Grovelo
University Project
2023
The concept for Grovelo came after learning the staggering statistic that 15 million bicycles are discarded every year (1800GotJunk.com). The average child grows 15.6 inches between the ages 4 and 11 (Henry Drefuss, Measure of Man). Grovelo is a children’s bicycle that grows with a child.
Interviews conducted with parents of children between the ages of 4-11 showed that many parents replace their child’s bike approximately every 2 years.
The process began by overlaying the minimum and maximum geometry for the bike and sketching various ways to reach all key points.
Eventually landing on a design which used a series of telescoping tubes to adjust each key point of adjustment: seat, handlebars, and frame.
The process for the first prototype (above) involved dismantling a used kid’s bike frame and modifying the frame using 3D printed pieces and wooden dowels. While the prototype is not strong enough to ride, it provided crucial information regarding how the sliding joints affected the geometry as the bike grows, which lead to a series of revisions and refinements for the second iteration prototype.
Similar to the first prototype, the second iteration was built by modifying an exiting children’s bicycle frame. This iteration used rectangular tube steel to create the telescoping joints horizontally. This horizontal expansion solved the geometry changing issues of the first prototype, and its rectangular profile solved the issues around torsional rigidity.
For the final iteration, the design would use a die cast frame in combination with a modified teardrop tube profile to increase strength and reduce overall manufacturing costs.
Ages: 4-11
Minimum Seat Height: 17”
Maximum Seat Height: 26.5”
Schwinn Bicycle Company recommends 5 different bike sizes for children 4-11 years old. This would mean buying a new bike every one and a half years!
Grovelo expands at 3 critical points to allow for growth of the arms and legs.
By using sliding joints, Grovelo is able to accommodate all heights between its minimum and maximum, and allows for micro adjustments for maximum comfort.
