bicycle frames in Asia, these niche brands require a very specialised set of handcrafting and engineering skills. The trends in our society are striving for technical innovation, wealth, social fairness, and environmentalism. Our mobility behaviour in Western societies is shifting towards less energy-intensive methods of commuting, travel, and leisure, resulting in a ‘bike boom’. Even if the current situation within the bicycle industry does not seem like a boom, the long-term trend shows an increase in the global market size from $81.5 billion in 2022 to $128 billion by 2030. (Spherical Insights) Compared to all other modes of individual transport, riding bikes is the most likely to increase in significance among the population. Forty-six per cent of Germans say they would like to use their bike more often in the future. If only ten per cent of them actually do so each year, the number of kilometres commuted on bikes will increase significantly. About half of all people who want to ride their bike more often are motivated by protecting the environment or improving their health. Four out of ten people do so to save money, roughly a third want more flexibility in their mobility, and one in five dislikes paying for or searching for parking for their car. (Cycling Monitor Germany)

User-Product-Relationship (UPR)

There are different UPRs types which differ in relationship depth which in turn influences user satisfaction with the product. In other words, the more you like a product, the greater the joy of using it. As us humans are social beings, we form the deepest relationships between each other, but everybody knows the feeling of being attached to a thing like a toy from our childhood. We learn very early in life to form bonds with things and project emotions onto them. This is why it is possible to draw connections between Human-Human-Relationships and User- Product-Relationships. The Mental Health Foundation lists six tips to maintain healthy relationships between people and they can be translated onto products.

1. ‘Get to know yourself’ before you buy

Know what you want and need in relationships. If you don’t know your expectations then you will not be able to find the perfect product for your needs and keep consuming and replacing until you eventually find the right one. Nobody wants that with a partner, the higher the fluctuation, the more shallow the relationship. If a customer doesn’t know what he or she needs, a skilled and knowledgeable purchase cunsultant can help to identify the needs.

2. ‘Put in the work‘

Deep and longterm relationships are usually not found, but build. Things do not come easily. If people don’t spend time with the things they own, they will never properly get to know them and eventually loose interest, in the best case sell it soon, throw it away or in the worst case, collect it with all the other meaningless items in the basement or garage until they are thrown away.

3. ‘Set and respect boundaries’

Like everything, everyone has their limits. If those limits are exceeded, things might break, people can get hurt. If a relationship means something, then those injuries can be healed and the relationship strenghtened.

4. ‘Talk and Listen’

It is very hard to listen to a product which is unable to speak, but in case it makes unusual noises, it might be metaphorically asking for some care and maintainance, like tightening some screws or applying some grease.

5. ‘Let go of control’

Some things can not be entirely controlled and that is okay. For products, this is easier than for humans, cause unlike in the Toystory, things do not come to life when nobody is looking.

6. ‘Reflect and learn’

For a deep and longterm connection it is neccessary to reflect on positives and negatives to dial out possible room for improvement in the future. If you relalise then, that a product is limiting your joy and you need new things, it is a good thing, that products won’t feel hurt like a person when they are replaced with something new. And if it was a good realationship with the product, you might hope for a good new owner for it when you sell it. (healthy relationships) In case thatpersonification of relationships to products was a little bit far streched, here is an example of an expensive german car. There are multiple components of a relationship which improve the UPR. It most likely was very expensive, made of good material, was custom painted and configured to your wishes, it is a symbol of status, gives the freedom of transport, is a reliant and long lasting ride and it brought you and your partner to all the unforgettable holidays. The probability for an owner to form an emotional bond to such a car and the brand is very high, where a cheap car of the rack would lack some of the emotional components and maybe would not serve as well. Owners don’t only buy a physical product, they buy the use of it and sometimes get attached to the physical qualities. ‘For most things are differently valued by those who have them and by those who wish to get them: what belongs to us, and what we give away, always seems very precious to us.’ (Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics book IX F. H. Peters trans). When designers create a product or service, they should always try to improve the UPR to raise awareness for consum. There are several levers to pull that improve the UPR in a different way. Depending on the product category, market positioning or brand identity, they should be prioritized. Not all of them need to be applied to every product but at least be considered in the design process.

Personalisation: customized products foster emotional attachement because the owner feels it reflects his or her individuality and preferences. If the product is taylor made specifically for someone by a professional craftsmen or artist,the emotional bond is even stronger due to uniqueness and oftentimes passionate effort a human being invested into the creation.

Nostalgia: is the memory of a certain event or feeling someone formed while listening to music or using a product in the past. This can evoke an emotional bond to a product or time. In some cases these memories ar as strong as flashbacks and revoke positive emotions that where formed to an already passed phase in life.

Functionality and Utility

Products that solve everyday problems or enhance users lives can lead to an emotional attachment due to the aid they provide. Multifunctional items are most likely to work with this component of UPR.

Design: aesthetic appeal and unique forms can evoke an emotional response. The design might express something the owner likes to identify with or simply cause desire for ownership. Includes the haptic appeal of the surface, color and material.

Storytelling and Brand Values: If a product or brand tells a story that resonates with the user—such as aligning with their values, goals, or lifestyle—it can foster deeper emotional connection. For example, eco-friendly products might create strong bonds with environmentally

conscious users.

Social Status and Identity: in most cultures the expression of wealth or social status through ownership, is a common way to identify with a certain lifestyle, enhances self-perception and therefore improves the emotional bond. Even if the owner doesn’t see it that way, this value is created mostly internal and might be irrelevant to spectators.

User Experience (UX): Positive and seamless interactions with a product, especially over a long period, can lead to emotional attachment. If the use of a thing or a service never made any problems, everybody would love it for that. Just imagine your computer never had software issues, or the Deutsche Bahn never came late.

Ownership Experience

The quality of customer service, support, and post-purchase experience can contribute to the emotional relationship between a user and the brand. Long-term satisfaction and care can enhance the bond. (Chat GPT Prompt1)

2.3.1_Consumer

A Consumer-Relationship is build through the purchase of industrial mass produced, low quality products. They don’t nessecarily need to be one-way throwaway goods, but after their short lifetime of the product it won’t be maintained to last longer, but be replaced with the same, cheap product again. This relationship has little to no emotional attachement. Example for a typical Consumer- Relationship Product are the BIC Lighters, which can be refilled, but the process isn’t worth it for most consumers. There is one consumer-relationship product category wich is regularily being purchased even if in most cases nobody values it, which is packaging.

Relationship Principles: buy-use-replace (kleiderly)

A rental relationship, such as a car rental, is characterised by the user’s temporary and detached relationship with the product. Rentals are often insured and require only a small deposit, which reduces the user’s sense of responsibility. As a result, renters tend to be less concerned about proper use, resulting in significantly more wear and tear than with personally owned items. This behaviour is epitomised by the well-known phrase “Don’t be gentle, it’s a rental”, which reflects the fact that renters often drive more aggressively, pay less attention to minor scratches and may misuse the product. However, if rental products are designed with this in mind, they offer great potential for increased durability and longevity.

Relationship Principles: don’t be gentle, its a rental (rentcafe)

An ownership relationship is the most common type of product relationship in the capitalistic western world. Someone who owns something will look after it. The higher the cost to replace it, the better the maintenance behaviour. Generally speaking, the greater the investment in something, the more someone will take care of it to maintain it. A good example is a car. The cost was very high, so if something breaks, the owner is likely to repair the damage immediately. According to the endowment effect, owners of things tend to valuate things they own at a higher value, compared to something similar they do not own. (Richard Thaler)

Relationship Principles: buy-use-maintain (thethedecisionlab)

A Creator-Relationship is the basis of the IKEA effect. Owners of these products are involved in the assembly of the product. Therefore they have expended their own labour to create the product or put it together. The more complexe the product was the stronger is the feeling of accomplishment after it is assembeled. Another positive effect is that the assembler learns about the basic parts and function and might be able to replace or repair in case of damage. Products that are selfmade tend to impose a Product-Creator-Bond. And many times, the passion and precission a creator puts into a product can not only be seen, but oftentimes be felt while using the product.

