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PROJECT 04

Adaptive Cycling Practice Pieces

CAD · PROTOTYPING · WOODWORKING

Adaptive Cycling Practice Pieces

Background

I worked on this project in a team of four in my EGR 101 class for our client, North Carolina Adapted Sports (NCAS). Cyclists with disabilities at NCAS lack the appropriate training equipment to prepare themselves for the obstacles on forest trails. Common obstacles include roots, rocks, and inclines. The cyclists use adapted three-wheeled cycles (such as delta or tadpole tricycle models) powered by hand or foot pedaling, which makes it difficult to maneuver. Therefore, adjusting to rocky trails can be dangerous and disorienting to inexperienced cyclists. To ensure safety, clinic participants must first simulate and master riding in a controlled grass field before riding on the gravel/dirt trails. However, due to a lack of scalable training pieces, cyclists currently struggle both mentally and physically to surmount obstacles that may be above their skill level. Our team’s objective was to create modular training pieces that can be adapted to each cyclist's abilities, enabling them to train safely and progressively.

Engineering approach

Our team followed a complete engineering design process, beginning with client interviews, user research, and the development of quantitative design criteria. We prioritized:

  • Scalability for the camber obstacle (≥ 3 adjustable heights)
  • Low cost
  • Durability
  • Easy assembly
  • Compact size for storage and transportation in the NCAS trailer
  • High visibility in grass
  • Multiple types of obstacles
  • Weather resistance

To identify the best solution, we generated over 50 design concepts, combined them into 26 complete system designs, and evaluated alternatives using Pugh screening and weighted decision matrices based on client priorities. This structured evaluation led to the selection of an adjustable, modular obstacle system consisting of a camber obstacle, rock obstacles, and root obstacles to simulate natural trails.

Prototypes

Camber low fidelity prototypesCamber low fidelity prototypes
Camber low fidelity prototypes
Camber medium fidelity prototype
Camber medium fidelity prototype
Root low fidelity prototypesRoot low fidelity prototypes
Root low fidelity prototypes

Final Design

Camber Obstacle

Camber obstacle assembled as a wooden A-frame, folded flat, and fitted with attachable wheels, labeled A through E
  • AHinges for accordion folding
  • BSupport piece to adjust angle
  • CAttachable wheels
  • DRods for extra support
  • EGrooves to hold support piece

Rock Obstacle

Rock obstacle 3D-printed dome with grass stakes and rubber anti-slip surface, labeled F and G
  • FStake to place in grass
  • GRubber anti-slip surface

Root Obstacle

Root obstacle dove-tail slider and nested PVC pipes, labeled H through J
  • H3D printed adjustable dove-tail slider
  • I3D printed stopper
  • J2 PVC pipes of different diameters

The final prototype consisted of three modular obstacle systems:

  • Adjustable camber obstacle featuring an accordion-foldable wooden structure with three notches for different incline/height settings
  • Rock obstacle using 3D-printed domes with ground stakes and anti-slip surfaces for use on grass or indoor surfaces
  • Expandable root obstacle utilizing nested PVC pipes with a 3D-printed sliding mechanism to simulate roots of varying lengths

The system was designed to be portable, weather resistant, and easily assembled, allowing NCAS volunteers to create progressively challenging training courses for adaptive cyclists with different experience levels.