Any mechanical engineer forumers/bikers here? I'd like to know how your engineering background influences your choice on different mountain bike frames and components. What bike are you using and what do you like about it? In your opinion are there bikes/frames/components better engineered than others?
MTB choice for mechanical engineers
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An engineer riding a crack-n-fail
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I ride an air 9 carbon cause it's beautiful and I always wanted one.
i was civil, but we shared some core classes w/ MechE's: mechanics of materials, dynamics, etc.
i ride an aluminum nomad, mostly because i like the ductile failure properties of aluminium versus an anisotropic material like carbon fiber, ha. j/k, i got the alu frame cuz it was cheaper.
i ride an aluminum nomad, mostly because i like the ductile failure properties of aluminium versus an anisotropic material like carbon fiber, ha. j/k, i got the alu frame cuz it was cheaper.
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BSEE, BSME, BSCS, MSTech here.... even own my own engineering company doing automotive and aerospace stuff.
I tend to prefer technologically significant bikes. CF frames, full suspension, and also prefer to build my own bikes from the ground up.....and like my other hobbies, something that I can obsess over.
-S
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I tend to prefer technologically significant bikes. CF frames, full suspension, and also prefer to build my own bikes from the ground up.....and like my other hobbies, something that I can obsess over.
-S
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
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Just like every engineer I have ever known and is over thinking the entire process. :lol:
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Sounds like a set-up to me...
I'm a Mining Engineer but my bikes aren't influenced by that... much
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^^^ not that I want to sabotage your research - apologies:
I ride a Niner SIR9 rigid SS locally, and have a Santa Cruz Tallboy LTc / XTR for AM work (which has just replaced a Stumpy Pro Carbon)
I ride a Niner SIR9 rigid SS locally, and have a Santa Cruz Tallboy LTc / XTR for AM work (which has just replaced a Stumpy Pro Carbon)
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I went to school and graduated in mechanical engineering but ended up as an engine mechanic (different passion)
I ride an intense spider 29. Mainly because of price and because well its sexy. It has nothing to do with my tech background and mostly to do with my love of bikes. :thumbsup:
I ride an intense spider 29. Mainly because of price and because well its sexy. It has nothing to do with my tech background and mostly to do with my love of bikes. :thumbsup:
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I've worked with/learned from the Boeing/MD guys out here in the Mesa plant. You guys deserve much respect.
-S
I have a BSME, and I find it influences my habits in weird ways that the average rider probably wouldn't think about. For instance:
-I've retired an otherwise good looking aluminum handlebar because I had used it for years. I thought I must have put it through enough cyclical loading that one of these days it would catastrophically fail on me.
-I was given an old road bike with an aluminum fork, which had been ridden for many years by its previous owner. I examined it and couldn't find any stress cracks, but all the same, I couldn't trust it.
-I can't bring myself to buy a carbon fiber part because I'm not good enough to not crash. If it got dinged, I'll be too worried the crack will propagate under cyclical loading.
-I'm fascinated by a bike out there called the Slingshot. It has a cable in place of a downtube. As far as I can make out, it would be fine in tension as you sit on the bike, but the minute you catch some air, that cable will simply go slack and what....the bike folds on itself? I imagine the bike also has rubbish lateral stiffness.
-I've retired an otherwise good looking aluminum handlebar because I had used it for years. I thought I must have put it through enough cyclical loading that one of these days it would catastrophically fail on me.
-I was given an old road bike with an aluminum fork, which had been ridden for many years by its previous owner. I examined it and couldn't find any stress cracks, but all the same, I couldn't trust it.
-I can't bring myself to buy a carbon fiber part because I'm not good enough to not crash. If it got dinged, I'll be too worried the crack will propagate under cyclical loading.
-I'm fascinated by a bike out there called the Slingshot. It has a cable in place of a downtube. As far as I can make out, it would be fine in tension as you sit on the bike, but the minute you catch some air, that cable will simply go slack and what....the bike folds on itself? I imagine the bike also has rubbish lateral stiffness.
Not a single crack.An engineer riding a crack-n-fail
I just picked up a Scalpel 29er Carbon 1.
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I have a few nice papers that say I'm a mechanical engineer. I ride a SC Tallboy C cuz it sure is purdy.
Although I do read the 29er vs 26er and carbon vs AL vs TI vs wood threads with amusement.
Although I do read the 29er vs 26er and carbon vs AL vs TI vs wood threads with amusement.
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