Relationship Principles: create-use-love (thethedecisionlab)

For the construction of a bicycle, the designer has to carefully design every part that needs to be made. Then choose high quality material so the engineers and manufacture workers can execute the precission work for large quantities. (how to make a bicycle)

2.4.1_Material

Wood

The oldest crafting material of humans is from natural origin. When Karl Drais build the first bicycle in 1818, he chose wood. Prior to the industrial revolution in the mid 19th century, it was the easiest material to manufacture. Steel was only used to reinforce certain parts that required extra strength, like the tire around the wooden rim that protects the wheel from rapid wear on the cobblestone streets. Even the spokes, rims and hubs were made out of wood resulting in a very rough ride. (bicycle history) Today wood is no relevant material for manufacturing bikes anymore. Some boutique brands are using it to CNC machine precice parts which are then glued toghether. But wood is in its character a living material that is changeing through temperature and humidity. The dynamic forces while riding are to great and over time, the frames pose a risk to the safety of the rider.

Steel

During the Industrial Revolution, where many machines were sequenced into multiple step manufacturing processes. Due to its improved properties, steel replaced iron and became the most used material for almost any industrial product for many decades. The stability and lightness compared to casted iron products enabled the construction of thin sheets, tubes, pressed and forged forms. This technical development enabled designers to construct very light and robust bicycles. (Steel making) Until today, steel has unique material properties like tensile strenght, ductility and isotropy that make it a very suitable material to construct bicycles. The variety of manufacturing processes create a wide range of different applications of the material in a frame or for components. (why steel? by zoceli) ‘In the past, steel was widely regarded as the best material for bicycle manufacture as it was considered the most responsive, hard-wearing and versatile material that was readily available.’(steel-vintage)

Aluminium

The late discovery of aluminium in 1825 and the even later invention of the electrochemic purification method named after two independent chemists Hall-Héroult process was patented in 1886, aluminium as a metal was not conventionally available until two years later in 1888. In the next five years the price dropped by more than 80% which made aluminium a very interesting material for mass production in the field of avionics in the first and second world war. (discovery of aluminium) In the 1930’s the first attempts to construct bicycles using aluminium as the main material for the frame failed due to the materials soft properties. With the invention of an aluminium alloy called Duralmin, the first functional bicycle was made and named Carminagent by its designer Pierre Carminade. As the metalurgie progressed and other very light and robust alloys were invented, Aluminium gained in relevance for industrial products and replaced steel for applications were lightweight is needed. (the Carminagent, first AL Bicycle) Today aluminium is the most common material used to build bicycle frames. The strength to weight ratio and affordability of these bikes is hard to beat. Early on, the frames were consturcted with straight tubes, that connect in lug joints.

Some manufacturers still prefer this method of construction, but most commercially produced frames are made from welded aluminium tubing. The relatively soft properties of aluminium make it very suitable for the hydroforming technology hat allows for very complexe geometries and lightweight construction that is very strong. (bikeradar)

Titanium

As for Aluminium, Titanium was also discovered very late in 1791. Due to its very complicated extraction from the ore, it was not possible to aquire in a pure form until 1933. Multiple different processes can be used to purify Titanium containing ores. In the 1950 the Sovjet Union pioneered the use of Titanium alloys in military applications like submarines and aviation. (early Titanium) This very early display of what can be achived with titanium as a Frame Material, kicked off a hype about it. The first commercially available bicycle frames, came from Merlin Metalworks Inc. founded in 1986. The one of the founders confirms that he was starting to build titanium welded frames in his basement in the early 80s. (retrobike) Since then, titanium is known to make up very good bicycle frames but due to the modern advancements in carbon fiber and the high cost, titanium is mainly used by smaller brands that offer handmade custom frames.

Carbon Fiber

In 1999 Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France on a frame, made of carbon fibre. Ever Since it has been the material for high-performance bikes used at competitions. For Roadracers it became the go to material for good reason. Its capability to be shaped into almost any shape made it prone to be used for improved aerodynamic frame geometries. In modern day mountainbikes, the possibility to build multiple layers with different fiber orientation also makes up pretty solid frames that withstand hits way better than the first carbon frames back in the days. But still, aluminium, steel or titanium frames are more resistant against hits. Also the high cost of the moulds needed to build frames made out of carbon are very expensive and therefore the carbon material is not relevant for low-mid end frames or lower volume production. 

3D printing technology evolved in the early 1980’s with a rapid prototyping machine that build parts layer by layer, using a UV indused polymerization of resin (Stereolithographie SLA). In 1986 the first patent was filed for SLA and the .stl fileformat which is the most common filetype used for 3D printing until today. Since then the technology evolved rapidly and many other technologies like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused deposition modeling (FDM) or (FFF). In the 1990’s other 3D printing technologies were explored but it took until 2006 that the first SLS 3D printer became commercially available. Open Source projects like the RepRap proofed the self replication capabilities of 3D printers which are displayed by printer manufacturers like Prusa until today. For Industrial applications the 3D printing technology got developed to achieve never seen resolutions and a wide variety of printable metal materials, realising part strength chalenging and even exceeding conventional manufacturing methods. This effectively makes metal 3D printing one of the most advanced manufacturing technologies today. (ultimaker history) The past rate of improvement of these technologies raise suspicion for it to lead the next era of the Industry 5.0. Design automation software, the high material efficiency and a maximum in design freedom of realistic geometry make up a very interesting manufacturing method.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) Technology

For manufacturing bicycle frames with 3D printers, metal printing capabilities are required since any other material has not got the strenght properties required to print a frame that lasts long while performing good. There are a few different types of metal AM technoilogies.

Resin

a metal-infused photosensitive resin is hardened by a laser or light source.

Powder Bed Fusion (PBF)

a thin layer of metal powder isdistributed on a near two dimensional surface, a laser melts or sinters the metal powder in place before the next layer is placed and fused on top.

Metal/binder jetting

a printerhead jets metal, layer by layer on-top of each other where it cools and hardens.

Extrusion

a filament or wire of metal gets distributed layer by layer to form a 3D part.

Lamination

a laser or blade crops thin sheets of metal layer by layer.

Direct Energy deposition

A laser solidifies the metal just as it is depositioned by a nozzle. To choose the right metal AM manufacturing method, the strength of printed parts have to be compared as well as the possible resolution and cost per part. The high dynamic loads a bicycle frame is exposed to, determines the choice of material. Some AM technologies have less material density and high porosity, which makes up unconsistent parts. Others are very dense and strong. The strongest parts with the highest resolution can be produced with the PBF method. This method also requires the least support structures or post printing surface treatment and therefore has the highest material efficiency.

Powder-Bed-Fusion

There are two different sub categories of powder bed fusin. One is the Selective-Laser-Sintering (SLS) or (Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) method. The material gets solidified but not melted. This requires post printing heat treatment to fully melt the material which takes a lot of energy. The other one is Selective Laser Melting (SLM) or Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) these parts do not necessarily require post printing heat treatment and have their full strength right when the print is finished. Other bicycle frame manufacturers that use AM technology rely on SLM technology an use either steel or titanium powders. (URWAHN and Atherton Bikes) Another suitable material would be aluminium powder, which is very light weight and strong. The three different metals are all used in conventional Frame Building for good reasons. The PBF printing technology enable to choose from different titanium, steel or aluminium alloys with different properties. Which one of them is best for a bike, can not be determined on the proporty sheets, since the loads on a bicycle frame are very dynamic. One big differentiator between the materials will be the price. (Global Spec insights)

Metal Powders

To choose the right metal alloy for producing a bicycle frame, some key properties need to be considered, like yield strength, densety and elongation at break. Depending on the printers presets, those values may also vary in a

certain range.

