Good evening everyone.

I am an Engineering student currently doing a design project on the topic of bicycle security devices. As part of the project we must collect research on the market potential for any products may we design. Below is a link to a brief survey which I hope to use as my research for the project, and I would be very grateful indeed if a few of you could complete this survey for me. All questions are bicycle and bicycle lock related.


Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and have a wonderful evening.

Regards,

Michael

***Update*** As I have under 10 posts on this website, I have been prevented from adding the link. After about half an hour of unsuccessfully trying to figure out another way of linking the survey with no luck (photos of links aren't allowed either) I don't know what to do. If anybody has any suggestions, please let me know

reply to 9 more posts

Consider designing the work-around to be the first part of your engineering exam.

You could get one more post by telling us how many items on your survey.

Whatever you do ... DO NOT use the simple and obvious work-around of dividing the actual URL to your survey with meaning less letters, as I did in this example:

https://$$$$$www.bikeforums.net/$$$$$general-cycling-discussion/$$$$$$$1156994-bicycle-security-$$$$$design-project-$$$$research.$$$$$$html

Splitting a link on two lines is also forbidden.

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/
1156994-bicycle-security-design-project-research.html

Can't I at least get a hint?

What aspect of bicycle security are you referring to? Me the rider or the stupid bike?

I want a device that prevents me from getting stolen.

The bike isn't worth that much. But I'm priceless.

I'm looking for a device that uses biometrics to identify me as the unique owner/operator authorized to touch the bike.

If set and tripped by anyone who doesn't have the disarm code, or correct index finger print, within 3 seconds, the device expels poison gas that permanently blinds and temporarily paralyzes the person.

Can you develop that?

FWIW, overall theft is still an issue, but more and more people are stealing components off locked bikes.

An inexpensive "security bit" fastener kit would be nice. But the bit would have to be proprietary. Something like $35 for the kit. Include replacements for the QR skewers that are "security bit" also.

Most roadies with expensive bikes won't lock it up for a day on end outdoors. It's the quick cafe' stop that necessitates something that would deter a daylight hours criminal in plain sight enough to not do it. The newer "band" locks are a good idea, but people are complaining that they're tripped with just a pocket knife and often jam upon opening.

Locking skewer and component hardware kit would mean a commuter leaving a bike for a long time would just need to secure ONE lock to the frameset instead of the usual two: frameset AND wheels.

Junk posts made just to get to 10 are not permissible.

Phil, I doubt anything overly weaponized would be permitted, but a good idea all the same.

I will be posting the survey link when I am permitted to do so. I was more thinking about security of the bicycle, as in anti theft type things, if anyone was wondering.

Wondering? That's the understatement.

I was hoping it was about protecting top secret bike information or using bicycles in counter-espionage operations or getting bicycles through airports.

Have fun if that ever jams.

you aren't allowed to post the link in this forum. There is a survey forum. What kind of engineering school does this anyway? I taught senior design and fortunately nobody had this bad idea because I would have made them delete their own posts.

Hire an attendant to check in the bike to a secure compound..

It's a service offered in some places with public events ..
fences and racks hauled in and set up.

a permanent installation can be , more secure ..
floor to ceiling fences.. and so forth..

I vote for a plain white van with ladders on the top. These are endorsed by many bike thieves as a prime "device" to secure their illegal booty. They are also the perfect get-away vehicle but that's another story.

A firework-propelled 12in rubber penis in the seat tube, to burst through the seat and penetrate the thief's chocolate starfish, ending it's movement explosively, once the thief had ridden over 10ft, would be my approach.

That restores my faith. At least a little bit. I've been wondering for several years why engineering profs seem to think that an internet marketing survey can gauge the potential demand for their "new" idea.

At least this one didn't try to lie about it.

Ah, yes, a variation on the 'ejection seat' strategy. I wouldn't mind losing a decent saddle if I knew it had launched a thief a minimum of 30 yards into the sky. And of course, it should set him on fire, too.

I think most of the profs that actively encourage this are in industrial design, which is on the periphery of engineering. And it also is not very common. A decent sized engineering school has about 100 design groups per year, and we don't see nearly that many. For one thing, there was no time for silliness like this in our syllabus, and the students had to do a project that was viable enough that someone paid $5000 to have it done. So the sponsor had decided it was a viable project and doesn't need a market survey. You simply can't go looking for ideas and also take an idea and make a working prototype in just one semester. Just extracting the actual requirements for the project from the sponsor is tough, which is probably the most realistic part of our class. Customers never know their requirements.

I don't know what kind of engineering school lets students come up with their own ideas for senior design. For one thing, it would mean a lot more failed projects. I just can't imagine it for a solid U.S. engineering school. One thing that is done at our school is they have to do a patent search, which should give them a good idea that every single bicycle related invention that they will ever come up with has already been invented.

Well, maybe bad ideas could be new. For example, gummy cherry flavored handlebars to be eaten in case of emergency. Or chain lube that doubles as lipstick.