Hey Im going into college this fall and plan on majoring in engineering. Are there people that engineer bikes, you know the people that design the bikes. I was wondering what bike engineers take in college and just general information. Thanks.
A good friend of mine is a custom frame builder--no engineering background, but extensive bicycle background (25 years+), and excellent technical skills. Another friend was a frame builder, now an engineer, but eventually would like to engineer custom racing wheelchairs and adapted handbikes for parapalegics.Originally posted by buck
Hey Im going into college this fall and plan on majoring in engineering. Are there people that engineer bikes, you know the people that design the bikes. I was wondering what bike engineers take in college and just general information. Thanks.
that's currently EXACTLY what i'm doing. i've learned a good deal from the machine shop i am doing an apprenticeship through as well as working for my sponsor during the summer. the main thing you have to know when doing the actual design of the frame is the materials you are working w/. the better knowledge of the materials, ie tensile strengths, melting points, etc. will only help you design a better product in the long run. the only thing that you won't learn from any engineering class is geometry, that's something that just comes from years of experience and know how....oh and yeah take the welding class, think that would surprise you at how hard it is to actually weld a thin walled steel. believe me i'm trying now and it's rough. good luck w/ all of it though!Originally posted by memnuts
I too am an ME. I seem to remember in written in either MBA or Moutain Bike that some college in CA is offering a two semester course on bicycle construction. If I can find the issue I will post the info.
One thing a bicycle company is looking for is if the engineer knows what can be constructed via usual machining and welding techniques. Taking a night welding course at your local Votech is very useful. Also interning at a machine shop will help a lot too.
It's a trade off. You can design bridges and cars for big money, or bikes because you love it.Originally posted by buck
Yeah i was wondering how much opportunity there is for bike engineers like working for a company and how much they got paid. I figured they wouldnt make too much, but it would be sweet. Thanks for all the info guys.
I had a friend that went there, and then into designing framesOriginally posted by NRSracer
if you have a higher GPA, you should consider applying to MIT(massachussettes institute of technology)
Or, spend half of your life making big money whilst buying and riding heaps of bikes, then once a decent knowledge base is built about bicycle geometry and whatever, kick back and start designing/building bikes. As said, the only way to understand geometry is to have experience, so build your experience in riding whilst you can afford to buy bikes, get some money saved, then move on to making them.Originally posted by mrbigisbudgood
It's a trade off. You can design bridges and cars for big money, or bikes because you love it.
Originally posted by Matt D
Working in the bike industry is my dream job, but it's just that for the time being: a dream. I graduated with a ME degree from UVa last year and am finishing up a welding class, have worked in a bike shop (with a frame builder) for 3 years, and IMO have very good technical skills and knowledge of the industry. I applied to about 15 different bike companies, and have a few pro/inside contacts and have had no luck whatsoever. Maybe it's the economy right now, but I'm SOL getting a job in the industry. I'm currently looking for a "real" job right now, but I'd still love to work in the industry someday.
Good luck and race as much as possible to get to know people in the know.
nah, even when the economy is good jobs are scarce in bicycle engineering. R&D departments are generally run by the people that founded the company to begin with, and there really isn't much need for extra (unproven) brains. You can find jobs in marketing and manufacture, but not engineering.Originally posted by indieboy
i'd be more then willing to bet it's the ecomony buddy, espically w/ the shape the bike industry in a whole is in right now.
Originally posted by memnuts
I too am an ME. I seem to remember in written in either MBA or Moutain Bike that some college in CA is offering a two semester course on bicycle construction. If I can find the issue I will post the info.