Topology Optimisation

The biggest advantage of additive manufacturing is not just the flexibility of possible shapes, sizes and printable materials, even multi-material. But also the ability to print hollow structures with varying wall thicknesses. This allows designers and engineers to create functional structures within walls. (e.g. cooling pipes or mounting points for sensors Fig.15). The isotropic properties of metal 3D printed parts allow for software calculated material optimisation. This allows to find the lightest and strongest designs way faster than a human designer ever could. (Fig.14) The difference between generative design and topology optimisation is that generative design software addsmaterial wherever it is needed, between two or more points and perhaps around a constraint volume or geometry. The AI generates a variety of different design iterations that can be evaluated by a design engineer for weight and stiffness. Topology Optimisation takes the geometry of a pre-designed part and removes all the material where it is not needed. This allows lightweighting of parts that have already been designed but need to be optimised for strength or stiffness while saving material and weight. Both software create organic looking geometries as the underlying algorithms work in a similar way to the logic behind bone or plant growth. Both software solutions are state of the art in many areas of industrial products, not necessarily only for 3D printed parts, but also for machined or milled parts. Some examples are weight savings, increased resistance

to multiple loads, or a reduction in the number of parts, which reduces assembly time. All factors that increase the performance of 3D printed and topology optimised designs. (neuralconcept) (Fig. 15 Metalaserlab)

Topology Optimization capabilities 3D printed parts Upright Braket, Automotive: The Formula Student Racing Team managed to maximise the strenght while reducing the weight about 40% to its cast predecessor and won the 2021 nTopEd Challenge. Attributes: Lightweighting Material Efficiency Part performance (Fig. 14 Lightweight bracket design by Lions Racing Team) 

Heat Sink, Automotive: liquid-cooled heat sink for electronic parts in a  electric racing car, reduces weight about 25% while increasing the heat transfer surface by 300%. Attributes: Lightweighting Thermal management Performance increase. These examples are only two of many and proof to push beyond the horizon of conventional manufacturing capabilities. Design for Additive Manufacturing allows you to exploit the full potential of manufacturing flexibility like choice of material create highly customized and complex components that beat their conventionally manufactured predecessors by a multitude. Additive Manufacturing capabilities increase the agility for R&D projects and small series. Shorter Prototyping cycles reduce the cost and raise competitiveness in the market. (Puntozero)

Market Analysis and Trends

The PBF Technology used to require near perfect atmosphere inside the printing chamber and powder management was a very delicious process that required careful handling. Nowadays these processes are simplified and even home applications for metal 3D printing are available. (MatterHacker) The availability for POD-services that offer metal 3D printing increased tremendously in the last 3 years and is expected to multiply in the coming years. (marketresearchfuture) This imposes a continuing advance of the technology development, improvements in quality, build volume, printing speed, material efficiency, savety, recycleability and other criteria can be expected, while the competitive landscape will dump the prices. (hypothesis by LK)

Post-Processing

As for most 3D Printign technologies, the objects are build layer by layer which might require the print of support structures for overhanging geometries that need to be removed after the printing is done. For constraint geometries that require a certain quality in surface precission above the printing resolution of 15-50μm CNC milling or other surface treatment is necessary. (PARARE)

Recycling, Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

In the realm of metal AM powder recycling is the process of loose powder that is not melted or sintered in one print. For modern machines this powder can be reused without any purification requirements. Many powder suppliers from the stock metal powder sector rely on scrap as a source of powder production. As sustainability arose to the attention of many end-consumers and policy makers, EOS, a AM machine supplier has announced that it requires their suppliers of metal powders to use 30% recycled materials in any feedstock. The company claims this would reduce the CO2 emissions by 25%. Recycling machine manufacturers from Poland and the US have developed ultrasonic rePOWDER atomisation technologys that are able to use 100% recycled material as feedstock for metal powder production, reducing CO2 emissions by +80% compared to virgin metal resources. When AM became popular a decade ago some sources claimed that metal AM would produce zero waste. The energy saving for powder manufacturing using recycled material and waste reduction of AM only using the material needed are only two factors that increase the efficiency of AM. With Topology optimisation software and the ability of manufacturing increadably complex geometries, some parts save +40% of material compared to conventional predecessor parts. This reduces the amount of resources needed even further. For moving objects like vehicles the lightweighting of parts also reduces the energy consumption. Especially for aviation and autmotive this is a huge driver of efficiency. (Metal AM)

This systemic concept considers the whole lifecycle of a product and everything it touches. The resource efficiency can be optimised by designing for disassembly, choosing easily recycable materials or considering repair and maintainability as a performance criteria. All impacts of the production, distribution, use and recycling on the environment can be tracked. The result determines if a product is capable of being Cradle-To-Cradle certified or not. (PII C2C Certification)

2.5.1_Butterfly Concept

Circularity is usually defined and explained with the butterfly model (Fig. 26.) that devides into Bio circles and technical circles. Bio circles work all the time, everywhere in nature. Products that only rely on biological materials like cotton for textiles or food, are easily kept in biocycles by giving the material back to nature and letting it degrade back into usable nutrients for plants or animals. But technical or artificial materials this model does not degrade by themselves and get back into their natural form. (Fig.17 summary by Laurin Kamm)

The Cradle-to-Cradle concept and the Butterfly scheme are well known and explain the concept of circularity systems but both miss out on one very important aspect. The how, in other words, the human component. Most of the Western World, that has lead the global economy since the industrial revolution until today was built upon extraction, exploitation and consumerism. All minds were raised and set as part of a system that keeps the pipelines running in one direction. In order to change from within, the minds who run the game, have to rethink their economy. The success of circular economy won’t be won by a competition of who will produce the best products that comply with the aspects made up by some institution. It is clear, that all countries of the world are part of a global society that has to work together to reach the goal. Governments have to work together, the industry has to take responsibility and people have to set their minds from not in my backyard and the flood of meaning after me to: yes, we can! The best way to motivate the industry to change their behaviour is not to rule them with laws and regulations but by giving them an incentive to act differently. These incentives migt look like regulations, but we have some examples of Circular Economy Systems that work quite well. Like the german ‘Pfand-Flasche’, which is a system of putting a deposit of 0,25€ onto one way PET and glas bottles, giving everyone the incentive to return the bottles and collecting the 25ct. This promotes a concious behaviour about recycling materials and waste management in the society and raises the awareness for resource consumption. The quote of returning the One-Way bottles with this deposit is 98,5%. and a recycling level of 99,3%. (EinWegmitPfand) These Germans proof: Yes, it is possible. This example imposes the imagination of the whole world keeping 99.3% of all resources in a circle. All economies, construction, textile, energy, transportation, forestry, … either recycling resources or compensating for extraction, emission or land loss. Austria is following the German example in 2025 and considering the surveys, it can be expected to reach similar return quotes as in Germany very soon. (Greenpeace Survey) Developments like these, show that many consumers already have a good mindset for consume awareness and waste management. A survey from May 2024 shows that consumers from more than 31 countries are even willing to pay an average of 9.7% more for more sustainable produced and sourced goods. (pwc survey May 2024) As governments and consumers are already pushing for a more sustainable consumerism, it seems like many industries are struggeling. Either with adapting to the demand for sustainable products or with their product portfolio simply having an inefficient and outdated character. (sustainable consumer surveys)

Recycling is the process of returning resources back into their original virgin form so they can be used in the exact same way as before. Some materials like paper, metals and glas are 100% recycleable and its possible to keep them in a complete, closed loop. For glas and metal it is even possible to recycle infinetly without loosing any quality or change of properties.

Recycling is the process of returning material back into useable material where the quality and properties are greatly maintained.

Downcycling describes a recycling process where the quality and properties of the materials can not be maintained and therefore only be used for less demanding purposes as originally. This approach reduces the value of a material, making downcycling not considerable for closed resource loops.

