Design and Analysis of a Wheel with Flexible Spokes

摘要

Wheel is an important component for the whole bicycle. Wheels are not only loading and moving parts but also shock absorbing components. The traditional bicycle wheels rely on tire to absorb shock from rough roads as their spokes are rigid. In this paper, we propose a new type of bicycle wheel. This wheel is wider than the traditional ones and it has two columns of spokes. We replace the rigid spokes with soft strings of some elastic materials to increase the radial deformations while keeping sufficient lateral stiffness. Through establishing objective function of optimization, we select the best connection configuration of spokes. Then, we analyze its mechanical properties. Compared with the traditional bicycle wheels, this new wheel has better riding and shock absorbing characteristics.