Problem Statement

Modern bicycles require a forward posture and a lot of strain on the neck and back. Recumbent bikes, however, relieve this strain by putting the rider in an upwards position. The main issue with recumbent bike designs is that they incorporate a drive train above the frame and/or an overly long chain that reaches to the back wheel. Our team intends on fixing this concern by incorporating the drive shaft within the front wheel in a comfortable and elegant location. This problem was addressed by our client John Trotter. John is interested in using a recumbent bike to travel between home and work, but is not fond of current models. Current models require ones feet to be significantly elevated compared to the body and come with a high price due to their size and amount of material needed. John proposed that a front wheel drive be incorporated into a recumbent bike. Moving the transmission to the front wheel will result in fewer materials, lower the cost needed to produce, and allow for more comfortable designs to be created. Our end-product will be a front wheel transmission prototype created using a 3-D printer. This prototype can then be presented to various bike manufacturing companies to be received as a potential model for a full recumbent bike design. Customers for this product include anyone who enjoys riding a bike and is looking for something new on the market, as well as recumbent bike skeptics who once dismissed the product due to the flaws in current models.

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