Upcycling is not exactly the conversion into a reuseable base material but an creative venture that reimagines an objects original purpose. E.g. a worn down car tire, being used as garden furniture. All processes are practices to divert waste from landfills, reducing the frequency and amount of resource extraction. (clean robotics)

Metals

For a vast portion of the industrial economy, metals are the most important material. The extraction of metal ores causes tremendous landloss and loss of biodiversity. Converting ores into industrial grade metals also costs a lot more energy compared to recycling metals. E.g Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1.4 tonnes of iron ore, 0.8 tonnes of coal, 0.3 tonnes of limestone and additives, and 1.67 tonnes of CO2. (circulareconomy.eu, p.4) In the past, the recycling of metals required burning resources of fossile origen like coal and natural gas. Today the industrial recycling sector has developed processes like Electron-Beam-Melting, that uses electricity which can be produced with renewable energies like solar, wind and hydro powers instead of burning gases or coal as a heat source.(ald-vt) This technical innovation potentially turns metal recycling from fossile to green, provided the electricity is generated with 100% renewable sources. Green Hydrogen is also a potential heat source which could reduce the CO2 emissions down to zero.(bundesregierung investment) Relevant for an ergonomic pedaling position is the Top- Dead-Cetre, the Bottom-Dead-Centre and the 90° degre position, when the pedal is parallel to the ground. In this position the leverage of the pedal is the greatest and the rider can produce the greatest torque which means, that the strain on the knee in this position is also the greatest. To prevent the patellar from being overloaded and suffer from strain in this position of high vertical force, the front of the knee should not be in front of the pedal axle when you look from the side. The Top-Dead-Centre is where the leg is most bend and the Bottom-Dead-Centre is limiting the max extension of the leg. Depending on how long the crankars are, this amplitude can be greater and smaller. (physio-pedia)

MSD’s: To prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as poor posture and even injury to bones, joints, muscles or ligaments, it is important that workplaces are ergonomically designed for the individual. This allows workers to perform repetitive movements over long periods of time with less muscle fatigue and risk of overuse injury.(osha ergonomics) These are exactly the two attributes applicable to cycling. Repeated movements with the least possible muscle fatigue. The better a bike’s ergonomics match the rider’s ergonomics, the longer you can ride without fatigue or pain in any part of your body. No matter if you are commuting on a bike or riding for recreational purposes, the physical exersice is good to build and maintain a healthy cardiovascular function, prevent obesity and other disorders.(physio-pedia) Children: The human body is an incredibly adaptable and dynamic organism with very universal biomechanical capabilities. For grown-ups, skeletal dimensions are a fairly static thing. But for children and adolescents who are not yet fully grown, the ergonomic fit of their bikes is rarely good and probably in many cases really bad, putting their immature joints and ligaments at great risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and rapidly fatiguing them while riding, making it less enjoyable for them. Most parents are not in a position to buy new bikes for their children every time they outgrow the frame size. This effectively exposes them toan unsatisfying riding experience or even health risks. (Why is children Ergonomics so important?)

2.6.1_Pedaling Position

Most bicycles are being propelled forward through a mechanism that transmits the power of the legs to the rear wheel through driving a pedal downward that translates the linear extending movement into a circular, spinning motion. This means, the main region of the body that is being used for riding bikes are primarily the legs. To understand the pedaling position (Fig.19) it is necesary to understand the anatomy of a leg. The skeletal parts are the hip(a), the femour(b), the knee(c), the shin(d), the ankle(e) and the foot(f). They determine the biomechanic functional kinematic of a leg.

The seating-position (Fig.19) additionally includes the upper half of the body, like the (f) spine, (g) shoulders, (h)humerus (upper arms), (i) ellbows, (j) forearm, (k) wrist and hand. Depending on the style of riding, the angles and positions of these bodyparts can vary, changing the ergonomy of the seating position but only having a minor effect on the pedaling. The hip- angle between the pedaling femur and the torso is smaller for roadracing. This creates a more aerodynamic riding but increases the strain in the neck and shoulder region due to the need to lift up the head and more weight is being distributed onto the wrists. For urban commuter bikes, comfort and safety is the main goal, usually putting the rider into an upright position of the upper body.

In general, there are two ergonomy layers for bicycle fitting. One is the seating position which is made up of the frame geometry, saddle height and handlebar width and the other are the Points of Contact (POC) which is the surface of the saddle, the grips and the pedals. (physio-pedia). All the POC, where the rider touches the bike are interchangeable parts. The frame on the other hand makes up the base structure of the ergonomy and finding the exact size can be difficlult. Most conventional brands offer different sizing options that roughly fit for body sizes from 160-200cm. This is a simplification of the complex human anatomy. But in fact, leg and arm length have significant variations for one and the same body size, resulting in very unprecise fitting reccomendations. (ncbi anatomy) If a bike is supposed to be fitted perfectly to the rider, it is necessary to take a closer look and consult a professional bike fitter who can adjust the ergonomy to the riders individual needs in the following steps: 1. change the set up of the POC (e.g. saddle height) 2. exchange some of the relevant parts (e.g. longer stem) 3. recommend another frame size (e.g. other manufacturer) (GCN-Bikefit video)

3.0.1_Strategy
3.0.1_Purpose

Change the bicycle industry, raise awareness for circularity, save the planet.

Offering to participate in the design process of full custom bike frames, adapted to the ergonomy and preferences of the rider to provide the best riding experience for cyclists.

Promoting the bicycle as the best mode of mobility and for leisure and impacting the bicycle industry by proving that product circularity goes beyond technical recycling. Change the bicycle industry from consumerism to a circular economy. Circularity is usually defined and explained with the butterfly model that devides into Bio circles and Technical circles. Bio cicles work all the time, everywhere in nature. But for the technical world this model does not consider the most important part which is closing the circles. This needs to be done by the poeple, since technical materials do not degrade by itselve and get back into their natural form. The best way to motivate people to change their behaviour is not to rule them with laws and regulations but with giving them an incentive to act differently. These incentives might look like regulations, but we have some examples of circular economy systems that work quite well. Our society grew up in a capitalistic world where consuming was sometimes even considered a good value since it fueled the economy and provided jobs. This spiral of consuming resources has to stop, but it won’t stop with announcing better concepts of economy, it will only stop in the head of the people. What the world society needs is to look towards the future and decide about how it should look like and start living by this vision.

As a future oriented brand, the core values resemble around the brand purpose to save the world through changing the bicycle industry towards a circular industry.

Circularity

Business model and products mirror the key spirit of a circular economy. Products and material stay inside their life circle for as long as possible and the materials used are 100% technically recycleable. The circular concept expands towards components and second hand bikes. SPEZL engages with other brands to promote the spirit of collaboration for the greater good.

Adaptability

as the dynamics of time seem to speed up, a brand has to incorporate a character of agility that enables to adapt. The product portfolio is also kept at an agile manner and constant development.

Social Circles

 If the personal identification with the brand is planned correctly, any bike can find another owner before being technically recycled. In case an owner wants something different, each product can find another owner before being technically recycled.

Customer Centric

The rider becomes a co-creator and participates in the design process with their mind and body. That way each product is uniquely fittet to indvidual needs. The personal identification with product and brand form a deep emotional connection.

Innovative

Digital and and technical tools interact with the human as a participator in the design process. This concept outlines the industry 5.0, where human and machine seemlessly co-create.

As the product strategy considers a highly customized product with user-centric design and cutting edge 3D printing technology, the audience needs to be one with a high willingness to spend a good amoutn of money on their sporting products.

Primary Target Audience

Eco-concious mountainbike enthusiasts who are very passionate recreational riders with a good salary who ride bikes for leisure. People who require very specific frame ergonomy and need either customized or adjustable geometry. (Kids, very small or tall riders)

Secondary Target Audience

Professional riders who see the benefit of customised frame geometry with a good budget for equipment. These riders might even open the door to do colaborative prototype frames for other brands.

For riders who want the best bike. A SPEZL is the only brand that keeps bicycles in a circular economy model to protect our planet from extorsion.

For the riders who value the protection of our environment and can tell the difference between a bike and good bike. No! The best bike on the market.

