Bronze Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design · 2020
MinMax Folding Bicycle
- A' Design Award 2020 Bronze Winner in Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Monica Oddone
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 16,353
- Verification code E09D9DFDA8 · Verify this award
About MinMax Folding Bicycle
MinMax is an innovative bicycle with folding wheels that fits a backpack when completely folded. Born to satisfy city commuter needs and movements, its design is unique and easily recognizable thanks to the colourful mechanic components of its folding system. MinMax is lightweight, solid and easy to carry even in its electric version.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- MinMax is an innovative folding bicycle designed for the needs of city commuters. It is easy to carry everywhere thanks to the revolutionary foldable wheels.
MinMax has three configuration (riding, dragging, packing) and, when not in use, can be placed in a backpack and then stored at home, at the office, on public transport.
The basic model can be easily transformed in an electric version with a brushless motor and a battery. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Riding Configuration: 1450 mm x 530 mm x 950 mm
Dragging Configuration: 700 mm x 530 mm x 650 mm
Packing Configuration: 580 mm x 360 mm x 400 mm
Weight: 9 - 9.5 Kg - Tags
- folding, bicycle, urban, commuters, foldable wheel, e-bike
- Production Technology
- Bike frame is in 7005 aluminium alloy with TIG welding.
The handlebar is adjustable in height and position, using the hinge on the frame.
The saddle is adjustable in height thanks to the telescopic tube.
The cardanic transmission guarantees durability, reliability and minimal maintenance.
Both 23" wheels are equipped with mechanical disk breaks and foldable airless pneumatics.
A 3 speed shifter is integrated in the rear hub. - Design Challenge
- MinMax development was not only a technical challenge: bikers and commuters have new emerging needs, given by the constant evolution of personal habits and ways to live the urban environment. We can't respond to these needs using a standard approach. For these reason, the idea of "reinventing the wheel" was vital to design an extremely compact solution, not only functional but also emotionally significant for the users.
- Project Duration
- Between 2015 and 2019, the project was developed from concept to structural analysis. In addition, market analysis, questionnaire and business plan has been elaborated in order to find partners for production and commercialization.
- Operation Flow
- The passage from riding configuration to dragging configuration is regulated by two hinges: one is placed on the front fork and the other is on the main frame, near the saddle tube. When appropriately unlocked, they allow to reduce the bicycle in the wheels space.
The passage from dragging configuration to packing configuration involves the placement of all the remaining elements within the established dimensional limits. - Research
- The project started with an analysis and comparison of existing models of folding bike: strength features and weak points were evaluated with the help of the data collected through a questionnaire submitted to different kind of bikers.
The design process was focused on the requirements not fully satisfied by actual bicycles like the need of a lighter and more compact solution.
MinMax is assembled using the best standard components and some technical innovation, developed for this specific application. - Inspiration
- In the field of sustainable mobility, the role of bicycle and, in particular, folding bicycle became very interesting for design research. Although the variety of models on the market, the actual solutions are not so foldable (bounded to wheels dimension), too heavy and hard to adjust for an ergonomic use.
MinMax offers an alternative with new technical solutions and a particular focus on human needs and urban contest. - Image Credits
- Monica Oddone, 2019
- Patents
- Pending Patent No. 102019000000649
Colors of MinMax Folding Bicycle
Design Interview about MinMax Folding Bicycle
The main goal in the development of MinMax was to design a new folding bike that could exceed the size and weight limits of existing models, applying innovative solutions that would make it unique and recognizable.
I hope that winning this prestigious prize will be the launch pad for this project. It has become clear, especially in the present situation, how much innovation is needed in the individual mobility field, both in terms of sustainability and personal well-being. I would love to be able to take this project forward and work with interested partners to develop it further.
The project development took 4 months of full-time work and was divided into several phases. Initially, through research and analysis of existing foldable bikes, it was possible to identify the unsatisfied needs of users and the current technical solutions that could be implemented. The preliminary design phase involved the development of different methods of folding the frame and the wheels, which could meet the dimensional constraints originally conceived. During the executive design phase, there were collected all the necessary standard components and designed the ad hoc solutions required for the product realization.
The idea of designing a folding bike different from those currently on the market occurred after the work done with a design brief on a related topic. It was the ideal opportunity to deepen the theme of sustainable mobility, intermodality and to come into contact with different sector realities. I developed a passion for these topics and have been actively following them for almost five years.
MinMax started as a personal project, but soon turned into a long-cherished dream. Its potential led me to apply for an industrial invention patent and to contact I3P, the business incubator of the Politecnico di Torino. For almost a year, I worked as designer and aspiring entrepreneur, developing a business plan and an innovative start-up idea that led me to be awarded a “Mention for Equal Opportunities” at the Start Cup Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta in 2018.
I am currently looking for interested industrial partners to take the project forward, both as a collaboration and/or a lease of production rights.
I am currently looking for interested industrial partners to take the project forward, both as a collaboration and/or a lease of production rights.
More and more people are choosing sustainable solutions and new tools designed to move around freely, optimize routes, achieve both time and money savings, escape the stress of the road traffic and the difficulties of the public transportation.
In this perspective, folding bicycles are a perfect solution: they combine the benefits of traditional mobility on two wheels with the possibility of having a compact, lightweight and easily transportable vehicle. Also used in intermodality with other vectors, the folded bicycle proves to be the preferred choice for city commuters, which are becoming more and more demanding in terms of performance and comfort.
In this perspective, folding bicycles are a perfect solution: they combine the benefits of traditional mobility on two wheels with the possibility of having a compact, lightweight and easily transportable vehicle. Also used in intermodality with other vectors, the folded bicycle proves to be the preferred choice for city commuters, which are becoming more and more demanding in terms of performance and comfort.
There are many models of foldable bikes, mainly differentiated by the folding mechanisms and sequences that give shape to the compact and strongly characteristic geometries of the various brands. However, MinMax adds one more step, not found on any model currently on the market: the folding of the wheels.
It wasn't difficult to find a name for this bike, because it fully reflects the design goal: to occupy the MINimum space, while ensuring MAXimum experience.
MinMax is the result of an ambitious goal: reaching the smallest possible dimensions (the size of a hand luggage) without sacrificing comfort in use and with absolute freedom in ergonomic adjustments. Thanks to its innovative wheel folding mechanism, this bike is designed to be stored in a regular backpack: its size is reduced by almost 9 times (compared to other foldable bikes in the current market)!
After the executive design phase, I contacted a mechanical engineer with large experience in the cycling field for the structural analysis of the innovative components of the bicycle, in order to particularly evaluate the performance of the wheel locking mechanisms. It was an enriching experience, a meeting point between design and scientific disciplines.
The concept development was followed by a primary research phase with the identification of the target through a questionnaire entitled "Folding bikes: experience and imagination". The aim was to involve different kinds of riders, regular and non-regular users, to find out which characteristics of the folding bike are fundamental to improve its perception. The data showed that purchase and use are strongly influenced by factors such as low weight, reliability of the locking system and price/performance ratio.
MinMax development was not only a technical challenge: bikers and commuters have new emerging needs, given by the constant evolution of personal habits and ways to live the urban environment. We can't respond to these needs using a standard approach. For these reason, the idea of "reinventing the wheel" was vital to design an extremely compact solution, not only functional, but also emotionally significant for the users.
I nominated the MinMax bike for the A' Design Award to get a reliable feedback on its quality and to actively promote it with the aim of finding industrial partners interested in carrying out the project.