Structural Dynamic Analysis of a Cross Country Mountain Bike Frame

Abstract

Bicycles continue to be a popular two wheeler mode of transportation even in the current era due to its nature in being environmental and entertainment friendly. This research in particular is conducted to study and analyze the structural stability of the cross country mountain bike frame with different rider loadings and materials. Three types of rider mass will be studied here, 60, 100 and 150 kg, each representing the common, medium and higher extreme weight range of user. The load will be distributed in several percentage break ups on the seat, paddle and handle as described in the study. The mountain bike frames structural performance is also evaluated with three different materials applied, namely titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber. The structure consisting of a standard diamond-shape crosscountry frame will be designed in a CAD modeling software, CATIA and pre-processed and post-processed in finite element simulation software, ANSYS. Analysis results from the numerical analysis are recorded in terms of stress plots, displacements and natural frequency values and mode shapes. Design optimization is performed on the regions indicating high stress plots to reduce the stress concentration and enhance the structural stability of the frame. Optimized design is validated again through numerical analysis.