The best of the best, full custom bike design. High tech precision manufacturing used in rocket engineering, optimised with AI controlled by you. Become a creator. SPEZL offers you to participate in the process of creation of your bike. You make the decisions, SPEZL executes in minutes. No month long delivery, any customisation possible, local production.

The brand is an innovative impact startup that disrupts the market with a radicaly different approach towards the consumer, the product and circularity. It communicates far beyond the product itself and strives for a peace and respectful future. Everybody should ride more, with more fun and therefore needs the best bike possible. The best way to spend resources is through creating truly unique products that last long and get the care they deserve. Equality is not a concept, it is a lifestyle that encorporates trust and honesty towards everybody.

Brand Slogan

Friends with Nature!

Key message

We have to save the planet! We have to change! We have to change the way our industry manages resources by giving them the valuation and care to create truly unique products that last long and can be maintained in a closed technical cycle.

Communication style

direct contact, casual and helpful approach, honest and transparent response, building a relationship at eye level with the crowd, humorous and playful with the big problems, customer-oriented and hands-on with the small problems.

Communication chanels (priority list):

Direct messaging

Social Media

Events

Website

Showroom & Experience center

Magazines

Youtubers

The brand development strategy is based on the future-oriented concepts of user centricity, innovation and circularity. One of the goals is to create a community that is highly engaged with the brand and product. Close personal relationships create a sense of identification that can improve long-term loyalty. For a future-oriented start-up, it is crucial to have a strong base of supporters who represent the brand’s vision. This increases brand identification and product satisfaction. The Bavarians have a word for ‘friend for special adventures’, which is SPEZL. It is a fitting name that is not already taken by any other bike brand out there.

Corporate Font: Silka Mono Regular (Text)

Corporate Font: Silka Mono Bold (Headlines)

Logo Font: lkID30 MONO (CAPS ONLY)

Corporate Color: RAL 9016 White , RAL 9005 Jack-Black,

Brand 1: Atherton Bikes (UK)

Similar Products but no circularity or sustainability goal, use of carbon fiber, compareatively rough configuration geometry (height, inseam, arm lenght,),no design participation.

Brand 2: URWAHN (GER)

Urban and gravel product portfolio, no custom geometry and no circularity or sustainability goals, nor design participation.

Decentralized Manufacturing & Assembly

Print-On-Demand allows to establish a network of POD services that usually also do post processing and can be adviced for basic assembly of bearings. Configuration parts are either assembled in a specialized assembly workshop network, close to the POD service or the customer orders the frame only and DIY. (Dreambuild)

Biomechanic Dimension Capture (BDC)

The biomechanic dimension data can be collected and analysed to baseline statistics about skeletal dimensions of the population. This can also be a seperate Start-Up or collaboration with companies that work in this field already. Medical statistics are relevant for a wide variety of companies and research institutions. Other bike brands might want to use the data for a better sizing baseline.

Bike Design/R&D, not manufacturer!

SPEZL acts as a design service. In this way the brand can act globally without having to consider too many regulations and taxes. The customer buys the file for 3D printing, but orders at the print shop (risk: a variation in pricing may accure and its dependant on the availability of POD services with the relevant skills. The network can best be developed over time, when enough data is collected about logistics, tax information,…)

Direct to consumer

Mobile customer-service and event teams can be established in different areas of the world to represent the physical brand (e.g. Europe, Australia, North- & South America, Asia, Afrika,)

3.1.1_User Journey

1. Awareness Stage

Key touchpoints of SPEZL Bikes lie within the direct engagement with the people. Talking and explaining deeply is more important than the pure quantity of reach. The goal is to trigger couriosity and excitement for full custom products, not for large quantity consumer products. If the products are good enough, the tight nieche will spread the word of mouth all by itself. Direct messaging funnels on social media can also nudge interests.

2. Consideration Stage

The product concepts complexity has to be showcased with simplicity on the first layer and deeper information for interestd spectators on following layers. The automated design process should require as little effort of the user as possible. The functionality of the BDC hast to be really good and should work seamlessly with the geometry skript and the configurator. Providing information about customization and circularity is important to explain the USP.

3. Unique Selling Point

1. Users participate in the design process that offers a lot of user centric customization

2. Ergonomy data is precicely measured an the fit of the bike is guaranteed.

3. a fully automated software workflow processes all data and creates a 3D printable        frame design.

4. The brand operates in a circular economy.

4. Decision Stage

Guiding the users through the participatory automated design and customisation process is followed by a direct implementation of an online purchase platform. All information about the product have to be explained carefully, so when the purchase option is presented, there are no more open questions that might cause hesitation.

5. Purchase Stage

Checking out has to be followed be instant reasurance, that everything has worked out. Each step of the production an update about the progress is directly communicated with direct messaging (SMS, Whatsapp,…no E-mail feed!) Your design is being checked by professionals!

6. Ownership

The circular awareness has to follow through the whole lifetime of a product. Enhancing owners experiences with assembly, repair and maintainance instructions and easy to aquire spare parts. (Dropshipping distribution) Direct customer support is offered through DM. The same way, the initial feedback can be collected.

7. Post Purchase Engagement

Advocating is promoted as doing it for the circularity and the planet. Rewards can be collected like discounts and merchandise. This way, owners feel engaged and become influencers for the brand. The brand becomes something like a self organized cycling club. Whatsappgroups are being created and moderated where people can meet up for rides, participate in circularity challenges or campaigns. Also Non-SPEZL Owners can participate to grow the reach. SPEZL is not just about the products, it is about impacting the way people think about consume. In case an owner wants to sell his or her SPEZL, the brand encourages to sell on second-hand platforms. The geometry data can be cross checked with potential matches with interested riders. In case of a catastrophic break of a frame, the owner can claim warranty replacement within 3 years. When the frame gets send to an recycling company a deposit can be collected or discounts for replacement frames can be given.

The Manufacturing Method is build uppont an agility concept. This enables small scale production with low initial investment. The Make-To-Assemble Manufacturing Method includes the Pre-Production of parts and keeping them in storage until the order is placed and the assembly can begin. But SPEZL is taking it one step further. The warehousing of parts is outsourced with dropshipping, to a network of dealers and the pre-production of frames is irrelevant since the frames can be printed-on-demand. When an order is placed, the printed parts are qued in at the closest POD service with the neccessary equipment for precise post print processing. The part configuration is delivered to the assembly workshop to be assembled there.

An agile a future oriented manufacturing strategy has to consider these five key dimensions cost, quality, reliability, flexibility and innovation. Each of which plays a critical role in maintaining competitive in any situation the market might pose. Further more, the business and product concept lead the expected implications of the Industry 5.0 into reality. Decentralized on-demand manufacturing that enables each user to become a part in the process of product creation and receive unmatched levels of individualisation in their products.

Cost optimisation

No initial investments for manufacturing equipment: the whole production process is being realised with POD- Services that have the relevant expertise and equipment for the manufacturing of 3D printed parts.

Quality Controll

The production of high-quality frames that exceed nowadays customer expectations. The strategy is to build an emotional connection through individualisation.The durability and repairability satisfy even the gnarliest riders that might send it a little bit too hard from time to time.

Dependability

The high level of individualisation requires more time than mass produced parts. With transparency and a stream of information about the manufacturing process, riders can be kept occupied and the level of anticipation might even be increased. Most critical for a good dependability is the network of part dealers and assembly workshops to work seamlessly. This requires a lot of direct contact and communication.

Flexibility

The high level of individualisation of the products creates a highly flexible offer of bicycles. Any design can be produced and special requirements can easily be adopted.

Innovation

The expertise about highly individualised frames poses an interesting source of information for other brands. The flexible manufacturing capabilities enable SPEZL to be a R&D partner for other bicycle manufacturers and even offer rapid prototyping or race specific bikes for professional riders.

