Bass Family Bike Project

bass-family-bike-project-ame-2The Bass Family asked the team to find a way to allow their son, Titus, who is physical and mentally handicapped, to participate with their other son, Tobias, in the cycling portion of a triathlon. It is Tobias’ dream to be the youngest person to complete the Ironman triathlon while accompanied by a disabled partner.

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After meeting with the Bass Family and researching several ideas, the team decided to follow through with a sidecar design for Tobias’ bike. The sidecar includes a steel frame, fiberglass nose shell, and arms that can detach from the frame of the bike. The fiberglass nose shell is connected to the front of the sidecar frame by hinges, allowing the shell to open and close. This will make loading Titus in the sidecar an easy task.

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The sidecar is attached to the frame of the bike with attaching arms that have clamps at the end. These clamps allow the user to attach and detach the sidecar. The position of the third wheel of the sidecar is also adjustable. The height and lateral position of the third wheel can be adjusted using similar clamps. A 3D model of the sidecar frame was designed in SolidWorks. Several loading simulations were performed on the frame using ANSYS to ensure safety. The results of the FEA showed that under the loading conditions, the sidecar frame would remain a safe option for Titus. Tests on the actual prototype were also done by the team.

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Again, the results showed that the sidecar was safe. The sidecar designed and manufactured by the team provides Titus and Tobias a light-weight and low-cost solution to their initial problem.

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