Bike Frame Manufacturing Course
Problem statement
With gas prices rising and climate change occurring, biking is becoming ever more popular. Stock bikes can be very uncomfortable and cheaply made though. Therefore, every person deserves to have a bike custom fit to their exact specification. Most of us cannot afford such an indulgence, however. According to bike-building expert Sam Malanowski, with hours of dedication in this class, a student can, “make a bike for $1100 that could be insured for $6000.” [1] Students will not only save money however, they will also gain valuable hands-on technical skills while applying concepts learned in their coursework. The intricate design, precise manufacturing, and assembly all follow the engineering design process while presenting an amazing learning opportunity. Every cut, weld, and calculation will be exclusively the students’. This will help them learn the valuable design cycle that companies use while learning more about welding, material selection, and computer-aided design. We also hope to instill students with a sense of pride and empowerment with the new freedoms instilled with their custom bikes. Overall, we hope to create a stronger and more effective group of future engineers.
Team members 
Ethan Dretzka – facilitator
Teekay Kowalewski – communicator
Antone Posselt – accountant
Grace Morgan – admin
Client
Carly Benish
UW-Madison Design Innovation Lab