For the introduction of highly advanced and individually fitted 3D printed bikes to the market, a slowly evolving product strategy can simplify the development process and simultanously gather know-how about the decentralised production concept with POD-Services. The BDC and website configurator can be developed in parallel with the MVP prototyping and proof of concept for each product category. Collecting a vast amount of BDC data is also a product. Its development requires professional knowhow about human anatomy and AI programming. The Data collected might be of interest for stakeholders in the medical industry who use it for research purposes. The BDC could also be co-developed with e.g. 3DLock or OpenCap and turned into a bike-fitting software application for other R&D departments in the bike industry or bike fitters. The design of digitally custom fitted bicycle frames startes with the scan of the human body at its center, scales the ergonomy parameters (Fig.71) and calculates the material requirements (Fig.61 p.47). This process can be repetitively applied to any type of frame and any type of construction.

Stage 1: Kick-off

Lug-Clamp and Tube Design (LCT)

This is a derivate of classic frame construction, where the connection between the tubes are 3D printed lugs instead of welds or pressed sheetmetal. It opens the possibility to not weld the frame, but integrate a clamp into the lugs and introduce the first bicycle-frame-design for self- and disassembly with only a torque wrench. This idea facilitates adaptability and modularity. Enabling the product to grow with the ergonomy needs of a child for example. Reselling such a frame is also easier, since the frame can be fitted to the new owner with little assembly requirements.

Stage 2: Evolution

Hydrotube

Is a version with similar lugs to the Lug-Clamp concept but this time they get welded with hydroforming tubes (Fig.29). For optimised weight, stiffness and design of the frame the classic circular extruded tubes are replaced with more complex, bigger diameters butted tubes, produced with hydroforming method. (More robust and high performing frames, like Mountain-, Gravel and Roadbikes can be produced)

Stage 3:Final

One-Piece-Print

The final product stage is a bike, printed in one part only. Little to no need for post processing or assembly. In this product stage the fully automated design process needs to be functional to utilise the full potential of the flexiblity and stability of metal 3D printing. Different tech features like E-motors, batteries, tool storage and anything more, can be integrated into the frame without changing the manufacturing process.

3.2.1_Storytelling

Today’s world is run by consumption and linear economic models that extract resources, produce consumer goods, and discard them after a product’s lifetime. Metals and glass are the only materials that can be kept in a closed loop of resources. At SPEZL, we want to create the best riding experience. And we are committed to saving our planet. That is why we have created a truly unique product concept that allows you to participate in the design process, become a bike designer yourself and create your own fully customized 3D printed bike frame, made from titanium, alloy or steel, made for you, by you. Riding a SPEZL means choosing friendship and connection. Connection to your bike, to your friends and to mother nature, we all love so much. We face the thread of permanent destruction of our environment beyond repair. The extraction of resources, the emission of greenhouse gases and worst of all, deforestation. We are monkeys, social animals that evolved in the forest our heart still lives within. In a world of uncertainties, one thing is for sure: Together we can. Together we will. Together we ride. The legacy of the twenty-first century will be paved with technologies that are capable of closing the downward spiral of endless consumption and conflicts about resources. SPEZL Bikes is one of the first brands build for a circular economy. It will impact the way our industry operates by leading with example. Positive and longterm change, allways comes from within the circle. But how do we change? By doing the same shit different? No! By doing it different. By forgetting about maximum growth, monetary benefit and what not, and learning about the impact we can have by doing it different!

WHY?

– We only have one planet, and we have to protect it, limited resources means we have to recycle 100%

– Conventional brands only offer several sizes

– Carbonfiber is irecycable trash and relies on oil

– Most bikes do not properly fit to the rider

HOW?

– Participative Custom Design Workflow

– Circularity is key to a better future

– Decentraized Manufacturing

WHAT?

– Bikes, of all types: Mountainbikes, Kids Bikes

– Customized geometry: the best riding experience

– Zero Footprint Bikes: only temporary shaddow in the sun

An user centric, automated design process enables a high level of personal involvement. Personalised design and Bikefitting create a highly individual product, that is build to be the perfect ride for the owner for either commuting, leisure or professional use. The bike itself becomes more than just any mass-produced product, it is taylor made for the rider. The individal care that goes into the process of creation and the participation in the process makes the owner a creator and the bike is not just a bike, it is his or her bike. The greater the invest into the creation of the product, the greater the valuation of it. The high-tech manufacturing only allows the owner to participate in the customisation process but not the process of creation. Therefore, the customer is being kept up to date about individual steps of the manufacturing process and is provided with information about the technological cycle and the social cycle that he or she will be responsible for. The Lug-Clamp product stage allows for self assembly which creates a good entry point into the SPEZL product portfolio.[3.1.4 Product roadmap] This creates an even deeper connecteion compared to the technologically more advanced Hydrotube and one piece prints which only allow the owner for optional self assembly of the whole bike.

4.0_Automated Design Process

For a fully automated design process with participatory elements that not only listens to the owners needs but also speaks to the owner with recommendations for geometry and part configuration. The information needed to ensure a seemlsee function of the design sequence is partially collected through video taken from the riders body, analysed by AI. This process is called biomechanic dimension capture. The data collected is feed into a parametrised peometry skript, that combines the given preferences with the riders ergonomy. The result is a perfectly dialed geometry that no other brand on the market can provide. The relevance for bikefitting is made up of two different components. One is joy of riding: the better the bike fits to your style of riding, to more fun it is. And the Other reason is injury prevention. The longer you sit on a bike, that doesn’t fit to your body, the more likely it is to carry away permanent knee pain or other overuse injury.

With nowadays developments in AI, text to image and picture analysing capabilities, it is easy to imagine, that an AI can be used to take precice measurements from things, only with the camera. Lidar Scanners are already pretty good for preicise scanning of 3D objects and converting them into 3D files. AI powered Lidar Scanner can probably even calculate strucktures that lie underneath the visible surface like the dimenson of a skeleton and translate them into a 3D model. (hypothesis) In the fashion industry, body scanning applications for smartphones are already applied to the user experience to help find the right size of a certain piece or even enables taylors to sue a fitted suit on deamand and sending it to the customer, without the need to take the measurements in person. These applications can also be used for tracking your fittness goals like weight loss or muscle gain. (3D Lock) With this technology it is possible to calculate a 3D skeleton and determine the ergonomy parameters relevant for the fit of a bike, without the need for expensive and immobile equipment like X-Ray machines that on top, are a risk to a humans health. The biomechanic dimensions as parameters for a good ergonomic seating and pedaling position that in the same time enables good control over the bike are the distance between the rotational centers of the joints. (RCJ)

Many 3D modeling software developers offer parametric design tools to enable engineers and designers to make changes in their designs without remodeling everything. The parametric design plugin Grashopper for Rhinoceros by McNeil is a suitable tool to set up such parametric workflows. For an automated design process, it is crucial to change any parameter at any time, without influencing the rest of the input data. The following is a list of parameters to fit a bike perfectly to any individual ergonomy. When designing bike geometry and optimizing for an efficient pedaling position, several key parameters need to be considered. These parameters affect both the comfort and performance of the rider. Here’s a breakdown of the most relevant factors:

00. Frame Size and Reach

Refers to the overall size of the bike frame, typically measured by the length of the seat tube. It should match the rider’s height and leg length to ensure comfort.

– Reach: The horizontal distance from the bottom bracket (center of the crankset) to the center of the head tube. It influences how stretched out or compact the rider feels.

01. Stack Height

The vertical distance from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube. A higher stack allows for a more up-right position, while a lower stack promotes a more aero-dynamic, forward-leaning posture.

02. Seat Tube Angle

The angle of the seat tube relative to the ground. A steeper angle places the rider more forward, affecting power transfer and pedaling efficiency. It’s typically around 72-75 degrees in road bikes.

03. Head Tube Angle

The angle of the head tube relative to the ground. A steeper head tube angle results in quicker handling, while a slacker angle provides more stability, especially at high speeds.

04. Bottom Bracket Height

The distance from the ground to the center of the bottom bracket. Lower bottom brackets lower the center of gravity, improving stability, but may risk pedal strikes on uneven terrain.

