The Better Bicycles project has evolved over the years. It started out as a collaborative site where academics could share research findings, and engineers could share information such as design calculations and CAD models. In trying to understand what the ultimate transport bicycle would be like, we realized we could create a better bicycle. We then developed hundreds of 3D models and eleven prototypes, testing and learning a lot about how bicycles really work, before arriving at our current design.
I’ve used folding bikes as my main transport for decades. Noticing the little challenges I faced made me want to apply my engineering knowledge to find solutions that everyone can benefit from. I created Better Bicycles a few years ago to bring together engineers, scientists, and cyclists, with the shared mission of making bikes more practical for everyday transport use. We now have thousands of members, including some world-class engineers. It’s really exciting to see our ideas become a reality in the BriefBike.
Dr Jody Muelaner, PhD CEng MIMechE MBA
Project FounderCollaborative Bicycle Research
In the early days of the better bicycles project, there were some efforts to review the wealth of research on cycling. This focused on understanding what science tells us about how to create the ultimate bicycle for transport use. The idea was to summarize what is already understood and what the gaps in the knowledge are. For example, the basic criteria for a better bicycle, what makes a bike fast, and what makes a bike safe.
Although this research continues, our focus quickly turned to how we could use the knowledge to actually create a more practical bicycle. This turned into the BriefBike design that we continue developing, and hope will become a commercial product in the near future.
Our First Folding Bike Concepts
Our first designs were an attempt to combine things we’d seen already working well. We were particularly focused on elements of the Strida folding bike, which folds and unfolds much more quickly than other designs and can be conveniently rolled along when it is folded. One of the biggest problems with the Strida is it is very long when folded, so it’s not always that easy to store it. We planned to achieve a much more compact second-stage fold. We also wanted to include some cargo and child carrying.
I’ve had a Strida for many years and it’s been a real inspiration. I’ve found that when a bike folds and unfolds so quickly, you use it in a completely new way. Whether I’m going to someone’s house, a business meeting, or to the shops, it’s so easy to take the bike with me everywhere. I keep it on a hook next to the front door, and it’s usually the bike of choice I grab as I go out.
Dr Jody Muelaner, PhD CEng MIMechE MBA
Project Founder
Innovate UK Funded Development
In 2020 we were awarded funding by Innovate UK to develop a better bicycle. The funding went to Muelaner Engineering Ltd (£88,372) and the University of Bath (£50,014). This enabled our engineers to focus much more time on the project and for us to develop a series of eleven prototypes and mockups to explore the practicalities of these designs.
At the beginning of this project, we focused on understanding what we could do with unconventional bicycle geometry. If we could get away with bending some of the rules of bike design, it would have made the folding process a lot easier. It turns out we couldn’t change as much as we’d hoped! We then had to look as different ways of achieving our vision for a folding bike.
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