05. Crank Length

The length of the crank arms affects the leverage the rider has when pedaling. Longer cranks can generate more torque but may require greater range of motion and can be less efficient for riders with shorter legs.

06. Saddle Height

The distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle. It must be adjusted to allow for an optimal leg extension, usually around 25-35 degrees of knee flexion at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

07. Saddle Fore-Aft Position

The horizontal position of the saddle relative to the bottom bracket. Moving the saddle forward or backward affects the rider’s balance over the pedals and can influence power output and comfort.

08. Handlebar Reach and Drop

Reach: The horizontal distance from the saddle to the handlebars. It affects the rider’s torso angle and overall aerodynamic position. Drop: The vertical distance between the saddle and the handlebars. A bigger drop results in a more aerodynamic position but may reduce comfort.

09. Wheelbase The distance between the front and rear wheel axles. A longer wheelbase improves stability, while a shorter wheelbase results in quicker handling.

10. Chainstay Length

The length of the chainstays (the part of the frame that connects the bottom bracket to the rear axle). Shorter chainstays result in a more agile bike with quicker acceleration, while longer chainstays can improve stability, especially with loaded bikes.

11. Pedal Cleat Position

The position of the cleats on the cycling shoes relative to the pedals affects the foot angle and power transfer efficiency. Proper alignment is crucial to avoid knee strain and ensure optimal power output.

12. Hip Angle

The angle between the rider’s torso and thighs when the foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. An optimal hip angle ensures efficient power transfer and reduces the risk of lower back strain.

13. Knee Over Pedal Spindle (KOPS)

A guideline for positioning the knee directly above the pedal spindle when the pedals are in the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Proper KOPS alignment helps optimize pedaling efficiency and reduce strain on the knees.

Conclusion

For an efficient pedaling position, these parameters must be fine-tuned to the rider’s body dimensions, flexibility, and riding style. A proper bike fit considers all these factors, is essential to maximise comfort, power output, and injury prevention.

Grashopper Skript Explained

For the correct parametrisation of data, everything has to be connectet in the right order. Otherwise the change of input parameters can falsify the calculation of the output geometry.

BDC Input from Rider

BDC and RCJ: For the automatisation of the Design Process, the Ergonomy Data (the RCJ’s) of the BDC have to be 3automatically fed into the Grashopper Skript.

Riding Preferences

If someone wants a bike for crosscountry riding with a focus on uphill performance, the geometry recommendation and kinematic layout will be different as for a bike fitted for better downhill performance. The most relevant points on a bike, are those, where the rider touches with the bike. These are the grips, the pedals and the saddle. The distance between those points is very important and often left out of geometry charts of bike brands due to simplification for the end-user. Sometimes you can find the so called Q-Factor, which tells you how wide the stance on the pedals are relative to the longitudinal axis of the bike. The range of hip width in peoples anatomy is very small, compared to bone lenght and therefore is left out of bike fittings in the development process. Another measurement which is mainly overlooked, is the angle of the wrist, depending on the bar width. If the up- and backsweep of the bar is too big or too small, the risk of cutting of the blood stream in the wrist arteries, resulting in a numb feeling in either the pinky and ring finger or the thumb in most cases, is very high. Saddle position obove the pedals is also very important. Depending on the lenght of the riders legs, it is very important to chose the right length of cranks, to prevent exceeding the range of motion the foot driving the pedal has to make during one pedal stroke. Another very important measurement is the position of the knee, when the pedal is 90 degrees rotated forward. The knee should not cross the axle of the pedal vertically. This can be adjusted with the saddle height and the horizontal position of the saddle. This adjustment is very important to prevent patellar tendonitis, a very common overuse injury with cyclists.(TrainerRoad)

Recommendation from Skript

The grashopper skript, programmed for this master thesis, takes the whole threedimensional anatomy into account and allows any adjustment at any given point in the process.

Kinematic explained

This plays a crucial role to finding the right fit for any individual anatomy and can be complemented with the parametrisation of any kinematic design for full suspension bikes. To realise the finetuning of the suspension characteristics relative to the center of gravity (COG) and optimise anti-rise (AR), anti-squat (AS), pedal-kickback, damper progression and compression forces of the suspension kinematic by design. No conventional bikebrand is able to offer this level of precision tuning for end users.

Anti-Squat (AS) explained

When the rider drives the pedal down, the tension in the chain might compress the suspension, resulting in the rear wheel moving up, or the bottombrackt to move down. This results in bopping up and down of the rider, which is amplified by the momentum of the leg also moving down. The rearward momentum, around the point where the rear wheel touches the ground, created as a result of the acceleration of the COG. If a suspension has Anti-Squat values smaller than 100%, this effects the pedaling efficiency negatively, resulting in an uneven and exhausting riding experience.

Anti-Rise explained

This suspension characteristic value describes the effect of breaking on the suspension. The decelerating forward momentum of the COG arround the point where the front tire touches the ground expands the suspension through lifting the bottombracket of the ground. If this value is far below 100%, the rider will feel the front of the bike diving deep, posing the risk of going over the bar (OTB).

Pedal-Kickback explained

For full-suspension bikes, the rear wheel moves relative to the front triangle of the bike. This movement usually increases the distance between bottom-bracket and rear-axle, effectively creating a tension in the chain, that pulls the chainring and the pedals backwards. Depending on the transmission ratio of the cassette to the chainring and the anti-rise value of the kinematic design. Depending on the terrain, the riding speed and the speed of the rearwheel going up through the travel, this might feel like the pedal kicking upwards, against the foot.

Progression Curve explained

In general there are two different types of dampers on the market. Air dampers have a progressive behaviour throuout the travel, while coil dampers have a linearprogression curve. Depending on the kinematic design the character of the suspension also has an either progressive or more linear curve. When the rear wheel goes one cm up in travel, the damper usually is compressed with a smaller distance. This quotient is different at any given point what creates a graph from start to finish of the travel which is called leverage-ratio. If the value is bigger at the beginning as in the end, the characteristic of the suspension compression is progressive. Meaning, more force is required to compress the damper further down the travel. This adds to the characteristic of the damper itself and influences the characteristic of the suspension, if it is harder at the beginning relative to the midstroke and the end or the other way around.

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Richard Thaler, explaining Economic decision making with human psychology_https://thedecisionlab.com/thinkers/eco-nomics/richard-thaler

Rinascltbike, everything on Manufacturing Strategies_https://rinascltabike.com/bike/manufacturing/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-1

Sperical Insights, Market Share development until 2030._https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/bicycle-mar-ket#:~:text=MARKET%20OVERVIEW,USD%20128.73%20billion%20by%202030.

steel-vintage, Why steel was considered the best material for bicycles_https://steel-vintage.com/collections/bicy-cles?filter.p.m.magento.manufacturer=Caminargent

Steel making, Steel manufacturing innovations in the Industrial Revolution_https://www.worldhistory.org/arti

sustainable consumer surveys, many surveys indicating that consumers ar willing for more sustainability_https://www.businessdasher.com/environmentally-conscious-consumers-statistics/

Taiwan Power House, +80% of the Bikes and Components are manufactured in Taiwan_https://www.bikenews.online/index.php?route=bossblog/article&blog_article_id=616#:~:text=Over%2080%25%20of%20all%20medium,or%20Taiwanese%2Downed%20factories%20elsewhere.

the Carminagent, first AL Bicycle, made by Pierre Carminade_https://steel-vintage.com/products/caminargent-ear-ly-aluminium-bicycle-1930s?srsltid=AfmBOoqnLc1HLfGpKZL5kBpYNFElA-fPVX40qq4k2otgxcBSTjoucD3r

thedecisionlab,_https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/economics/the-endowment-effect (18:27, 22.09.2024)

Titanium Philips Bike,14 pounds Titanium Bicycle of the future_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbsupfxEk4w

Trainer Road, preventing numb feeling with bike fitting_https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/cycling-numbness-dealing-with-numb-hands-feet-saddle/#:~:text=There%20are%20a%20few%20things,the%20hands%20have%20to%20bear.

URWAHN, Steel diamond style frames_https://www.urwahn.com/

why Steel? by Zoceli, choice of material_https://www.zoceli.cz/en/home

Why Children Ergonomics is so important?,_https://boyneergonomics.ie/encouraging-healthy-ergonomic-practic-es-in-children/

Zukunftsinstitut, Megatrendmap_https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/zukunftsthemen/die-megatrend-map

3DLock, Ukrainian company that develops AI Bodyscanning applications for mobile use_https://3dlook.ai/content-hub/virtual-body-measurements/

5.3 Figures

Fig.0,

Fig.1,

Fig.2,

Fig.3,

Fig.4,

Fig.5,

Fig.6,

Fig.7,

Fig.8,

Fig.9,

Fig.10,

Fig.11,

Fig.12,

Fig.13,

Fig.14,

Fig.15,

Fig.16,

Fig.17,

Fig.18,

Mountainbiker Panorama by Sandi Bertoncelj_https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/member/All-Mountain,6546/Gold-

en-hour-biking,81409/berto,25487

Man on Ordinary 1871_https://www.prints-online.com/iln/penny-farthing-ordinary-bicycle-1870-s-678321.html

Duck Brake Patent Drawing_US 594.234A, Patented Nov. 23, 1897

Safety Bicycle 1876_https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bicycle-lesson-invention-tara-tan/

Two Women on Bicycles_https://nystateparks.blog/2018/01/09/a-century-run-for-womens-suffrage/

Wimen on Bicycles https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/weston/video/61d75ece47db26b0df37fb24?page=HOME

Industry 5.0_https://gpmc-aachen.de/aktuelles/vorstellung-kuenstliche-intelligenz-fuer-lernfoerderli-

che-industrielle-assistenzsysteme-ki-lias/ (22.01.2025 19:42)

Megatrendmap by Zukunftsinstitut_https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/zukunftsthemen/die-megatrend-map

User-Product Relationship Valuation by Laurin Kamm

Carminagent by steel-vintage.com

Philips Bike of the future from the 1956 Cycle Show_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbsupfxEk4w

datasheet comparison PARARE

different metal powders by mpp innovation_https://mppinnovation.com/powder-metal-101/

Metaleaserlab_https://metalaserlab.com/category/blog/laser-additive-manufacturing-blog/ (25.01.2025,

20:10)

Lightweight bracket design by Lions Racing Team_https://www.ntop.com/innovation/lightweight-automotive-

upright-bracket-designed-by-lions-racing-team-e-v/

liquid cooled heat sink by Puntozero_https://www.ntop.com/resources/case-studies/cold-plate-automotive-

power-electronics/

cradletocradle certification by the product innovation institute_https://c2ccertified.org/the-standard

Butterfly Model by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation(21.12.2024)

Fig.19.1,

Metals Recycle forever by denubo.be_https://denuo.be/fr/les-nombreux-avantages-du-recyclage-des-metaux-

dans-une-fiche-dinformation-claire

professional pedaling position_https://born2.bike/richtige-sitzhoehe-und-sitzposition-beim-fahrrad/

Fig.19.2,

professional pedaling position_https://born2.bike/richtige-sitzhoehe-und-sitzposition-beim-fahrrad/

HMI: Human Machine Interface: Like Buttons, Levers, Displays, Voicecontrol,…

POD: Print-On-Demand: f.e.Copyshops, that do not pre produce and keep products on stock

BDC: Biomechanic Dimension Capture: The Method to measure a Humans or Animals Skeletal Dimensions

2D: Two Dimensional: example: drawing on a wall, sketch on a paper, Display or similar, without a significant depth.

3D: Three Dimensional: example: CAD model with x,y,z, coordinates (might be perspectively projected and displayed on a 2D screen)

AI: Artificial Inteligence

AM: Additive manufacturing

RCJ: Rotational Centers of the Joints (Ankles, Knees, Hips, Shoulders, Ellbows)

POC: Point of Contact: Where the rider touches the Bike, Saddle, Grips and Pedals,

MSD: Musculoskeletal Disorders

TDC: Top-Dead-Centre: The Pedal Position at 12 o’clock, where no torque is generated

BDC: Bottom-Dead-Centre: The pedal Position at 6 o’clock, where no torque is generated

SLA: Stereolithographie: UV cured resin printing

SLS: Selective Laser Sintering

SLM: Selective Laser Melting

FDM: Fused Deposition Modeling

DM: Direct Messaging on SMS, Whatsapp or similar instant messangers.

AR: Anti-Rise: effect of breaking on the rear suspension

AS: Anti-Squat: effect of accelerating on the rear suspension

OTB: Over the bar: Breaking so hard that the rider falls over the bar

UDH: Universal Deraileur Hanger, a push of SRAM, simplifying the supply of spareparts across manufacturers

UBH: Universal Brake Hanger, a push of SRAM, trying to simplyfy the supply of spareparts across manufacturers

IS: International Standard, a standard geometry used to attach brake calippers to bicycle frames

ZS: Zero Stack, Headsetcups integrated into the frame without raising the headset

BSA: Birmingham Small Arms, referring to a defined threadded bottom-bracket with left an righthand thread, introduced in the early 1900

PF: Pressfit, Bottombracket cups, pressed into the frame

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer

BP: Bike Park

Fig.0,

Fig.1,

Fig.2,

Fig.3,

Fig.4,

Fig.5,

Fig.6,

Fig.7,

Fig.8,

Fig.9,

Fig.10,

Fig.11,

Fig.12,

Fig.13,

Fig.14,

Fig.15,

Fig.16,

Fig.17,

Fig.18,

Fig.19.1,

Metals Recycle forever by denubo.be_https://denuo.be/fr/les-nombreux-avantages-du-recyclage-des-metaux-

dans-une-fiche-dinformation-claire

professional pedaling position_https://born2.bike/richtige-sitzhoehe-und-sitzposition-beim-fahrrad/

Fig.19.2,

professional pedaling position_https://born2.bike/richtige-sitzhoehe-und-sitzposition-beim-fahrrad/

Mountainbiker Panorama by Sandi Bertoncelj_https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/member/All-Mountain,6546/Gold-

en-hour-biking,81409/berto,25487

Man on Ordinary 1871_https://www.prints-online.com/iln/penny-farthing-ordinary-bicycle-1870-s-678321.html

Duck Brake Patent Drawing_US 594.234A, Patented Nov. 23, 1897

Safety Bicycle 1876_https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bicycle-lesson-invention-tara-tan/

Two Women on Bicycles_https://nystateparks.blog/2018/01/09/a-century-run-for-womens-suffrage/

Wimen on Bicycles https://cloud.castus.tv/vod/weston/video/61d75ece47db26b0df37fb24?page=HOME

Industry 5.0_https://gpmc-aachen.de/aktuelles/vorstellung-kuenstliche-intelligenz-fuer-lernfoerderli-

che-industrielle-assistenzsysteme-ki-lias/ (22.01.2025 19:42)

Megatrendmap by Zukunftsinstitut_https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/zukunftsthemen/die-megatrend-map

User-Product Relationship Valuation by Laurin Kamm

Carminagent by steel-vintage.com

Philips Bike of the future from the 1956 Cycle Show_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbsupfxEk4w

datasheet comparison PARARE

different metal powders by mpp innovation_https://mppinnovation.com/powder-metal-101/

Metaleaserlab_https://metalaserlab.com/category/blog/laser-additive-manufacturing-blog/ (25.01.2025,

20:10)

Lightweight bracket design by Lions Racing Team_https://www.ntop.com/innovation/lightweight-automotive-

upright-bracket-designed-by-lions-racing-team-e-v/

liquid cooled heat sink by Puntozero_https://www.ntop.com/resources/case-studies/cold-plate-automotive-

power-electronics/

cradletocradle certification by the product innovation institute_https://c2ccertified.org/the-standard

Butterfly Model by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation(21.12.2024)